United States v. Campbell

525 F. Supp. 2d 891, 2007 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 88013, 2007 WL 4239277
CourtDistrict Court, E.D. Michigan
DecidedNovember 30, 2007
DocketCrim. 04-80810
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 525 F. Supp. 2d 891 (United States v. Campbell) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, E.D. Michigan primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
United States v. Campbell, 525 F. Supp. 2d 891, 2007 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 88013, 2007 WL 4239277 (E.D. Mich. 2007).

Opinion

*892 OPINION AND ORDER REGARDING DEFENDANT’S MOTIONS TO DISMISS INDICTMENT AND TO SUPPRESS EVIDENCE

GERALD E. ROSEN, District Judge.

I. INTRODUCTION

Defendant Terence Lamar Campbell is charged, along with a co-defendant, Tony Bennett, in a large scale, long-term drug distribution and money laundering operation. The six-count indictment returned by the Grand Jury against Campbell and Bennett specifically charges the two defendants with Conspiracy to Distribute and Possession with Intent to Distribute Cocaine, Cocaine Base (“Crack”), Heroin, and MDMA [3, 4 Methylenedioxymethamphe-tamine] (“Ecstasy”) (Counts One through Five); and Money Laundering Conspiracy (Count Six). The Indictment was filed under seal on September 29, 2004. It was not unsealed until July 28, 2005. Campbell was subsequently arrested on April 6, 2006, and was arraigned on that same date.

This matter is presently before the Court on two motions filed by Campbell: (1) a Motion to Dismiss based upon Pre- and PosNIndictment Delay and (2) a Motion to Suppress Evidence and for an Evi-dentiary Hearing. 1 During the course of *893 four days of proceedings on this matter, the Court heard the arguments of counsel and the testimony of FBI Special Agent Stanley Christ; Sergeant Vincent Lynch and Sergeant Brent Miles of the Oakland County Sheriff’s Office; and Thomas Evans, the Assistant Director of the Michigan State Police Criminal Records Division. The Court also received into evidence a number of exhibits. Then, following the close of in-court proceedings, the Court received additional documentary evidence.

Having heard and considered the testimony of the witnesses and the oral arguments of counsel, and having reviewed and considered the exhibits submitted, the Court is now prepared to rule on this matter. 2 This Opinion and Order sets forth the Court’s rulings.

II. FACTUAL BACKGROUND

On August 7, 2001, the FBI received confidential information that a privately-chartered jet (tail registration number N-600-XJ) was to arrive at the Pontiac-Oakland County Airport some time before noon the next day, August 8, 2001, and was to be carrying a large quantity of narcotics and/or a passenger who was coming to the Detroit area to set up a drug deal. FBI agents subsequently learned that the chartered jet was scheduled to arrive at the I.F.L. private terminal. Accordingly, they set up surveillance at the terminal.

At approximately 9:30 a.m. on August 8, 2001, the agents observed a limousine arrive at the I.F.L. terminal and park on the tarmac. Approximately an hour after the limo arrived, the agents observed a jet with tail registration number N-600-XJ land at the airport and taxi from the active runway directly to the.I.F.L. terminal.

Once the jet came to a stop, agents observed the limo pull up to the jet. Shortly thereafter the agents observed an individual, later identified as Campbell’s co-defendant, Tony Bennett, 3 deplane the jet where he was greeted by the limo driver. Thereafter, I.F.L. terminal personnel were seen removing two large, and apparently heavy, brown cardboard boxes from the jet and placing them in the limousine. In addition to the heavy cardboard boxes, the terminal personnel transferred various pieces of luggage from the jet to the limo. Thereafter, Tony Bennett entered the limousine.

Under surveillance by the agents, the limousine drove Bennett from the airport to a house located at 18712 Addison in Southfield, Michigan. Upon arrival at the house, the limousine backed into the driveway up to the garage door. There, Bennett waited for the arrival of another *894 individual, later identified as Defendant Terence Campbell, to open the garage door. The limo backed into the garage and the suitcases and boxes were removed from the car and taken inside the residence.

Several hours later, Bennett and Campbell left the house and were followed by-agents to various places in and around the metropolitan Detroit area before returning to the Addison Street residence. Later in the early evening, Bennett and Campbell again left the house and were followed to Brighton, Michigan before law enforcement personnel were forced to terminate their surveillance due to heavy traffic.

In the interim, Federal agents secured a search warrant for 18712 Addison. 4 Property records had shown that this residence was owned by Defendant Campbell. At approximately 8:30 p.m., the agents executed the search warrant. At this time, the residence was unoccupied. Shortly after entering the residence, the agents discovered the implements associated with a large scale drug distribution organization.

In the basement, the agents found the two large cardboard boxes, stacked one on top of the other, along with several suitcases and duffle bags stacked in the corner. Upon peering into the opened top box, agents observed several individually wrapped “brick” packages. (Subsequent tests revealed these “brick” packages contained kilogram quantities of cocaine.) The bottom box was identical in size, shape and markings to the top box. This box likewise contained similar sized “bricks” of cocaine. A check of nearby suitcases also revealed additional quantities of cocaine “bricks.”

A final count of the “brick” packages revealed that the boxes and suitcases contained 116 kilograms of cocaine. Agents also discovered other quantities of drugs including in excess of six ounces of cocaine base (“crack”), 375 grams of heroin, and several thousand pills of MDMA/ecstasy (655 grams). Additionally, the agents found various “tools of the trade” in the illegal distribution of drugs, including drug packaging material, digital and trible beam scales, two electronic money counters, a bullet proof vest, a number of firearms, and in excess of $10,000 in cash.

III. DISCUSSION

A.

MOTION TO DISMISS BASED ON PRE- AND POST-INDICTMENT DELAY 5

1. DISMISSAL FOR PRE-INDICTMENT DELAY

The Fifth Amendment protects defendants against excessive or prejudicial *895 pre-indictment delay. See United States v. Lovasco, 431 U.S. 783, 788, 97 S.Ct. 2044, 52 L.Ed.2d 752 (1977). The test for unconstitutional pre-indictment delay is whether both (1) the delay caused substantial prejudice to the defendant’s right to a fair trial, and (2) the delay was an intentional device by the government to gain a tactical advantage over the accused. United States v. Marion, 404 U.S. 307, 324, 92 S.Ct. 455, 30 L.Ed.2d 468 (1971);

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
525 F. Supp. 2d 891, 2007 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 88013, 2007 WL 4239277, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/united-states-v-campbell-mied-2007.