Frank Dangerfield v. State of Indiana (mem. dec.)

Indiana Court of Appeals·Decided June 26, 2018·No. 49A05-1711-CR-2544·Published

Opinion

MEMORANDUM DECISION Pursuant to Ind. Appellate Rule 65(D), FILED this Memorandum Decision shall not be Jun 26 2018, 6:43 am

regarded as precedent or cited before any CLERK Indiana Supreme Court

court except for the purpose of establishing Court of Appeals and Tax Court

the defense of res judicata, collateral estoppel, or the law of the case.

ATTORNEY FOR APPELLANT ATTORNEYS FOR APPELLEE Michael C. Borschel Curtis T. Hill, Jr. Indianapolis, Indiana Attorney General of Indiana James B. Martin

Deputy Attorney General

Indianapolis, Indiana

IN THE

COURT OF APPEALS OF INDIANA

Frank Dangerfield, June 26, 2018 Appellant-Defendant, Court of Appeals Case No.

49A05-1711-CR-2544

v. Appeal from the Marion Superior Court

State of Indiana, The Honorable Alicia A. Gooden, Appellee-Plaintiff. Judge Trial Court Cause No.

49G21-1604-F2-14201

Brown, Judge.

Court of Appeals of Indiana | Memorandum Decision 49A05-1711-CR-2544 |June 26, 2018 Page 1 of 18

[1] Frank Dangerfield appeals his conviction for dealing in a narcotic drug as a level 2 felony and the enhancement of his sentence pursuant to an adjudication that he is an habitual offender. Dangerfield raises one issue which we revise and restate as whether the court abused its discretion by admitting evidence obtained as a result of Dangerfield’s arrest. We affirm.

Facts and Procedural History [2] Detective Scott Wolfe of the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department (“IMPD”) was assigned to the Metro Drug Task Force and began an investigation into an individual who would eventually be identified as Dangerfield sometime in the spring of 2016. Between March 7 and March 9, 2016, police arranged a controlled purchase of heroin through a confidential informant (“CI”) with whom working had “led to the seizure of drugs in the past as well as the arrest and conviction of people for drug crimes.” Transcript Volume 2 at 16. After being “set up . . . with . . . recording equipment” and being provided with “pre-recorded IMPD buy money,” the CI traveled to a pre- determined location established with the individual later identified as Dangerfield and purchased what was later tested to be heroin. Id. at 17. Following the purchase, the CI met with Detective Wolfe and gave him the heroin. Detective Wolfe reviewed video obtained by the CI and identified the person who sold the heroin as Dangerfield, someone who had grown up in the area that Detective Wolfe had originally patrolled and who had been arrested by him in the past.

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[3] In preparation for a second controlled purchase which was also conducted in March 2016, Detective Wolfe researched Dangerfield and discovered that he was on home detention and obtained the details of his home detention. Surveillance units monitored Dangerfield’s residence. Once the second controlled purchase commenced, detectives reported to Detective Wolfe that they observed Dangerfield exit the residence, enter a vehicle, and head to meet the CI at the arranged location. Similar to the first controlled purchase, the CI was provided pre-recorded money. Audio and video surveillance was collected on the purchase which further “demonstrated that [it] was in fact [Dangerfield] that was conducting [the purchase].” Id. at 22. Officers met with the CI after the purchase and recovered the suspected heroin, which later tested positive.

[4] Detective Wolfe coordinated a third controlled purchase in April 2016, where the CI placed a telephone call to Dangerfield and the same procedure was followed with regards to the CI being provided purchase money. The purchase was also captured on audio and video recording and the CI brought the acquired substance to officers after meeting with Dangerfield, which also tested positive for heroin. During the third purchase, Dangerfield was driving a “sort of a greenish-grey Chrysler 300.” Id. at 23.

[5] On April 13, 2016, officers from the Metro Drug Task Force arrived at Dangerfield’s residence, intending to “[m]ake an outright arrest.” Id. at 24. As they arrived, they parked away from the residence. Dangerfield exited the house with his wife and walked to a green Chrysler 300 parked in the driveway. Officers identified Dangerfield, drove “right up in the driveway,” exited their Court of Appeals of Indiana | Memorandum Decision 49A05-1711-CR-2544 |June 26, 2018 Page 3 of 18 vehicles and moved towards the house as Dangerfield approached the Chrysler, identified themselves as police officers, and told Dangerfield “at that time” to place his hands in the air. Id. at 77, 110. Dangerfield responded by backing away toward the garage and moved to the front bumper of the Chrysler, which faced the garage. He then reached into the front part of his blue jeans, ducked down, and placed a “clear plastic baggie with a grayish substance” on the ground that was recognized by Detective Wolfe as “suspected heroin.” Id. at 77, 81. After starting to stand, Dangerfield reached again into his waistband, and removed and placed a “little over forty-seven hundred dollars” “made mainly of twenties” on the hood of the car. Id. at 81. An officer placed Dangerfield in handcuffs, moved him into the front yard of the residence, patted him down, checked his pockets, and located an additional bag of heroin, two cellular phones, a lighter, and additional U.S. currency. At some point, Dangerfield attempted to step on the bag of heroin pulled from his pocket.

[6] After Detective Wolfe was notified of the search of Dangerfield’s person and the discovered contraband, he explained to Dangerfield why the officers were present at his residence, advised him of his rights, and obtained the signatures of Dangerfield and his wife on a standard IMPD consent to search form, allowing officers to search the residence. While officers entered the house using keys recovered from Dangerfield, Detective Wolfe interviewed Dangerfield. Officers found, among other items, “over three thousand dollars” “largely made up of . . . twenty dollar bills” in a pair of men’s sweat pants in what was established as the residence’s master bedroom; a digital scale, a hammer, a

Court of Appeals of Indiana | Memorandum Decision 49A05-1711-CR-2544 |June 26, 2018 Page 4 of 18

“Magic Bullet type blender grinder,” and a bottle of “cut,” or a “substance that you would mix with the heroin like . . . more of the product” to sell and “make more money”, on the counter to the right of the sink between the sink and the refrigerator in the kitchen; a box of plastic baggies in the drawer directly below the area where the digital scale and bottle of “cut” substance were located and “right next to the suspected narcotics”; and a hydraulic press at the back left corner of the garage and a bag “just left of the press” with a box of ammunition and “another small baggie of suspected narcotics” inside. Id. at 87, 89, 117, 120, 135.

[7] On April 15, 2016, Detective Wolfe completed an affidavit for probable cause. The same day, the State charged Dangerfield with three counts of dealing in a narcotic drug as level 2 felonies, one count of possession of a narcotic drug as a level 3 felony, two counts of possession of a narcotic drug as level 4 felonies, unlawful possession of a firearm by a serious violent felon, a level 4 felony, and possession of cocaine as a level 5 felony. On May 5, 2017, the State filed a motion to dismiss, asking to dismiss two counts of dealing in a narcotic drug as level 2 felonies and the two counts of possession of a narcotic drug as level 4 felonies, which the court granted. The court also dismissed the single count of unlawful possession of a firearm by a serious violent felon upon motion by the State.

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