Opinion ID: 673144
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Galvan agreed to cooperate with the Yakima Narcotics Unit in return for leniency.

Text: 12 3. Galvan placed a phone call to the source of his cocaine. Galvan received a call at 11:20 a.m. from a woman named Anna who stated she was in Moxee, Washington, weighing out the cocaine, and would arrive in one-half hour. 13 4. Manuel and Anita Farias were arrested at 11:55 after arriving with a quarter kilo of cocaine. Anita Farias agreed to cooperate in exchange for leniency. 14 5. Detective Gary Kouba accompanied Ms. Farias to Moxee. 15 6. Ms. Farias claimed she and her husband obtained the cocaine from Jose Banda. Farias stated she and her husband met Banda at 550 Chappel Road, and Banda followed them to the parking lot of Albertson's, where Banda provided them with the cocaine. 16 7. Farias stated Banda lived at 550 Chappel Road. She also stated 550 Chappel Road was her former residence. Her vehicle was registered at 550 Chappel Road. 17 8. Farias stated she saw multiple kilograms of cocaine delivered to 550 Chappel Road on October 16, 1992. 18 9. Officers observed a vehicle registered to Banda parked at 550 Chappel Road. 19 The affidavit reveals nothing about the veracity or reliability of the informant, Anita Farias, or her husband, Manuel. However, the affidavit reveals an investigation corroborating several details in Anita Farias's statements. She stated she previously resided at 550 Chappel Road, and, as noted in the affidavit, her vehicle registration corroborated this fact. She also stated Banda resided at 550 Chappel Road, which was corroborated by other information in the affidavit that Banda's vehicle was registered to that address and was parked there. Because information obtained in the investigation, and set forth in the affidavit, corroborated details of Anita Farias's statements, the lack of evidence demonstrating her veracity is not critical. Illinois v. Gates, 462 U.S. 213, 233-35 (1983); United States v. Angulo-Lopez, 791 F.2d 1394, 1397 (9th Cir.1986); United States v. Roberts, 747 F.2d 537, 543 (9th Cir.1984). 20 Furthermore, the affidavit contains information demonstrating the basis for Anita Farias's knowledge. The affidavit discloses that she personally saw multiple kilograms of cocaine being delivered to the premises at 550 Chappel Road nineteen days before the application for the search warrant. In addition, she and Manuel Farias received cocaine from Banda on the date of the application for the warrant. 21 We conclude that, under the totality of the circumstances, the magistrate's finding of probable cause is supported by substantial evidence. 2. Staleness of Information 22 Banda argues the affidavit is deficient because it contains no evidence that cocaine was on the premises at 550 Chappel Road on November 4, 1992, the date the warrant was obtained and executed. He also points out the affidavit merely discloses that Anita Farias saw kilograms of cocaine being delivered to the premises nineteen days earlier; there is no assertion in the affidavit that controlled substances were stored on the premises at 550 Chappel Road. 23 We reject this argument. The mere lapse of substantial amounts of time is not controlling in a question of staleness. United States v. Pitts, 6 F.3d 1366, 1369 (9th Cir.1993) (quoting United States v. Dozier, 844 F.2d 701, 707 (9th Cir.), cert. denied, 488 U.S. 927 (1988)). We evaluate staleness in light of the particular facts of the case and the nature of the criminal activity and property sought. United States v. Greany, 929 F.2d 523, 525 (9th Cir.1991). With respect to drug trafficking, probable cause may continue for several weeks, if not months, of the last reported instance of suspect activity. Pitts, 6 F.3d at 1369 (internal quotations omitted). 24 The affidavit disclosed evidence of drug trafficking at the Chappel Road premises. The affidavit contains information from Anita Farias that she and her husband ordered 9 ounces of cocaine from Banda, met him at the Chappel Road residence, and that he delivered cocaine to them in the Albertson's parking lot, all on the same day Banda was arrested, November 4, 1992. From this evidence, and from the evidence Banda lived at the Chappel Road residence, a magistrate could reasonably conclude illicit drugs would likely be found there on November 4, 1992. See id. (In the Ninth Circuit, we have recognized that [i]n the case of drug dealers, evidence is likely to be found where the dealers live.) (internal quotations omitted).