Opinion ID: 2746598
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: The Malibu

Text: In the cool, early morning hours of May 2, 2006, an officer with the East Providence Police Department noticed a Chevy Malibu driving well over the speed limit in Rhode Island. He attempted to pull the car over. The Malibu, however, continued driving for a half-mile and changed lanes without signaling before finally submitting. The officer then approached the vehicle on foot, where he found Dianikqua Johnson behind the wheel, Defendant Kent Awer in the passenger seat, and a Mr. Simmons in the back. Upon questioning, Johnson admitted she did not have a driver's license. At the same time, Defendant leaned over Johnson and told the officer he had rented the car and they were traveling from New York City; he also produced the rental agreement. Another officer soon arrived, after which the officers arrested Johnson for being an unlicensed driver. 1 We present the facts pertaining to pre-trial evidentiary rulings, such as suppression, in the light most favorable to the district court. See United States v. Oquendo-Rivas, 750 F.3d 12, 16 (1st Cir. 2014). Because sufficiency of the trial evidence is not contested, we present a more neutral description of trial facts. See United States v. Powers, 702 F.3d 1, 4 (1st Cir. 2012). -2- While securing Johnson, the two officers noticed Defendant moving suspiciously back in the Malibu.2 As a result, the officers converged on the car's passenger side to investigate. The officer who stopped the car observed Defendant sweating and breathing heavily, so he asked Defendant to exit the car. Defendant reached for the center console instead, prompting the officer to grab his hand and pull him from the car. Moments later, Defendant admitted he had marijuana in his pocket. An officer found it and arrested Defendant. In all, only three minutes or so passed between the initial stop and Defendant's arrest. That left Simmons, who did not have a driver's license, either. Moreover, the Malibu's rental agreement prohibited a third party from driving. Thus, the officers requested a tow truck for the Malibu. The officers searched the car before having it towed away. During this inventory search, the officers found over 500 grams of cocaine inside an unlocked bag in the trunk. The bag also contained men's clothes and documents bearing Defendant's name. Defendant was later indicted in the District of Rhode Island for 2 At a suppression hearing, one officer testified Defendant was moving around in the passenger compartment and you could see his shoulders moving from side to side. The other officer testified Defendant kept looking back at us, kept moving around the vehicle. . . . He was bending over forward. He was turning to the left, turning to the right, and it appeared to me at the time that either he was trying to conceal something or . . . retrieve something. At trial, the latter officer testified Defendant kept looking back towards us. . . . He kept looking around. He kept making movements to his left and right and kept bending over. This will come into play later. -3- possessing with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of cocaine base in violation of 21 U.S.C. § 841(a)(1).