Opinion ID: 440409
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: facts

Text: 2 In late July, 1981, government narcotics agents uncovered a large scale marihuana smuggling operation in Bellingham, Washington. According to government witnesses, the Bellingham operation was initiated in 1980 when Robert Sterling began making arrangements to ship a large quantity of marihuana from Colombia to Washington. A Panamanian freighter, the Islander, was purchased at Sterling's direction and loaded with approximately 25,000 pounds of marihuana. At the same time, Sterling's associates were preparing for the offloading of the marihuana in Washington. Two smaller vessels, the Tiki and the Courageous were acquired to transport the marihuana from the Islander to the Washington coast. Houses were rented in Bellingham and Mount Vernon, Washington, to be used as initial stash houses for the marihuana. 3 On the 26th of July, the Courageous met the Islander and approximately 5,000 pounds of marihuana was loaded onto the smaller boat. It arrived in Bellingham late that night and was off-loaded with the marihuana being transported to the Mount Vernon house. The Tiki was loaded after the Courageous, and it arrived in the Bellingham area on July 27, 1981. That evening, federal agents arrested those involved in the operation at the Bellingham and Mount Vernon locations. 4 Eight months after the original arrest, Sterling was arrested and charged by the government as the mastermind behind the Bellingham conspiracy. The bulk of the government's case against Sterling consisted of the testimony of individuals involved in the Bellingham scheme who had agreed to cooperate with the government. The government witnesses also testified concerning Sterling's involvement in other drug operations dating back to 1971. The major part of this testimony dealt with various importation and distribution schemes headed by Sterling in New York and Florida. The evidence implicated Sterling in numerous drug-related activities; beginning with rather small-scale transactions, increasing in sophistication to substantial importation schemes and culminating in the Bellingham operation. 5 Sterling was charged with one count of engaging in a continuing criminal enterprise (21 U.S.C. Sec. 848), seven counts of travelling interstate in aid of racketeering enterprises (18 U.S.C. Sec. 1952), two counts of importing marihuana (21 U.S.C. Sec. 960), one count of possessing with the intent to distribute marihuana in excess of 1,000 pounds (21 U.S.C. Sec. 841), one count of conspiring to possess with the intent to distribute marihuana (21 U.S.C. Sec. 846) and one count of conspiring to import marihuana (21 U.S.C. Sec. 963). After a nine-day jury trial, Sterling was convicted on all counts as charged. He was sentenced to forty years without possibility of parole on the Continuing Criminal Enterprise count and to four years each on the remaining substantive counts and fined a total of $225,000. The sentences as to the racketeering, importation and possession counts were to run consecutively but concurrent with the criminal enterprise sentence. The district court also imposed special parole terms of life as to one of the racketeering counts, one of the importation counts and the possession count. Sterling was not sentenced on the conspiracy to import and conspiracy to distribute marihuana counts. Pursuant to Section 848(a)(2) of the Continuing Criminal Enterprise statute, the district court also ordered forfeiture as to seven real and personal properties owned by Sterling.