Opinion ID: 464960
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: He told me to walk out the door to my truck.

Text: 13 Q. Then, go ahead? 14 A. I walked out the door in the company of these two gentlemen. Upon reaching outside walked me over to a car and he said there was another gentlemen standing there. He said this is the gentleman that's going to take your truck and I said whatever you say, man, it's yours, you know, I don't argue with somebody that messes with my life. So-- 15 Q. At this point, did you feel that your life was in danger? 16 A. Yes, sir, I did, because I was somewhat intoxicated and this gentleman apparently had a gun. 17 (JA 228-29). 18 According to the testimony of FBI Special Agent David M. Zacur, the DEA informant and Zacur drove to Rip's in the informant's truck. Zacur had with him $10,000 in cash. When they arrived at Rip's, the informant went into Rip's while Zacur remained outside. About five minutes later the informant came back outside along with Price and an unidentified individual. The informant approached Zacur to tell him that Price had some business. The informant then introduced Price to Zacur. Zacur testified that Price asked him whether he was interested in purchasing the load of meat. Zacur indicated an interest, but said that he wanted to inspect what he was purchasing. In the presence of the informant and the unidentified person, Price handed Zacur a portfolio containing documents describing the load and a Polaroid photograph of the load. Zacur then indicated that he wished to examine the contents of the rig and proposed that they proceed to the Holiday Inn parking lot to complete the transaction. Price drove Zacur in the Apple Lines truck to the Holiday Inn. The informant drove over separately and parked in a section of the lot out of view of the truck. On the way, Price allegedly asked Zacur if he had the money with him. Zacur replied that he did and displayed a stack of fifty-dollar bills. Subsequently, Price asked if, after the deal was completed, Zacur would drop him four to eight miles down the road so that Price could call his employer and indicate that he had been hijacked. 19 Zacur further testified that after he and Price arrived at the Holiday Inn, he asked Price if he had anything with which to break the wire seal on the load. Zacur testified that Price said he did not. (JA 97). In fact, Price had tools in the truck which could have been used for that purpose. (JA 234). Zacur then walked over to where the informant was parked and obtained a pair of channel locks from him. According to Zacur, he returned along with FBI Special Agent John Friel, and introduced Friel to Price as his partner. Zacur gave the channel locks to Price and told him to open the truck. Price apparently tried to break the seal but claimed that he could not. Zacur then broke the seal with no difficulty. He entered the truck and inspected the load. He then placed Price under arrest. (JA 73-101). 20 Agent Friel testified regarding the circumstances of his meeting Price at the Holiday Inn. Friel was in the Holiday Inn bar when Zacur, Price and the informant arrived at the motel. According to Friel, the informant and the informant's unidentified companion came into the bar, sat down with Friel and told him that Price and Zacur were parking the truck. The informant left the bar and, a short while later, the unidentified companion left as well. The informant then returned with Price and introduced him to Friel. At some point the informant again left the bar. Friel testified that he and Price then engaged in a conversation in which Price indicated that he wished to sell his load for $10,000. Friel informed Price that he wanted to have the load dropped off in New Jersey. Friel and Price then went into the parking lot where Zacur was waiting with the truck. (JA 110-12, 117-121). 21 Price's testimony differs somewhat from that of the agents. He claims that after his conversation with the crabbers, during which they allegedly threatened him, the crabbers escorted him out to his truck and directed him to get inside. Zacur, who had been outside with the truck, got in on the passenger side. The crabbers instructed Price to do what Zacur said. Price testified that Zacur told him to drive to the Holiday Inn and that on the way Zacur asked to see the truck's portfolio. He testified that after they arrived at the Holiday Inn, Zacur, not the informant, escorted him into the bar to meet Friel. 3 22 Price was indicted on August 16, 1983 by a federal grand jury for the alleged attempted sale. The three count indictment charged him with theft from an interstate shipment, in violation of 18 U.S.C. Sec. 659; converting the property of a common carrier used in interstate commerce, in violation of 18 U.S.C. Sec. 660; and breaking and entering carrier facilities, in violation of 18 U.S.C. Sec. 2117. Price was arraigned on August 30, 1983; he entered a plea of not guilty on all counts. 23 On September 12, 1983, Price filed a motion to compel disclosure of the identity of the DEA informant. The government opposed the motion, and on February 17, 1984, the district court denied the motion without a hearing. Under this circuit's rule that disclosure of an informant is required when the informant is a participant in the event and not required when the informant is a mere tipster, McLawhorn v. North Carolina, 484 F.2d 1, 5 (4th Cir.1973), the district court found that [d]isclosure is not required in this instance because [the] informant ... was merely a tipster who led to the eventual contact between the FBI agents and the defendant. (JA 13). 24 On March 6, 1984, Price waived his right to a jury and the case proceeded to trial. At the request of the government, count three of the indictment alleging breaking and entering was dismissed. At the close of the government's case, Price moved for judgment of acquittal. The district court granted the motion as to count one alleging theft from an interstate shipment, and denied the motion as to count two alleging conversion of the property of a common carrier. At the close of all the evidence, the court found Price guilty of conversion on count two. 25 Price subsequently filed a motion for a new trial and to set aside the guilty verdict, which was denied by the district court. The court then sentenced him to two years, with all but ninety days suspended. 26 Price now appeals his conviction. He argues that the district court erred in refusing to compel disclosure of the identity of the informant and that the denial of his motion to compel disclosure was prejudicial to his case because his defense was based on duress and entrapment. He further argues that there was insufficient evidence presented at trial to establish that the trailer and its contents belonged to Apple Lines and that there was insufficient evidence of conversion of the truck, trailer and meat to support a conviction on count two.