Opinion ID: 584057
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: The outrageousness of Agent Arter's conduct

Text: 26 Mosley argues that the government's conduct in this case is outrageous under both of the factors discussed above. First, he argues that the government essentially created the crimes for which he is prosecuted. Second, he argues that several acts by Agent Arter effectively coerced him into participating in those crimes. We address each of these arguments in turn. 6
27 Mosley argues that the government was so deeply involved in the crimes for which he is prosecuted that these crimes must be viewed as having been created by the government. Thus, he argues, the government's conduct was outrageous. We disagree. 28 As discussed above, the determination whether the police created a crime for purposes of prosecution, as opposed to merely having encouraged a continuation or extension of prior crime, turns on the connection between the crime prosecuted and the defendant's prior conduct. Mosley has distributed cocaine on at least one occasion prior to the instant offense, 7 and it is also undisputed that Mosley bought cocaine prior to the instant offense. With regard to the instant offense it was Mosley that approached Agent Arter for the purpose of buying marijuana; Mosley indicated to Agent Arter that he had dealt substantial quantities of marijuana in the past; Mosley had several days to decide voluntarily whether to accept Arter's offer to buy cocaine and he accepted the fronting arrangement which allowed him five days to pay for half of the cocaine. We cannot say on these facts that the government so created the crime as to support an outrageous conduct defense.
29 Mosley also argues that several aspects of Agent Arter's conduct during the investigation were coercive and thus outrageous. First, Mosley argues that Arter offered to sell him the cocaine at a price that was so low as to constitute coercion. Second, Mosley argues that Arter coerced him into the drug deal by exploiting his severe addiction to cocaine. Third, Mosley argues that Arter coerced him into buying cocaine instead of marijuana and into buying eight ounces of cocaine instead of four ounces. Fourth, Mosley argues that Arter caused a barmaid to telephone him and coerce him into completing the drug deal. Finally, Mosley argues that Arter coerced him into carrying a gun during the drug deal by showing him his own gun after Mosley frisked him. We address each of these acts in turn, concluding that none of them, nor all of them taken together, constitute coercion sufficient to establish outrageous conduct. 30
31 The allegedly low price at which Arter offered cocaine to Mosley does not constitute outrageous conduct. It is not clear from the record that the price was shockingly cheap. Mosley emphasizes Arter's testimony that an ounce of cocaine sells in Wheatland for an average of $1500. R., Vol. II, at 30. However, Arter later noted that 32 as you move up, as you buy in volume, you obviously get a dealer's discount as they do. A pound of cocaine could go from anywhere from probably $7,000 to as much as probably $12,000. Again, depending on the area you are talking about, depending on whether the split is there, whether it's been dry for a while and how many times you dealt with an individual in the past. 33 R., Vol. IV, at 89-90. Another DCI agent testified that he knew of a person who bought four ounces from a man in Colorado for $4,000 (or $1,000 an ounce). R., Vol. V, at 181. There was no testimony on the market price for quarter- or half-pound quantities in Wheatland at the time and under the circumstances of Arter's offer. However, from the testimony on the price for other quantities, it does not seem that a price of $3,200 for four ounces in an eight ounce transaction is such an attractive price as to amount to outrageous coercion. Cf. United States v. Martinez, 749 F.2d 601, 604-05 (10th Cir.1984) (not outrageous for police to offer food stamps to allegedly poverty-level defendant at 40% of face value); United States v. Salazar, 720 F.2d 1482, 1483, 1488 (10th Cir.1983) (offer of food stamps at 49% of face value not outrageous), cert. denied, 469 U.S. 1110, 105 S.Ct. 789, 83 L.Ed.2d 783 (1985); cf. also Lambinus, 747 F.2d at 595-96 (allegedly ridiculously excessive offers to trade merchandise for food stamps, in addition to repeated solicitation of the defendant and failure to follow USDA regulations for food stamp investigation, not outrageous). 34
35 During oral argument on appeal, Mosley's counsel suggested that Mosley's drug addiction should be considered as a factor in his claim that he was coerced to participate in the drug transaction with Arter. 8 It is argued that Mosley's addiction rendered him unable to resist the deal Arter offered to him. However, Mosley did not argue addiction to the district court as a basis for his motions to dismiss for outrageous conduct, nor was any evidence of addiction presented to the district court prior to the court's denial of his final motion to dismiss for outrageous conduct. Thus, we cannot conclude that the district court erred by denying Mosley's motions notwithstanding his addiction. 36 Further, even if we were to consider the evidence of Mosley's addiction that was offered subsequent to his final outrageous conduct motion, we would not come out differently. At no point in the proceeding was proof offered that the government knew of, much less took advantage of, Mosley's addiction. The mere fact that Mosley was addicted to cocaine would not give him immunity from prosecution. 37
38 Mosley next argues that Arter coerced him into buying cocaine instead of marijuana and into buying eight instead of four ounces of cocaine. Thus, Mosley argues, Arter ratcheted up the severity of the transaction for purposes of sentencing, and possibly for the purpose of selling Mosley an amount that would indicate intent to distribute as opposed to mere personal use. We certainly do not condone such ratcheting tactics. However, we find no evidence that Arter coerced Mosley into buying cocaine instead of marijuana or into buying eight ounces instead of four ounces of cocaine. Refusing to sell Mosley marijuana and offering only cocaine cannot be seen as coercing Mosley into buying cocaine. And offering to front an additional four ounces of cocaine cannot be seen as sufficiently coercive to sustain an outrageous conduct defense. 39
40 Mosley next argues that Arter's conduct was coercive in that Arter had a barmaid at the Commodore, who was friendly with Mosley, call Mosley and ask him to keep an appointment with Arter. However, the record shows that this call was not sufficiently coercive to constitute outrageous conduct. 41 Mosley also argues that Arter's adulterous affair with the barmaid constituted outrageous conduct. However, this conduct did not affect Mosley. We have held that a defendant may not ordinarily assert an outrageous conduct defense based on conduct that harms third parties. See Gamble, 737 F.2d at 858-59. We see no reason to depart from that rule here. 42
43 Mosley's final argument about coercion is that Arter induced him to carry a gun during the commission of the drug offense for the purpose of enhancing his sentence pursuant to 18 U.S.C. § 924(c). Mosley contends that he felt the need to carry a gun during the drug transaction, for reasons of safety and/or respectability, after he patted Arter down during an earlier meeting and found that Arter was carrying a gun. The choice to carry the gun was entirely Mosley's, and there was nothing improperly coercive about Arter's conduct in this regard. 44 In summary, the government has displayed excessive zeal in investigating Mosley's illegal drug activities. We do not condone such conduct and the government would do well to remember the admonition of Justice Brandeis in his dissent in Olmstead v. United States, 277 U.S. 438, 48 S.Ct. 564, 72 L.Ed. 944 (1928), majority opinion overruled on other grounds by Katz v. United States, 389 U.S. 347, 353, 88 S.Ct. 507, 512, 19 L.Ed.2d 576 (1967): 45 Our Government is the potent, the omnipresent teacher. For good or for ill, it teaches the whole people by its example. Crime is contagious. If the Government becomes a lawbreaker, it breeds contempt for law; it invites every man to become a law unto himself; it invites anarchy. To declare that in the administration of the criminal law the end justifies the means ... would bring terrible retribution. Against that pernicious doctrine this Court should resolutely set its face. 46 Id. 277 U.S. at 485, 48 S.Ct. at 575. However, notwithstanding our disapproval of the government's conduct here, the defense of outrageous conduct is narrow and we must hold that the government's conduct in its investigation of Mosley was not so outrageous as to bar prosecution.