Opinion ID: 2972024
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Probable Cause for Moncivais’ Arrest.

Text: Moncivais also challenges his warrantless arrest at the Memphis airport on April 9, 2001, contending the government lacked probable cause. Moncivais primarily argues that, without the disputed tape recorded conversation with Laurel, probable cause is absent. He also argues that Officer Campbell’s April 10 affidavit supporting the criminal complaint was false in reporting the details of that conversation, thus demonstrating a lack of probable cause for his arrest the day before. We have already found the tape recording was sufficiently trustworthy and admissible for purposes of the motion to suppress. We reach the same conclusion concerning its use in the probable cause analysis. The establishment of probable cause “requires only a probability or substantial chance of criminal activity, not an actual showing of such activity.” United States v. Barrett, 890 F.2d 855, 861 (6th Cir. 1989) (superceded on other grounds). The judicial determination of probable cause involves evaluating the historical facts leading up to the arrest, and whether those facts, viewed by an “objectively reasonable police officer,” satisfy the legal standard of probable cause. Ornelas v. United States, 517 U.S. at 696. The critical events leading to Moncivais’ arrest occurred over a relatively short time span. Those events included: (1) information AD provided after his arrest led to the recovery of 58 kg of cocaine on April 8; (2) JD was told that someone likely connected with the drug suppliers was arriving at the Memphis airport on Saturday, April 7; (3) Laurel told JD on April 7 during the Beale Street meeting that “they” were either in town or coming to town; (4) Laurel displayed obvious distress to both JD and AD about threats “they” were making if the drugs were not immediately delivered; (5) after an extended conversation about when AD would deliver the drugs, Laurel placed the call, with AD on the line, to Room 669 at the Holiday Inn so that AD could “talk to him” about it; (6) Laurel identified the “major” actors in the drug scheme as being from Texas; (7) Moncivais had checked into Room 669, and had arrived in Memphis from Texas on April 7; and (8) Moncivais had a reserved flight out from Memphis on Monday morning, April 9. Given these facts, and the substance of the tape recorded conversation, the “totality of the circumstances” supports “an objectively reasonable police officer’s” conclusion that Moncivais was involved in the drug scheme. No. 02-6457 United States v. Moncivais Page 6 We also reject Moncivais’ assertion that Officer Campbell’s affidavit was “recklessly false” in relaying Agent Evans’ interpretation of the Laurel-Moncivais telephone conversation. The affidavit stated: “Evans related that Laurel told Moncivais that [Davis] has “it” and that everything is OK but that it may take a little while longer. Moncivais responded to Laurel to hurry up and get the stuff so they can get out of there (presumably Memphis, Tennessee.)” Under United States v. Campbell, 878 F.2d 170, 171 (6th Cir. 1989), a defendant must make a “substantial” showing that the affidavit is deliberately or recklessly false. This Court has explained: “A defendant who challenges the veracity of statements made in an affidavit that formed the basis for a warrant has a heavy burden. His allegations must be more than conclusory. He must point to specific false statements that he claims were made intentionally or with reckless disregard for the truth.” United States v. Bennett, 905 F.2d 931, 934 (6th Cir. 1990) (citations omitted). The district court rejected Moncivais’ argument that the affidavit was actually false, concluding that the discrepancy was attributable to “differing interpretations” of the conversation. While we conclude that the evidence establishes that Moncivais did not literally say the words Campbell reports in his affidavit, Evans’ conclusion relayed to Campbell about the import of the conversation is not so far off the mark to render it “recklessly false.” Testimony at the suppression hearing established the officers’ reasonable belief that drug dealers often talk in “code.” Moncivais said to Laurel, “But no, no, you know what you have to do. Are you going to go eat right now?” The reference to eating is nonsensical, and could be interpreted as referring to something else that Laurel was to do “right now” -- such as retrieve the drugs. Moreover, there is nothing in the record to suggest that Evans or Campbell made a deliberate false statement in their reporting about the conversation. We therefore affirm the district court’s conclusion that probable cause existed for the warrantless arrest of Moncivais on April 9.