United States v. Antoine Segines and Adrian Ayres

86 F.3d 1156, 1996 U.S. App. LEXIS 42389
CourtCourt of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit
DecidedMay 28, 1996
Docket95-3534
StatusUnpublished

This text of 86 F.3d 1156 (United States v. Antoine Segines and Adrian Ayres) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
United States v. Antoine Segines and Adrian Ayres, 86 F.3d 1156, 1996 U.S. App. LEXIS 42389 (6th Cir. 1996).

Opinion

86 F.3d 1156

NOTICE: Sixth Circuit Rule 24(c) states that citation of unpublished dispositions is disfavored except for establishing res judicata, estoppel, or the law of the case and requires service of copies of cited unpublished dispositions of the Sixth Circuit.
UNITED STATES of America, Plaintiff-Appellee,
v.
Antoine SEGINES and Adrian Ayres, Defendant-Appellants.

Nos. 95-3534, 95-3570.

United States Court of Appeals, Sixth Circuit.

May 28, 1996.

Before: KENNEDY and COLE, Circuit Judges; and COHN, District Judge.*

COHN, District Judge.

Defendant-appellants Antoine Segines (Segines) and Adrian Ayers (Ayers) each appeal their conviction and sentence. Segines and Ayers were convicted by a jury of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine, 21 U.S.C. § 846, during a period of which conspiracy distributions were made within 100 feet of a video arcade facility, 21 U.S.C. § 860, and possession of cocaine base with intent to distribute, 21 U.S.C. § 841(a)(1). In addition, Ayers was convicted of employing a minor to distribute cocaine base, 21 U.S.C. § 861(a)(1), possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, 18 U.S.C. § 922(g), and possession of a stolen firearm, 18 U.S.C. § 922(j).

On appeal, Segines and Ayers argue: (1) the evidence of conspiracy was insufficient; (2) the district court erred in calculating their offense levels in determining that the amount of drugs applicable to the conspiracy was between 150-500 grams based on testimony concerning "a big freezer bag" which was "half full with rocks" of crack cocaine and a "sack full of rocks" with about nine or ten "big, big crack cocaine rocks," and; (3) the district court exceeded the scope of relevant conduct in determining the amount applicable to each of them. Segines also argues that, if anything, there was proof of multiple conspiracies. In addition, Ayers argues that a firearm enhancement was unwarranted and that the evidence that he employed a minor to distribute cocaine base was insufficient because the evidence showed that the minor acted independently. For the reasons that follow, the convictions and sentences of both defendants will be affirmed.

I. Facts

A. Procedural Background

On March 16, 1992, a federal grand jury returned a multiple-count indictment charging Segines, Ayers and Michael Alston (Alston) with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine and possession of cocaine base with intent to distribute. Count I of the indictment contained a specification stating that within a period of the conspiracy distributions were made within 100 feet of a video arcade facility. Ayers and Alston were also charged with employing a minor to distribute cocaine base. In addition, Ayers was charged with possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and possession of a stolen firearm. A jury rendered verdicts of guilty on all but one count against all three defendants. Ayers was acquitted of possession of crack cocaine.

We reversed these convictions on the grounds that the trial judge's hostility toward the defendants denied them due process and that wire tapes which were expressly excluded from admission into evidence were improperly given to the jury. United States v. Segines, 17 F.3d 847 (6th Cir.1994). As to the argument that there were four separate conspiracies rather than one, we stated that "[t]he law of this circuit permits the defendants to be retried on the conspiracy count as outlined in the original indictment. We emphasize, however, that the trial judge may decide at his discretion whether or not to issue a multiple conspiracies instruction to the jury." Id. at 857.

A federal grand jury then returned a superseding indictment charging essentially identical offenses except that the conspiracy was extended by 20 days, from an ending date of February 27, 1992 to an ending date of March 17, 1992, and Segines was charged with two additional counts of distribution dated March 12 and 13, 1992. A jury returned verdicts of guilty against Segines and Ayers on all counts and acquitted Alston of all charges. Segines was sentenced to a term of imprisonment of 262 months and 10 years of supervised release. Ayers was sentenced to a term of 360 months and 5 years of supervised release.

B. Government Evidence at Trial

The evidence adduced at trial established that members of the Caribbean Gang Task Force in Cleveland were investigating Ayers and Alston during September, 1991. As part of the investigation, officers conducted controlled drug purchases from a residence owned by Adrian Ayers which was located on Carl Avenue in Cleveland.

During the period of September 30, 1991 through December 5, 1991, there were four separate controlled purchases of narcotics from occupants of the Carl Avenue residence through the use of a confidential informant. The first was made on December 5, 1991. Afterward, two individuals were observed leaving the Carl Avenue residence in a vehicle. Officers stopped the vehicle and seized $2,640 from the driver, Joseph Jackson, which included $200 of government money used by Smith in the controlled drug purchase. One of the officers involved in the investigation testified at trial, but the confidential informant who participated in the transactions did not.

The next day, members of the Caribbean Gang Task Force searched the Carl Avenue residence. Ayers and Alston were the only people in the house at that time. The officers observed Ayers throwing several objects on the floor, including bags of marijuana, a set of keys and two 9mm caliber rounds. The officers also observed Alston throwing a small scale on the floor.

The officers were directed by Ayers to two guns in a locked bedroom underneath a mattress. One of the firearms had been reported stolen by its owner that year. Ayers claimed to own the second firearm, an Intratec 9mm pistol. An analysis of the firearms revealed a fingerprint of the left ring finger of Ayers on the magazine of the 9mm pistol. The officers seized the firearms, a police scanner which was in the "on" position when the officers entered the residence and several documents in the name of Ayers, including a utility bill. During the search, Ayers asked one of the officers if his name was Parkinson and if he was "the guy that took the money off my boy" the day before.

In February 1992, another confidential informant named Robert Smith (Smith) met Ayers through Tamara Ayers who was Smith's girlfriend and Ayers's sister. On February 11, 1992, Smith arranged to make a controlled purchase of a half ounce of crack cocaine from Ayers at the A & A Gameroom (Gameroom), a video arcade owned by Ayers. Ayers told Smith that he did not have the crack cocaine there, but that he had to call "Mike." Ayers telephoned Alston and told him that he needed "a half." Shortly thereafter, Alston arrived at the Gameroom and gave Ayers a half ounce of crack cocaine. Ayers gave the crack cocaine to Smith for $530.

On February 13, 1992, Smith purchased another half ounce of crack cocaine from Ayers for $500 in the back room of the Gameroom.

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Bluebook (online)
86 F.3d 1156, 1996 U.S. App. LEXIS 42389, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/united-states-v-antoine-segines-and-adrian-ayres-ca6-1996.