Opinion ID: 813650
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Investigation of Ramos

Text: Beginning in early 2009, a multi-agency drug task force began investigating Ramos’s drug distribution network. Officers from several agencies, including the Worcester Police Department, the Massachusetts State Police, the Drug Enforcement Administration (“DEA”) and the United States Postal Inspection Service conducted surveillance of Ramos at G & V, as well as at other locations. As part of their surveillance efforts, the officers drove unmarked vehicles. Of particular relevance to this appeal is that Worcester Detective Kellen Smith drove a white Ford Explorer, Worcester Detective Jeff Carlson drove a maroon Dodge Intrepid and Massachusetts State Police Officer Nicholas Nason drove a green Ford Escape. On the morning of January 14, 2009, the officers conducting surveillance on G & V saw Mr. Burgos’s marked police vehicle parked in a parking lot on the same street as the garage.24 They watched as Ramos’s vehicle drove up next to Mr. Burgos’s, and 23 R.327 at 116; R.328-1 at 40, 19. 24 This was not unusual; one of the officers later agreed that “officers from time to time park[ed] in the . . . parking lot.” R.326 at 153. 7 the two men proceeded to have a five- or ten-minute conversation. According to Ramos’s later testimony, Ramos had seen Mr. Burgos sitting in his marked police vehicle; he pulled next to Mr. Burgos and told him he “was being followed by cars,” one red and one white, and he asked Mr. Burgos who was following him.25 At the time he asked, Ramos was “75 to 90 percent [certain] that they were police cars.”26 Ramos later testified that he “wanted to make sure that [he] knew who it was that was following [him].”27 According to Ramos, the meeting was not prearranged; when asked why Ramos turned to Mr. Burgos to obtain that information, he testified: “I don’t know. I saw him, and I went up to him and asked him.”28 Mr. Burgos told Ramos “that he was going to find out what they were.”29 Later that day, Ramos called Mr. Burgos; that conversation was captured by an existing wiretap. That transcript, which was introduced at trial, reads as follows:30 BURGOS: [Aside . . . hold on, no . . .] Hello! 25 R.327 at 128. 26 Id. at 129. 27 Id. 28 Id. 29 Id. 30 The conversation was in Spanish, but later was translated into English. 8 RAMOS: Tell me, Carlos. BURGOS: How are you? What’s up? RAMOS: Tell me, did you find out about that for me, or not? BURGOS: Uh . . . yes, but no . . . I don’t know if for there . . . there were two. Uh . . . the white one and the red one. RAMOS: Yes, but I saw that one already, there’s the white one and a green van, too. BURGOS: [Unintelligible]. RAMOS: A green one. Did you hear? BURGOS: But I don’t know if it is for over there, but, uh . . . they’re down there, yes. RAMOS: I know they’re down here. BURGOS: Yes, so let’s take it easy for now. RAMOS: Yes, I know, I know, I know . . . that’s why I told you that. I know. BURGOS: Yes, yes, yes . . . RAMOS: Okay. BURGOS: Okay? RAMOS: Okay. BURGOS: Okay. Bye.[31] 31 Id. at 130-31. 9 Ramos later testified that he understood that Mr. Burgos was telling him that police were observing either Ramos or G & V,32 and telling him “[t]hat [he] had to take it easy if [he] was doing something against the law.”33 About an hour after that conversation with Mr. Burgos, Ramos called his marijuana supplier and informed him that police were in the area. Shortly after that, Ramos called a customer and gave him similar information. After these conversations, which also were captured by the wiretap, the officers changed their surveillance vehicles. At no point in their investigation did the officers focus any surveillance efforts on Mr. Burgos. After additional investigation, the officers executed search warrants on Ramos’s house, where they recovered marijuana, cocaine and a firearm.