Opinion ID: 58
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: 4049 Higbee Street

Text: Applying the foregoing principles, we hold that the magistrate had a substantial basis for determining there was a fair probability that contraband would be found at 4049 Higbee. With respect to 4049 Higbee, the affidavit met each of the Burton prongs, justifying the inference that evidence of Joseph Doebley's drug-dealing activities would be found there. First, the affidavit provided powerful evidence that Joseph Doebley was a drug dealer. As set forth above, the affidavit detailed an informant's tip that Joseph Doebley was a drug dealer. Police then confirmed Joseph Doebley's involvement in two drug transactions: a controlled buy and a sale apparently made through an agent. (App. 88.) Second, the affidavit contained ample evidence that 4049 Higbee was Joseph Doebley's home. The informant's tip, which we have deemed reliable, averred that Joseph Doebley resided in the 4000 block of Higbee Street. Investigating that tip, police confirmed that an apparent relative of Joseph Doebley owned a home at 4049 Higbee, reasonably suggesting that 4049 Higbee was the home that the informant ascribed to Joseph Doebley. ( Id. ) Thereafter, while under police surveillance, Joseph Doebley apparently admitted himself into that residence: On October 4, 2005, he parked his blue-and-white pickup truck behind 4049 Higbee, entered the rear yard of 4049 Higbee that contained a white pit bull, opened the rear garage door, and entered this location at approximately 11:50 p.m. Police terminated surveillance at 12:30 a.m., but observed Doebley's pickup truck parked at the rear of 4049 Higbee at approximately 7:15 a.m. the next morning, suggesting that he remained there overnight. ( Id. ) This police surveillance, in the context of the informant's tip that Joseph Doebley lived on the 4000 block of Higbee, leads us to conclude that the affidavit afforded the magistrate with significant, though not conclusive, evidence that Joseph Doebley resided at 4049 Higbee. ( Id. ) Third, the affidavit suggested a nexus between 4049 Higbee and Joseph Doebley's drug dealing activities. Principally, the informant's tip averred that Joseph Doebley sold drugs out of his 4808 Comly gym and his house on Higbee Street. ( Id. ) Police investigation substantially corroborated the informant's allegations regarding the Comly gym, suggesting the informant was also correct that Doebley sold drugs out of his Higbee Street home. In addition, Joseph Doebley apparently slept at 4049 Higbee the evening after he collected proceeds from a drug sale, suggesting the possibility that he entered that residence with drugs or drug-sale proceeds on his person. ( See id. ) The magistrate may have additionally taken judicial notice that 4049 Higbee is a mere half-mile from the location of Joseph Doebley's September 28 drug sale, made at the intersection of Higbee and Cottage Streets. In fact, that sale occurred almost exactly halfway between the 4808 Comly gym and 4049 Higbee Street, on a virtually direct route. [22] Finally, the magistrate may have inferred that 4049 Higbee would contain contraband because the affidavit suggested that it was part of a network of suspiciously titled homes and cars, each connected to at least one of the three defendants. During their investigation, police learned that four properties in the vicinity exhibited a peculiar pattern of co-ownership. From real estate records, police ascertained that 4049 Higbee was listed as a co-owner address for 5038 Homestead, which was owned by Ruth Nolan; 4049 Higbee also received water bills for that address. ( Id. ) Two other properties were similarly linked: property records showed that 5028 Homestead was owned by Patrick Fox, but listed 5019 Homestead as a co-owner address. ( Id. at 89.) That property, in turn, was owned by Edward Stearn, who the informant alleged to be Joseph Doebley's dealer. ( Id. at 88, 89.) In addition, the unusual circumstance that Joseph Doebley appeared to have at-will access to 5017, 5019, 5022, 5028, 5030 and 5038 Homestead reasonably suggested an even more substantial network of collectively or communally owned properties. ( Id. ) This pattern extended to cars, too. The blue-and-white pickup truck operated by Joseph Doebley was registered not in his own name, but to one Steven Little. ( Id. at 88.) The rust-colored Impala operated by Joseph Doebley was registered in his own name, but registration records listed an address in Richboro, Pennsylvania. ( Id. ) Similarly, the Jeep Grand Cherokee operated by Michael Doebley was registered in his own name, but the address on file was 5019 HomesteadEdward Stearn's home. ( Id. at 89.) From this unusual pattern of home co-ownership, access, and cross-listed addresses, the magistrate judge reasonably may have inferred that the defendants had a stronger connection to the properties and cars than was immediately apparent. The judge may have inferred an intent by the defendants' to conceal their true addresses. See Burton, 288 F.3d at 104-105; Whitner, 219 F.3d at 298-299 (noting that defendant's attempted concealment of association with home logically suggests the defendant was storing some evidence of illegal activity [there] which he did not want the agents to discover). Alternatively, these facts may have suggested that the defendants deliberately obscured their ownership of the cars and homes at issue, perhaps to avoid criminal forfeiture. Cf. United States v. Tramunti, 513 F.2d 1087, 1102 (2d Cir.1975) (Experienced narcotics officers know ... criminals are aware that cars used to transport narcotics or other contraband, if seized, are generally subject to forfeiture.). On this score, it would have been helpful if Officer Ryan had furnished his theory as to the import of these circumstances, which police apparently believed to suggest that the defendants owned cars and homes in the names of straws. ( See e.g., Grand Jury Indictment ¶ 4-5; App. 53-54.) Even so, the affidavit's description of these ownership and title irregularities (of which 4049 Higbee was part) lends support to the inference that drugs would be found at 4049 Higbee. That inference, together with the informant's corroborated tip and 4049 Higbee's proximity to the Comly gymthe location of the controlled buyprovide a nexus sufficient to suggest that the [4049 Higbee] home contain[ed] contraband linking it to the dealer's drug activities. Burton, 288 F.3d at 104. Because the affidavit contained evidence meeting Burton 's three preliminary premises, we hold that a substantial basis existed for the magistrate's determination that probable cause existed to search 4049 Higbee. To be sure, `it would have been preferable if [Officer Ryan] could have supplied more information linking [4049 Higbee Street] to the criminal activity.' Hodge 246 F.3d at 307 ( quoting Whitner, 219 F.3d at 299). Nevertheless, the fact remains that he did bring the evidence ... to a magistrate judge, who determined that there was probable cause to issue the warrant[]. Id. ( quoting Jones, 994 F.2d at 1057). In view of the Fourth Amendment's strong preference for searches conducted pursuant to a warrant, we are further persuaded to uphold the search of 4049 Higbee. Id. (quoting Ventresca, 380 U.S. at 108, 85 S.Ct. 741).