Opinion ID: 810773
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Planning of the Stash House Robbery

Text: On July 29, 2008, Agent Neal and Agent Zayas met Defendant Blair and then traveled together to meet Defendant Augustus, whom Blair called “one of my 7 Case: 10-13161 Date Filed: 10/24/2012 Page: 8 of 41 goons.” Blair explained that he had called Augustus the day before about the explosive device and that Augustus was experienced with robbery. Blair stated that after they divided up the cocaine from the stash house, he might have to ask the agents or Augustus for help selling it, although Blair added that he had connections. At the meeting with Defendant Augustus, which was also attended by a man named Hugh McCalla, Agent Zayas started to discuss the robbery, but then explained that he would not continue the discussion unless that was what Augustus wanted. Defendant Augustus replied that he was concerned only about protecting his “people” and the agents’ “people and family,” and asked, “So what it works[?]” Agent Zayas testified that he understood Augustus to be asking about the robbery plan. After Agent Zayas explained that he had ordered one kilogram of cocaine, Augustus requested the stash house’s location so he could conduct surveillance before the robbery. Agent Zayas responded that his contact would not tell him the address until just before the pick up, as the cocaine was routinely transferred to different locations. Defendant Augustus then asked about the quantity of cocaine stored inside the stash house, and acknowledged that he “already kn[ew] [the occupants are] strapped.” Defendant Blair added, “We have to orchestrate it.” When Agent 8 Case: 10-13161 Date Filed: 10/24/2012 Page: 9 of 41 Zayas expressed doubt over whether they were serious about the robbery, Augustus dismissed his concern, stating, “That’s like taking candy from a baby.” Agent Zayas asked if Augustus was “straight,” to which Augustus replied, “Yeah, we straight.” Agent Zayas testified that he had asked Augustus this question to offer him an opportunity to back out of the robbery. The conversation then turned to how to divide the cocaine. Defendant Blair suggested that he would be “happy” to receive a share of five kilograms. Defendant Augustus told Blair, “[Y]ou’re supposed to pay me when you finish.” The robbery was delayed because Defendant Augustus was out of town for a funeral. On August 22, 2008, Augustus met Defendant Blair at a location where Blair had arranged to sell Agent Horst a machine gun. After the agents arrived, Blair got into the undercover vehicle and showed Agent Horst the purported machine gun. Agent Horst did not purchase it, however, because it was not actually a machine gun. During that meeting, Blair told Agent Horst that Augustus supplied him with firearms. Blair left the location with Augustus in Augustus’s car. On September 16, 2008, Agent Zayas and other undercover ATF agents met with Defendant Augustus and Hugh McCalla. Regarding the planned robbery, Augustus told the agents that “you all can sit and chill, we do the work.” When 9 Case: 10-13161 Date Filed: 10/24/2012 Page: 10 of 41 Agent Zayas inquired whether Augustus and McCalla were the only ones executing the robbery, Augustus replied that he was unsure because McCalla was reluctant to go. Augustus stated that he was trying to find a driver for the robbery because his license was suspended. When Agent Zayas mentioned that he could cancel his cocaine order if Augustus was not ready, Augustus emphasized that he was “[r]eady dog, ready.” After discussing the robbery plan with Defendant Augustus, Agent Zayas suggested that, to execute the plan, they meet at 1:45 PM the next day at the Smokey Bones restaurant. Augustus reiterated that he and his “guys” would be ready and warned that the promised quantity of cocaine had better be at the stash house. Agent Zayas assured him that it would. After further discussion, Agent Zayas told Augustus that “you gotta be ready to go,” and asked twice if “[w]e straight,” to which Augustus answered twice, “Yeah man.” Augustus agreed with Agent Zayas’s proposal to split the cocaine evenly and indicated he would be able to “[u]nload[]” his share. D. The Attempted Robbery and the Defendants’ Arrest On September 17, 2008, Agent Zayas called Defendant Augustus to confirm the plan and their meeting time at the restaurant. Around noon, Augustus called Agent Zayas and explained that he was waiting for his ride and needed gloves and 10 Case: 10-13161 Date Filed: 10/24/2012 Page: 11 of 41 tape for the robbery, but had the rest of the “stuff.” A few minutes before 1:45 PM, Defendants Augustus, Deneil Tenashel Campbell, and Antonio McClain arrived at the restaurant in a gold Pontiac vehicle that Campbell had borrowed from his girlfriend. McClain was driving,2 Campbell sat in the front seat, and Augustus sat behind McClain. Agents Horst and Neal, who had parked earlier at the restaurant, exited their car and approached the gold Pontiac. Agent Neal stood beside the rear window, while Agent Horst stood on the driver’s side of the car. Agent Neal told Defendants Augustus, Campbell, and McClain that they were waiting for Agent Zayas to go to the stash house to pick up the kilogram of cocaine as planned. Agent Neal also said that Agent Zayas expected that 25 kilograms of cocaine were stored at the house. Augustus confirmed that he knew about the 25 kilograms, but noted that they had only one “pistol” with them and asked how many people were in the house. Agent Neal answered that there were two. Campbell asked if the two occupants were “Cubans” and would be “strapped,” and Agent Neal said they were Puerto Ricans and would be armed. After Agent Neal asked if the defendants were “straight,” Augustus replied, 2 McClain, who testified at trial, stated that Augustus had asked him earlier that day if he wanted a ride, and then asked him to drive. McClain testified that he agreed because he liked to drive. 