People v. Siwek

671 N.E.2d 358, 284 Ill. App. 3d 7, 219 Ill. Dec. 444
CourtAppellate Court of Illinois
DecidedSeptember 16, 1996
Docket2-95-0668, 2-95-1370
StatusPublished
Cited by16 cases

This text of 671 N.E.2d 358 (People v. Siwek) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Appellate Court of Illinois primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
People v. Siwek, 671 N.E.2d 358, 284 Ill. App. 3d 7, 219 Ill. Dec. 444 (Ill. Ct. App. 1996).

Opinion

671 N.E.2d 358 (1996)
284 Ill. App.3d 7
219 Ill.Dec. 444

The PEOPLE of the State of Illinois, Plaintiff-Appellee,
v.
Raymond SIWEK, Defendant-Appellant.

Nos. 2-95-0668, 2-95-1370.

Appellate Court of Illinois, Second District.

September 16, 1996.
Rehearing Denied November 5, 1996.

*359 Anthony M. Peccarelli, DuPage County State's Attorney, Wheaton, William L. Browers, Deputy Director, Marshall M. Stevens, State's Attorney Appellate Prosecutors, Elgin, for People in both cases.

Edward M. Genson, Marc W. Martin, Elisha S. Rosenblum, Genson, Steinback, Gillespie & Martin, Chicago, for Raymond Siwek in No. 2-95-0668.

Edward M. Genson, Genson, Steinback, Gillespie & Martin, Chicago, for Raymond Siwek in No. 2-95-1370.

Justice INGLIS delivered the opinion of the court:

Defendant, Raymond Siwek, appeals his conviction of two counts of possession with intent to distribute cocaine in violation of section 401 of the Illinois Controlled Substances Act (Ill.Rev.Stat.1991, ch. 56½, par. 1401). Defendant also appeals the denial of his motion for a new trial. We affirm.

FACTS

The following background is taken from the hearing on defendant's motions to suppress evidence and from his trial. Defendant joined the Chicago police department in 1968. From 1976 to 1981, defendant worked in the gang crimes unit, involved with gangs and narcotics. Later, he was transferred to the organized crime division, where he was involved in investigating and arresting large-scale drug dealers. In 1984, defendant became a detective and worked on narcotics-related homicides. Defendant served two years on a federal homicide drug task force, after which he was transferred to property crimes in 1989. He was working in property crimes up to the time the events at issue in this case occurred.

While employed by the Chicago police department, defendant also served in the National Guard, where he met Brian Marchese. In March 1992, Marchese was arrested and charged with driving on a suspended license. Marchese contacted defendant and asked him for help on that case. Defendant referred Marchese to another detective who enlisted Marchese as a drug informant. Marchese, however, never panned out as an informant for the Chicago police department.

On April 6, 1992, Marchese contacted Larry Wiess and offered to get him drugs. Wiess was an undercover agent for the Du Page Metropolitan Enforcement Group (DUMEG). Wiess and Marchese attempted to complete several transactions during the next month. Although the deals were never completed, Marchese alerted Wiess about the existence of a possible buyer from Chicago who would want a kilogram every week and a half.

Marchese arranged to purchase cocaine from Wiess on May 6, 1992. Before the meeting, Marchese went to defendant's home and obtained $12,500 in cash. Marchese testified that defendant said that $2,500 was his *360 own money, $10,000 was from a friend, for whom he would be purchasing the cocaine, and that $500 was included as his commission for the deal. Marchese promised to return to defendant's home by about 11:30 that morning.

Marchese then called Wiess and told him that he had the money and wanted to buy a half-kilogram of cocaine. When they met, Marchese told Wiess that he would take the cocaine to the person who had provided the money. Marchese handed the money to Wiess. Wiess handed Marchese the cocaine in exchange. Marchese was then arrested by DUMEG agents at about 11 a.m. on May 6, 1992.

The agents took Marchese to the Bloomingdale police department. At about noon, Marchese called defendant and the conversation was recorded. Near the phone was a sign stating that every phone call was recorded. Marchese, who does not read well, testified that he could not and did not read the sign. He stated, however, that he was aware that the conversation would be taped because he learned this from a previous arrest at the station. During the conversation, defendant asked Marchese if he had lost "that," which Marchese took to mean the money, and whether he had been "set-up."

Another DUMEG agent, Robert Guerrieri, testified that he could hear Marchese's end of the conversation. Guerrieri, however, did not realize at that time that the phone call was being recorded, nor did he listen to the recording of the call between Marchese and defendant. Guerrieri apparently did, however, communicate his observations to Wiess.

On May 6, Marchese was told that he was being charged with a Super Class X felony which would carry a mandatory minimum prison sentence of 12 years. He was offered consideration, however, if he agreed to cooperate. Marchese identified his money source as a Chicago policeman, but declined to cooperate further. He did not at that time identify defendant.

Marchese was placed in the Du Page County jail. During the afternoon of May 7, he met with Wiess and Guerrieri, agreed to cooperate, and identified defendant as his source of money. After the agents left, Marchese learned from his wife that defendant had called Marchese's home and received the impression that defendant would come and visit him at the jail that night if Marchese did not get in touch with him. Concerned, Marchese called one of the DUMEG agents sometime after 5 p.m.

Wiess contacted one of the Du Page County assistant State's Attorneys for instructions. Shortly after, the assistant informed Wiess that the first assistant State's Attorney had approved an emergency tape recording of the impending call between defendant and Marchese.

Around 7 p.m., Guerrieri, Wiess, and their supervisor, William Simmons, arrived at the Du Page County jail and set up equipment in order to record a call between Marchese and defendant. At about 7:30, Wiess paged defendant and defendant returned the call. The ensuing conversation was recorded. Defendant and Marchese discussed the circumstances of Marchese's arrest, his bond situation, his need for a lawyer, and the need for him to keep quiet. Defendant assured Marchese that he had "calmed down" his "people" by paying them $5,000 from his own pocket.

On May 8, the agents sought a warrant to record any further conversations between defendant and Marchese. The warrant was granted, and the court determined that an emergency existed to excuse the warrantless recording made during the evening of May 7. The warrant allowed calls to be recorded until 6 p.m. on May 17.

Marchese remained in the county jail until May 11, when he was able to make bond. Marchese continued to cooperate with DUMEG, speaking to defendant every day from May 11 to May 13. Each of these conversations was recorded. During the conversations, Marchese and defendant planned to recover the money Marchese had lost due to his arrest by purchasing cocaine from Marchese's supplier. They planned to complete this transaction on May 14, at Marchese's home.

*361 Defendant arrived at Marchese's house on the morning of May 14. Wiess was present, acting as Marchese's supplier. Wiess delivered 458 grams of cocaine to defendant. This transaction was recorded on videotape. Defendant left Marchese's house with a bag containing nine ounces of cocaine. He was arrested as he drove away, and the cocaine was recovered from under the seat of defendant's jeep. At the time of his arrest, defendant said he was working for Chicago, meaning the police. Defendant's jeep was taken to the police department and searched. A briefcase and three bottles labeled "cocaine test set" were recovered.

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Bluebook (online)
671 N.E.2d 358, 284 Ill. App. 3d 7, 219 Ill. Dec. 444, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/people-v-siwek-illappct-1996.