Opinion ID: 669728
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Adequacy of Precin's Plea

Text: 8 In contesting his conviction, Precin alleges that he and Avery had only a buyer-seller relationship and that the government's evidence failed to prove that Precin was involved in the larger conspiracy. He claims that he pleaded guilty only because his attorney advised him that because [he] had taken money from [his] friends and obtained cocaine for them, [he] was just as guilty as if [he] had been dealing cocaine for profit. This advice, erroneous as a matter of law according to Precin, led him to believe mistakenly that the government had presented an adequate factual basis for his plea. Precin also argues that, as a result of this purportedly improper advice, his plea was not knowing and voluntary. 9 Although a mere buyer-seller relationship is inadequate to establish a person's affiliation with a conspiracy, United States v. Townsend, 924 F.2d 1385 (7th Cir.1991), Precin's relationship with Avery was more than just buyer-seller. In his proffer, Avery stated that since 1986, he had supplied cocaine to Precin on more than fifty occasions. On at least half of those occasions, Avery gave the cocaine to Precin on a consignment basis, with the understanding that Precin would not have to pay for the drugs until he resold them. While a single credit transaction may not be sufficient to demonstrate that the buyer was aware of the conspiracy, a pattern of repeated narcotics transactions in which credit arrangements are made may support such a conclusion. United States v. Lamon, 930 F.2d 1183, 1191-92 (7th Cir.1991); United States v. Baker, 905 F.2d 1100, 1106 (7th Cir.), cert. denied, 498 U.S. 876, 111 S.Ct. 206, 112 L.Ed.2d 167 (1990). This is precisely what the government demonstrated in the plea hearing and recognizing the strength of the government's case, Precin's attorney reasonably advised Precin to accept the plea agreement. Precin cannot show that his attorney's advice, accurate in its assessment of the law and the facts, was constitutionally deficient. 10 Nor can Precin show that his attorney's advice rendered his plea uninformed because, as we have stated, the advice was correct. Additionally, the substance of the plea inquiry conducted by the court belies Precin's argument. When in response to a court's questioning, a defendant represents that he has entered his plea knowingly and voluntarily, those representations constitute a 'formidable barrier' to collateral relief and carry a strong presumption of truth. Van Russell, 976 F.2d at 327 (citations omitted). Precin made these representations and has failed to rebut this presumption. 11 Precin argues in the alternative that the government's evidence of his distribution was the product of his inadmissible proffer. He claims that the only evidence of distribution was from the statements he made in his proffer. This is simply inaccurate. Avery explicitly informed the government that Avery frequently fronted Precin the cocaine on a consignment basis. A consignment arrangement by definition contemplates resale and indicates that Avery fully intended for Precin to sell his product.