11 Case: 10-13161 Date Filed: 10/24/2012 Page: 12 of 41 “Yeah we’re straight . . . .” Agent Neal testified he understood his answer to mean the defendants were ready to commit the robbery. When Agent Neal also asked, “Everybody up for that shit?” Defendant Campbell nodded his head affirmatively. Agent Neal tapped Defendant McClain on the shoulder and asked Augustus if McClain was “cool with it.” Augustus said “yeah,” and McClain nodded affirmatively.3 Defendant Augustus also asked whether the agents had any firearms with them. Agent Neal said no; he later told Agent Horst that he feared Augustus wanted to borrow a firearm. Augustus stated that they planned to wait for Agent Zayas to exit the stash house before they went inside to rob it. Following the robbery, they were to go to a storage facility to divide the cocaine. After receiving confirmation that Agent Zayas was ready to proceed, Agent Neal told the defendants to follow Agent Horst and him to meet Agent Zayas at the storage facility, before proceeding to the stash house. Following behind the agents’ car, Defendant McClain drove the gold Pontiac with Augustus and Campbell inside.4 ATF agents arrested Defendants Augustus, Campbell, and 3 McClain testified that he had not been paying attention to the conversation and nodded only because an agent knocked on the window. 4 McClain testified that Augustus told him to follow the agents because they were moving to avoid the heat. 12 Case: 10-13161 Date Filed: 10/24/2012 Page: 13 of 41 McClain at the storage facility. After Augustus, Campbell, and McClain were removed from the vehicle and handcuffed, they were seated on the ground several yards from each other. ATF Special Agent Daniel O’Kelly testified that standard procedure required that any weapons or personal effects, removed from a suspect during a patdown, be placed a safe distance away from the suspect. According to Agent O’Kelly, while at the arrest scene, he observed a kitchen knife and plastic lighter on the ground next to Campbell. Before taking the knife as evidence, Agent O’Kelly used it to cut off McClain’s plastic handcuffs. Agent O’Kelly testified that he was not positive that the knife was Campbell’s; Agent Horst testified that he later found out that a knife was recovered from Campbell. Meanwhile, ATF Special Agent Michael Coad searched the defendants’ gold Pontiac. Agent Coad found two bags inside the trunk. The larger bag contained a black mask and a black shirt, and the smaller bag contained a loaded pistol. Agent Coad did not find any other weapons. After the arrests, ATF agents placed Defendants Augustus, Campbell, and McClain in the back of a police patrol car and recorded their conversation, which was partly in Patois, a Jamaican broken-English dialect. Augustus speculated that, during their interactions with the agents, someone must have been “on wire.” 13 Case: 10-13161 Date Filed: 10/24/2012 Page: 14 of 41 However, the defendants concluded that the agents “have nothing” and “[i]f them never find the gun, it would have been a different thing.” Augustus stated that “[t]hey not catch us with any thing. They catch us with conspiring to do it.” Campbell told Augustus that “make sure they don’t have you on a no . . . speaker talking. That’s the biggest thing, man, because you on the phone.” Campbell also asked Augustus whether the gun was “dirty” and if he had “wipe[d] it off decent.” Augustus said he wiped the gun off with “the black shirt.” ATF agents arrested Defendant Blair that same day. C. Conclusion of Trial and Sentencing After the government’s case-in-chief, the four defendants moved for judgment of acquittal. The district court denied their motions. Augustus and Blair then rested. After Campbell admitted an exhibit, he also rested. McClain called six witnesses in his defense, including himself, before resting. The defendants all renewed their motions for judgment of acquittal, which the court denied. The district court instructed the jury on the elements of the two charged offenses and the government’s burden of proof. The court explained that “[t]he law does not require a defendant to prove innocence or to produce any evidence at all; and if a defendant elects not to testify, you cannot consider that in any way during your deliberations.” In addition, the court directed the jury to consider 14 Case: 10-13161 Date Filed: 10/24/2012 Page: 15 of 41 separately the evidence for each count and against each defendant. The jury found Defendants Augustus, Blair, and Campbell guilty on both Counts 1 and 2, but acquitted McClain on all counts. The district court sentenced Augustus to 168 months’ imprisonment on Count 1, followed by 60 months’ imprisonment on Count 2, for a total of 228 months. The court sentenced Campbell to 235 months’ imprisonment on Count 1, followed by 60 months’ imprisonment on Count 2, for a total of 295 months. The court sentenced Blair to 170 months’ imprisonment on Count 1, 60 months’ on Count 3, and 120 months’ on Counts 4 through 7, all to run concurrently, followed by 60 months’ imprisonment on Count 2, for a total of 230 months. The defendants do not appeal their sentences.