United States v. Bout

144 F. Supp. 3d 477, 2015 WL 6459177
CourtDistrict Court, S.D. New York
DecidedOctober 26, 2015
DocketNo. 08-cr-365 (SAS)
StatusPublished

This text of 144 F. Supp. 3d 477 (United States v. Bout) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, S.D. New York primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
United States v. Bout, 144 F. Supp. 3d 477, 2015 WL 6459177 (S.D.N.Y. 2015).

Opinion

OPINION AND ORDER

SHIRA A. SCHEINDLIN, District Judge.

I. INTRODUCTION1

On November 2, 2011, Viktor Bout was convicted on four conspiracy charges related to weapons trafficking. Bout now moves for a new trial based on new evi[481]*481dence, under Rule 33 of the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure.2 In the alternative, Bout requests an evidentiary hearing on this motion. For the following reasons, Bout’s motion and request for an eviden-tiary hearing are DENIED.

II. BACKGROUND

A. Sting Operation and Arrest3

On March 6, 2008, Bout was arrested in Bangkok, Thailand on weapons trafficking charges, as part of an international sting operation carried out by the United States Drug Enforcement Administration (“DEA”). The DEA initiated the sting operation in the fall of 2007, orchestrating a fake deal to procure surface-to-air missiles for a terrorist organization.4 To carry out the operation, the DEA directed three confidential sources — -two of whom posed as members of the Colombian terrorist organization Fuerzas Armadas Re-volucionarias de Colombia (“FARC”) — to propose the weapons deal to Andrew Smu-lian, a former business associate of Bout’s.5 One of the confidential sources, Mike Snow, had a prior business relationship with Smulian.6 Smulian, in turn, told Bout about the proposal, and Bout authorized Smulian to negotiate the transaction.7

On March 6, 2008, Bout and Smulian met with the three confidential sources in a secretly-recorded meeting in Bangkok.8 During that recorded meeting, Bout agreed to take the steps necessary to deliver the weapons shipment — which included 700 to 800 surface-to-air missiles — to FARC.9 At the conclusion of this meeting, Bout and Smulian were arrested.10

After their arrest, Bout and Smulian were questioned separately by DEA agents.11 During questioning, Boiit told DEA Special Agent Rob Zachariasiewicz and other agents, inter alia, that “[I]f everything is recorded th[e]n you have everything — you have all the cards on the table.”12 Soon after Smulian’s interview, Smulian agreed to cooperate with the DEA and against Bout.13

B. Indictment

During the grand jury proceedings, Agent Zachariasiewicz testified about the sting operation and arrest, but did not testify about Bout’s post-arrest statements.14 On April 24, 2008, the grand jury [482]*482returned an Indictment against Bout, alleging his participation in conspiracies to: (1) kill United States nationals;15 (2) kill officers and employees of the United States;16 (3) acquire, transfer, or use antiaircraft missiles;17 and (4) provide material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization.18 Smulian was the only individual with whom Bout was alleged to have conspired.19

C. Suppression Motion

On April 22, 2011, Bout moved to suppress certain of his post-arrest statements. On August 24, 2011, before trial, this Court issued an Opinion and Order (the “August 24, 2011 Opinion”) suppressing Bout’s post-arrest statements and including adverse credibility findings against Agent Zachariasiewicz and another agent who participated in Bout’s post-arrest questioning.20

As described by the Government during a 2013 conference in United States v. Chic-hakli before a different District Court Judge (the “Chichakli transcript”), “[s]hortly after the issuance of th[is Court’s] opinion” on August 24, 2011, “the government issued a statement indicating that it planned to seek reconsideration of that order”21 because it “found that [the] findings as to the credibility of the[ ] agents was unsupported by the record.”22 Later that day, two teleconferences were held among defense counsel, the Government, and the Court.23 On the first call, as described in the Chichakli transcript, the Court asked whether, “because [the August 24, 2011] decision did not hinge on the credibility findings ... of the agents, ... the government would continue in its efforts to seek reconsideration if the opinion ... was vacated and a new opinion was issued which did not make, or rely, upon any credibility findings.”24 On the second call, “the government indicated that the [Court’s] proposal was acceptable, and that the government would refrain from seeking reconsideration of a new order that did not make or rely upon any credibility findings.”25 On August 25, 2011, this Court withdrew the August 24, 2011 Opinion and issued a revised Opinion and Order (the “August 25, 2011 Opinion”). The August 25, 2011 Opinion also suppressed Bout’s post-arrest statements but did not contain adverse credibility findings against the DEA agents.26

D. Trial

At Bout’s trial, DEA Special Agent William Brown stated that the DEA had identified Smulian as “an associate of Bout’s for the sources to approach” with the pro[483]*483posed weapons deal, given that Smulian had relationships with both Snow and Bout.27 Also at trial, Smulian testified that in January 2008, he had witnessed Bout calling Bulgarian arms dealer Peter Mir-chev to inquire about the availability of one hundred surface-to-air missiles.28

On November 2, 2011, a jury convicted Bout on all four counts.29 On April 5, 2012, this Court sentenced Bout to twenty-five years in prison.30

III. LEGAL STANDARD

A. Rule 33 Motions for a New Trial

1. Generally

Rule 33 allows a district court to “vacate any judgment and grant a new trial if the interest of justice so requires.”31 As such, “[t]his rule ‘confers broad discretion upon a trial court to set aside a jury verdict and order a new trial to avert a perceived miscarriage of justice.’”32 Before ordering a new trial, however, the “district court must find there is a real concern that an innocent person may have been convicted.”33 Thus, Rule 33 motions are granted “only in extraordinary circumstances.”34

“The defendant bears the burden of proving that he is entitled to a new trial”35 and motions for a new trial filed more than fourteen days after the verdict is issued must be based on “newly discovered evidence.”36

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Bluebook (online)
144 F. Supp. 3d 477, 2015 WL 6459177, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/united-states-v-bout-nysd-2015.