Opinion ID: 380089
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Sufficiency of Affidavits.

Text: 31 Defendants claim that the affidavits supporting the warrants did not state facts sufficient to establish probable cause to believe either that the specified crime 1 had been committed or that the items described in the warrant would be found in the places to be searched, two briefcases and two hotel rooms. They also claim that the trial court erred by failing to hold an evidentiary hearing into this claim and their claim that the affidavits contained material misstatements of fact. We reject all of these claims. 32 The affidavits were sufficient to provide the magistrate with probable cause to believe that a violation of § 2314 had been committed. The theory of the affiants was that Windward Bank itself did not exist. The affiants showed ample reason to believe that it did not. Thus, this case would not come within the exception of § 2314 for any promise to pay . . . issued by . . . a bank . . . of any foreign country. Under this theory, the checks of Windward Bank could accurately be considered falsely made within the third paragraph of § 2314. Furthermore, the affidavits are sufficient to permit the magistrate to find probable cause to believe that the second paragraph of § 2314, which requires interstate transportation of a person, rather than a check, had been violated. See United States v. Reina, 9 Cir., 1971, 446 F.2d 16. The affidavits described the fraudulent scheme checks drawn on what appeared to be a nonexistent bank and payees unable to collect and described the travel of DeSaulniers with Federbush and Quilici from Boston to San Francisco in connection with the scheme. This is a more than adequate factual basis on which the magistrate could determine that a violation of § 2314 had been committed. The affidavits also made a sufficient showing that it would be reasonable to seek the evidence in the briefcases and hotel rooms. United States v. Hendershot, 9 Cir., 1980, 614 F.2d 648, 654. 33 Nor did the trial court err in denying defendants' motion for a hearing concerning the alleged falsity of the supporting affidavits. 34 There is . . . a presumption of validity with respect to the affidavit supporting the search warrant. To mandate an evidentiary hearing, the challenger's attack must be more than conclusory . . . . There must be allegations of deliberate falsehood or of reckless disregard for the truth and those allegations must be accompanied by an offer of proof. 35 Franks v. Delaware, 1978, 438 U.S. 154, 171, 98 S.Ct. 2674, 2685, 57 L.Ed.2d 667. A hearing is required only if a preliminary showing is made that the warrant is invalid under Franks and that the challenged material is necessary to a finding of probable cause. United States v. Young Buffalo, 9 Cir., 1979, 591 F.2d 506, 510. No such showing was made. The statements of a victim-witness to a crime need not be independently corroborated. United States v. Mahler, 9 Cir., 1971, 442 F.2d 1172, 1174-1175. The affidavits were sufficient. 36