Opinion ID: 2805884
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: The Execution of the Search Warrant

Text: On January 28, 2011, approximately eight HSI agents ‐‐ including Raab and Cerutti ‐‐ assembled to execute the search warrant. Upon arriving at 2462 Gerritsen Avenue, Raab knocked on the door to the right, Apartment 1. Bershchanskyʹs mother answered and the agents informed her of the search warrant. Raab and the other agents then entered the apartment to conduct the search, finding and seizing computer equipment, including a desktop computer and two external hard drives. Photographs of the doors received into evidence at the suppression hearing show that both the outer and inner doors to the apartment to the left were clearly marked ʺ2,ʺ and that the inner door to the apartment on the right ‐‐ the apartment that was searched ‐‐ was clearly marked ʺ1.ʺ5 5 The record is unclear as to when the photographs were taken. They apparently were taken by the defense, but they were received into evidence at the behest of the government. While the record is silent as to whether the photographs accurately depict the doors as they appeared in January 2011 (the hearing took place in December 2012), the inner wooden doors in the photographs appear worn and old and both doors prominently display apartment numbers. The two outer screen doors appear to be newer. The outer screen door to Apartment 2 is clearly marked ʺ2,ʺ while the outer screen door to Apartment 1 does not appear to bear the apartment number. ‐8‐ Bershchansky was present during the search and the agents proceeded to interview him. He admitted receiving and possessing child pornography. The government would later, through forensic review, determine the presence of more than 100 electronic files containing child pornography in the seized computer equipment. On December 21, 2011, Bershchansky was arrested and charged with possession of child pornography, in violation of 18 U.SC. §§ 2252(a)(4)(B) and 2252(b)(2).