Opinion ID: 2793225
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Reverse-Sting Operation

Text: On October 5, 2010, the CI introduced Zayas to defendant Carabali-Diaz, an unidentified man nicknamed Titi, and a third unidentified individual. Following that introduction, Zayas told them his fictional cover story. After providing his cover story, agent Zayas said he was nervous, and Titi responded, “Don’t be . . . . This is going to turn out well.” Carabali-Diaz asked several questions about the stash house. Zayas told Carabali-Diaz and Titi that the cocaine distributors he dealt with were “serious people” and the robbery would not be easy. Titi responded that Zayas need not worry and that the group would “go in there with everything.” Carabali-Diaz noted that the group would have to remove the markings from the cocaine packages before selling them on the street. Carabali-Diaz and Titi discussed how the robbery would take place, and Titi stated that they would tie up the stash house occupants as well as Zayas. Carabali-Diaz said that the plan “look[ed] good.” Zayas did not tell Carabali-Diaz and Titi to use firearms or how to conduct the robbery; he only explained who and what was in the house. Two days later, agent Zayas again met Carabali-Diaz and Titi in his undercover role. The three men discussed the robbery plans. Carabali-Diaz and Titi said that five people would be in the robbery crew and that they would get into the house using police uniforms and vests. 3 Carabali-Diaz said that 2 Agent Zayas testified that markings on cocaine packages are the hallmark of foreign cocaine intended for wide distribution. 3 Zayas had not previously mentioned police uniforms. 3 Case: 13-20208 Document: 00513002219 Page: 4 Date Filed: 04/13/2015 No. 13-20208 he had “special people” to do the job and that the group was “prepared.” He also discussed the use of firearms and the plan to tie up the stash house workers and occupants, including Zayas, to prevent the victims from realizing that Zayas was a part of the robbery team. Less than three weeks later, agent Zayas participated in another meeting with three unidentified members of the group, including the unidentified individual from the October 5 meeting. Zayas informed the three men that he was scheduled to pick up the cocaine the next night and that he would call them to arrange a meeting location just prior to the pickup. Zayas reiterated that one of the stash house guards would be armed and that the robbery would not be “easy at all.” The next day, on October 26, agent Zayas arranged by phone for the group to meet him before the robbery. All of the defendants except Rodriguez were present for this pre-robbery meeting. Although Lewis was not part of the meeting initially, he had driven to the meeting location and joined the discussion after Zayas asked him if he planned to participate in the robbery. 4 Titi and an individual named Vito were also present. The group waited a while at the meeting location because an additional vehicle with two associates and several items needed for the robbery had not yet arrived. While they waited for the two associates and robbery gear to arrive, and before Lewis joined the group, agent Zayas told the group that the robbery would be difficult and dangerous, stating “this is not easy,” “this is for real man,” and “this is no game.” Defendant Boria responded that his associates were “experienced,” that the group was armed and ready, that they had police uniforms, and that “everything will be done neatly.” Titi noted that the Lewis drove Rivera-Otero to the meeting place and initially stayed in or near his car 4 by himself while the others discussed the impending robbery some seven car-lengths away. 4 Case: 13-20208 Document: 00513002219 Page: 5 Date Filed: 04/13/2015 No. 13-20208 members of the group were “serious” and “used to all this” and that they “even ha[d] vests and police uniforms and everything.” After defendant Lewis joined the group, they discussed (1) the amount of cocaine that would be in the house; (2) that Lewis would find the stash house by entering the home’s address into his GPS; (3) how they would bring firearms and pretend to be police; (4) that Zayas would have to get on the floor to avoid getting hurt; and (5) the general manner in which the robbery would occur, including rushing in with guns and knocking down and restraining the home’s occupants. Agent Zayas did not instruct the defendants how to conduct the robbery but did ask them how they intended to do it. After these discussions, the group was still waiting for the two other associates and the robbery gear. When the associates did not arrive in a reasonable time, agent Zayas decided to abort the plan to avoid blowing his cover and to ensure that all the perpetrators and firearms would be present for the arrests. Zayas told the group that he could not wait any longer; and defendants Boria, Rivera-Otero, and Carabali-Diaz said that he should go ahead to the stash house and they would execute the robbery the next time he did a pickup. Boria then gave Zayas a phone number at which Zayas could contact him directly. Boria also showed Zayas a tactical carrier vest that said “police.” He stated that when Zayas came back, he (Boria) would have the group ready. Rivera-Otero added that the group was “for real.” That evening, Boria told his girlfriend, who had been in one of the group’s vehicles during the robbery-preparation meeting, that the group was planning to steal drugs from a stash house. After the October 26 meeting, agent Zayas and defendant Boria spoke several times by phone, with most of the calls initiated by Boria. On October 29, Boria told Zayas that Boria, not Titi, would be the contact person for the robbery, and he asked Zayas to call him around Thanksgiving to tell him when 5 Case: 13-20208 Document: 00513002219 Page: 6 Date Filed: 04/13/2015 No. 13-20208 the next pickup would occur. Boria called Zayas again on November 23. Agent Zayas told Boria that his next pickup from the stash house would be on December 2. On December 2, the defendants met at Boria’s apartment without Zayas and planned the armed robbery. The group discussed how they would enter the house, who would yell “police,” and other logistical matters. The defendants had police clothing and at least one firearm. After their planning session, they put on their police clothing and left to meet Zayas. The group, which included the five defendants, met Zayas in a parking lot. All of the defendants except Lewis, the getaway driver, were wearing police clothing. 5 Agent Zayas asked Boria if they had firearms. Boria responded affirmatively and showed Zayas a pistol in the passenger door of the vehicle in which Boria had been sitting. The group gathered around and discussed, among other things, the amount of narcotics that would be in the stash house, the stash house setup, and the manner in which the armed robbery would take place. Lewis asked Zayas for the address to enter into his GPS. He also told Zayas not to be nervous and stated that they would take all of the cocaine in the house. Zayas asked if everyone was “all right,” and no one responded in the negative or suggested any lack of desire to participate in the robbery. Zayas pretended to take a phone call providing the location of the stash house and walked away from the group. When agent Zayas was a safe distance away, a law enforcement tactical response team arrested the defendants. Rodriguez dropped a black jacket and a police shirt when he attempted to flee. Government agents recovered numerous items of police clothing, several firearms, and many flexible handcuffs (i.e., zip-ties) from the defendants’ vehicles. 5 The other driver, Boria’s girlfriend, did not wear police gear either. 6 Case: 13-20208 Document: 00513002219 Page: 7 Date Filed: 04/13/2015 No. 13-20208 At no point did Zayas offer the defendants money or provide them guns or police uniforms with which to conduct the robbery. He also did not instruct them on how to execute the robbery. None of the defendants ever indicated any hesitation about proceeding.