Opinion ID: 180830
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Events Leading to Beigali’s Arrest

Text: The Drug Enforcement Agency (“DEA”) received information from an informant regarding illegal drug activity involving Beigali. The informant apprised the DEA that Beigali, while in prison serving time for armed robbery, had approached a fellow inmate expressing interest in making a lot of money by selling drugs. Beigali was released from prison in March 2003, after which he began corresponding with his former fellow inmate regarding his desire to pursue a drug business. In September 2005, the DEA contacted Walter Ramirez, a confidential informant, and directed him to place a recorded telephone call to Beigali. Ramirez called Beigali on September 27, 2005, representing himself to be a cousin of Beigali’s fellow inmate and a distributor of cocaine with several kilograms to sell. Beigali expressed an interest in purchasing several kilograms of cocaine, but he told Ramirez he had only $10,000. Ramirez told Beigali that was not enough money for even one kilogram of cocaine. Two days later, Beigali, who was then on supervised release in Florida, flew from his home in Orlando to Detroit, Michigan to meet with Ramirez. While under DEA surveillance, Ramirez picked Beigali up from the airport and drove to a restaurant, where the two men discussed a cocaine purchase. The men then drove to a hotel where Beigali had rented a room. Beigali told Ramirez that he could sell multiple kilograms of cocaine in Orlando, and Ramirez told him that additional kilograms could be “fronted” if an initial transaction went smoothly. Beigali agreed that he would contact Ramirez after he obtained enough money to buy the cocaine. These conversations were all recorded. Beigali then returned to Florida. 2 No 09-1588 United States v. Beigali Beigali spoke with Ramirez three times in early October 2005. Beigali still did not have enough money to purchase the cocaine which, at that time, had a street value of approximately $18,000 to $20,000 per kilogram. At the suggestion of a DEA agent, Ramirez told Beigali that he might be willing to sell the cocaine in exchange for a combination of cash and guns. Beigali told Ramirez that he could provide two nine-millimeter handguns, an AK-47 assault rifle, and $10,000 in cash. The men agreed that Beigali would travel to Michigan to pick up five kilograms of cocaine, one paid for by the cash and guns, and four “fronted” to Beigali on consignment. Beigali and a third person would then travel back to Florida where Beigali would sell the cocaine and give the third person money for the additional four kilograms, which the third person would then return to Ramirez in Michigan. On November 16, 2005, Beigali called Ramirez while en route to Michigan, and the men agreed to meet the following day. Ramirez told Beigali to stay at the same hotel where he had stayed on his previous trip to Detroit. On November 17, 2005, DEA agents followed Beigali from his hotel to a restaurant in Dearborn, Michigan where he met Ramirez. In a recorded conversation, the men discussed details of the drug transaction. Ramirez accepted the three guns and $10,000 cash for one kilogram of the cocaine and told Beigali that he would owe Ramirez money for the other four kilograms. The men went out to the parking lot to complete the transaction, where DEA agents arrested Beigali. The agents found $10,000 cash and the fully-loaded weapons in the trunk of Beigali’s vehicle. 3 No 09-1588 United States v. Beigali