Opinion ID: 788500
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Dena Carmichael

Text: 30 Dena Carmichael met Defendant Robinson in the summer of 1999, and the two subsequently began to date. Carmichael testified that she would often stay at Robinson's home while he was traveling, and each time Robinson would leave her from $300 to $500 to pay bills and other living expenses. 31 After approximately six months, in late 1999 or early 2000, Carmichael testified that she became aware that Robinson was involved in illegal activities. 15 Carmichael discovered a number of false identification documents bearing names such as Samuel Thompson and Derrick Palmer. Carmichael testified that she also secured false identification for herself, under the name Kelly Banks. At Robinson's request, she used this false identification to open mailboxes, including a Pak Mail mailbox in Morristown that she opened on May 17, 2000. The mail service application for this box authorized receipt of packages by Derrick Palmer. In addition, Robinson asked at some point whether Carmichael knew of anyone who might be interested in purchasing marijuana, and she introduced him to co-defendant Ronald Bunky Brady. 32 Carmichael testified that, approximately four months prior to Robinson's arrest on May 19, 2000, she accompanied him to pick up Fed Ex envelopes containing identification and cash. The Fed Ex envelopes originated in California, and were sent to a Mailboxes, Etc. facility in Knoxville. On one occasion, in approximately January of 2000, Carmichael accompanied Defendant when he picked up a package approximately two feet tall by two feet wide — of similar size to those in evidence. When the package was opened at Robinson's home, Carmichael observed one brick of pressed marijuana, wrapped and covered in Vick's VapoRub to mask the smell, and Robinson told her that the brick was a pound of compressed marijuana. 33 Carmichael testified that she observed Robinson counting large amounts of cash in his home, and that she occasionally assisted in this task. 16 Robinson gave Carmichael large sums of money to buy home furnishings and to pay bills, and bought her shoes and clothing. In addition, Carmichael occasionally accompanied Robinson to banks to withdraw funds. At one bank, Carmichael opened an account under a false name, and withdrew $10,000 from a separate account. At another bank, Carmichael withdrew funds totaling $5,000 from an account under a false name. The money from both accounts was turned over to Robinson. 34 Carmichael testified that she was aware of a Fed Ex account Robinson held in 1999 under the name World Records. Robinson, according to Carmichael, was a writer and singer, and was using this account to conduct business with locations in California. Carmichael also had a Fed Ex account under the name LeFeme Boutique, which was the name of the hair salon where she worked when she originally moved back to Tennessee. Carmichael testified that co-defendant Kawyn Logan and others used her account, and Federal Express billing records disclosed numerous packages sent by various senders, including Derrick Palmer and Logan. 17 These packages were sent to various Tennessee and California addresses, with the most frequent recipient being New Breed Entertainment. 18 Of the packages sent via this Fed Ex account, Carmichael admitted to personally sending a package on May 17, 2000 to Tiana Salgado, Robinson's girlfriend in Los Angeles. The package contained baby clothes, as well as a picture of Carmichael to be used to obtain false identification so that she could open additional mailboxes to receive marijuana shipments. 35 Carmichael further testified that, at Robinson's request, she purchased a handgun from a gun shop in Morristown. Robinson purportedly used Carmichael to purchase the gun, as he could not do so himself due to his criminal record. In addition to the handgun, Carmichael testified that Robinson owned a rifle.