Brache v. United States

957 F. Supp. 20, 1997 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 2429, 1997 WL 91468
CourtDistrict Court, D. Rhode Island
DecidedFebruary 28, 1997
DocketC.A. No. 96-018L
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 957 F. Supp. 20 (Brache v. United States) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, D. Rhode Island primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Brache v. United States, 957 F. Supp. 20, 1997 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 2429, 1997 WL 91468 (D.R.I. 1997).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM AND ORDER

LAGUEUX, Chief Judge.

This matter arises from petitioner’s conviction under 18 U.S.C. § 924(c)(1) (1994) for using or carrying a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime. Petitioner now moves to vacate his conviction or, in the alternative, for a new trial pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 2255 (1994). Petitioner contends that the charge to the jury at his trial was inconsistent with the definition of “used” as explicated by the Supreme Court in Bailey v. United States, — U.S. -, 116 S.Ct. 501, 133 L.Ed.2d 472 (1995), and, therefore, his conviction should be vacated. For the reasons that follow, petitioner’s motion to vacate or for a new trial is denied.

I. Facts

As on appeal, the evidence must be considered in the light most favorable to the government. See United States v. Abreu, 952 F.2d 1458, 1460 (1st Cir.), cert. denied, 503 U.S. 994, 112 S.Ct. 1695, 118 L.Ed.2d 406 (1992) (applying standard on appeal). In 1993, petitioner was tried pursuant to a three count indictment. United States v. Juan Brache, CR 93-055L. Count I charged possession of a firearm following conviction of a felony in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(1) (1994). Count II charged possession of cocaine with intent to distribute in contravention of 21 U.S.C. § 841(a)(1) (1994). Count III charged petitioner with using or carrying a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 924(c)(1) (1994).

The following facts were adduced at trial. In April of 1993, Detectives Gannon and Dro-han of the Providence Police Department’s narcotics unit of the Special Investigation Bureau (“SIB”) investigated activity in a second floor apartment at 154 Stanwood Street, Providence, a two-story deserted tenement. The officérs had information from a confidential informant (“Cl”) that a man known as “Cuba” or “Hernandez” was selling cocaine from the second floor flat of an unoccupied two-story house at 154 Stanwood Street. The Cl said that Cuba’s modus operandi was to sit in the front windows , of the apartment living room and watch for police activity. If there were no police officers around, he would make his sales. If he saw police in the area, he would take his drugs and other incriminating evidence to an area of the living room where there was a heater with a stove pipe plugged into the chimney. He had the stove pipe rigged so that, with a minimum of effort, he could move it, exposing the hole in the chimney. Then he would throw his drugs and other paraphernalia into the hole, and it would land at the bottom of the chimney shaft in the cellar in the soot near the elean-out door. When the police left the area, he would retrieve his contraband and continue his drug business ventures. To verify this, the officers repeatedly drove by the building and saw petitioner sitting in the window of the second floor apartment. Based on this information, they secured a search warrant.

On April 28, 1993, they executed that warrant. A team of SIB detectives entered 154 Stanwood Street while Detective Drohan went to the cellar. He saw, through the [22]*22clean-out door, a pistol and a Marathon cigarette pack fall to the bottom of the chimney at the same time that the rest of the detectives were making a suitable amount of noise entering the second floor. The cigarette pack contained twenty-one plastic bags of cocaine. The pistol, a .38 caliber Smith & Wesson revolver, was later found to be operable. Drohan also saw several .38 caliber bullets at the bottom of the chimney shaft. An inspection of the cigarette packs and pistol failed to reveal any fingerprints.

As the other detectives entered the apartment through the door to the kitchen on the second floor, they saw petitioner walk into the kitchen from the living room alone. No other persons were in that front room which overlooked Stanwood Street at the time. Only two other people — a woman known to the policemen as a prostitute, and an elderly drunkard, known to the policemen only by sight — were in the apartment when the detectives entered, and they were in the kitchen.

Detective Gannon noticed the space heater in the corner of the living room with its stove pipe connected to an opening in the chimney shaft. Gannon moved the pipe slightly and dropped an ashtray down the chimney. Dro-han saw it land in the same place as the pistol and cigarette pack had landed in the cellar in the soot at the base of the chimney. Drohan then went up to the second floor apartment, and he noticed petitioner smoking a Monarch cigarette, the same brand as the cigarette pack that had fallen down the chimney shaft.

While the police were present, six or seven people came to the door of the apartment, asked for “a bag,” and pushed money through a slot.

At the conclusion of the trial, the Court charged the jury on the law relating to all three counts of the indictment. The charge on Count III included instructions as to both the “use” and “carry” prongs of § 924(c)(1) in a manner consistent with existing circuit precedent. The jury found petitioner guilty on all three counts, and the Court imposed a twenty-one month sentence of incarceration, followed by a three-year period of supervised release, on Counts I and II, to run concurrently. On Count III, the Court imposed the mandatory five year sentence of imprisonment, to be served consecutively to the sentences imposed on Counts I and II.

Petitioner appealed his convictions on grounds unrelated to the § 924(c)(1) charge. The First Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed the convictions in an unpublished decision, United States v. Juan Brache, No. 94-1366 (Feb. 9, 1995).

Subsequently, the Supreme Court announced its decision in Bailey v. United States, — U.S. -, 116 S.Ct. 501, 133 L.Ed.2d 472 (1995). In Bailey, the Court held that “use” of a weapon “during and in relation to” a drug trafficking crime requires “active employment of the firearm by the defendant.” Id. at -, 116 S.Ct. at 505. Consequently, the Court deemed “mere possession” of a firearm insufficient to constitute “use” within the meaning of § 924(c)(1). Id. at -, 116 S.Ct. at 506.

In fight of Bailey, petitioner contends that the conviction and sentence imposed on Count III of the indictment should now be vacated. In the alternative, petitioner seeks a new trial on that Count. Petitioner’s principal contention is that the conviction should be vacated because the jury instruction concerning “use” was inconsistent with the definition articulated in Bailey, and this Court should not reevaluate the evidence in order to uphold the conviction under the “carry” prong of § 924(c)(1). Petitioner also argues that the evidence fails to support his conviction under either the “use” or “carry” prongs.

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Bluebook (online)
957 F. Supp. 20, 1997 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 2429, 1997 WL 91468, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/brache-v-united-states-rid-1997.