United States v. Certain Real Property & Premises known as 3840 Jackie Drive

806 F. Supp. 681, 1992 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 20737, 1992 WL 290035
CourtDistrict Court, S.D. Ohio
DecidedAugust 25, 1992
DocketCiv. A. No. C-1-90-702
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 806 F. Supp. 681 (United States v. Certain Real Property & Premises known as 3840 Jackie Drive) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, S.D. Ohio primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
United States v. Certain Real Property & Premises known as 3840 Jackie Drive, 806 F. Supp. 681, 1992 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 20737, 1992 WL 290035 (S.D. Ohio 1992).

Opinion

ORDER GRANTING PLAINTIFF’S MOTION FOR SUMMARY JUDGMENT

SHERMAN, United States Magistrate Judge.

This is a 21 U.S.C. § 881 civil forfeiture action in which both parties have consented to entry of final judgment by a United States Magistrate Judge. Doc. 14. Plaintiff, the United States (hereinafter “government”), seeks the forfeiture of claimant Jeffrey Bottom’s home on the theory that the residence was used to facilitate the sale of cocaine. To that end, the government has filed a motion for summary judgment and decree of forfeiture (doc. 19), to which Bottom has submitted a memorandum in opposition (doc. 23).' Having reviewed these documents in light of the summary judgment standard set forth in Goldstein v. D.D.B. Needham Worldwide, Inc., 740 F.Supp. 461, 463-65 (S.D. Ohio 1990), the Court finds two issues presented: first, is it genuinely disputed whether the government is legally entitled to the forfeiture of Bottom’s home?; second, if forfeiture is permitted, does the timing of the government’s notice to Bottom, or the manner in which that notice was delivered to him, alter the result? For the reasons that follow, the Court answers both questions in the negative, and grants the subject motion.

I.

In early August, 1990, agents of the Clermont County, Ohio Narcotics Unit, acting on a tip received from a federal Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) informant, began to investigate Bottom as a possible cocaine trafficker. The informant confided that Bottom was soon to receive an unspecified amount of cocaine from Florida. On August 10, 1990, the Clermont County agents, while conducting surveillance of Bottom, saw him meet in a convenience store parking lot with the driver of a pickup truck licensed in the State of Florida. After the pickup truck driver accompanied Bottom to his residence, the agents obtained a warrant to search that real property. During the resulting authorized search [683]*683the agents found, inter alia, 453 grams of cocaine and cash totalling $18,920.00, $9,520.00 of which belonged to Bottom.1 See United States v. Bottom, No. 91-3151, 1991 WL 224094, at *1, 1991 U.S.App. LEXIS 26362, at *3 (6th Cir. Oct. 31, 1991) [947 F.2d 946 (table)].

On August 14, 1990, Bottom was charged in a Southern District of Ohio two-count indictment with using a telephone to facilitate the distribution of cocaine in violation of 21 U.S.C. § 843(b), and possession with intent to distribute cocaine in violation of 21 U.S.C. § 841(a)(1). The indictment made reference to forfeiture of the $18,-920.00 in cash, but not to the forfeiture of any other property, whether real or personal. Doc. 23, exb. A (indictment) at 2. Bottom initially plead not guilty to both counts. He changed his plea to guilty, however, after his motion to suppress evidence was denied.2 He was eventually sentenced to forty-six months of incarceration and three years of supervised release. United States v. Bottom, No. CR-1-90-89-01, doc. 20 at 1 (S.D. Ohio Feb. 8, 1991).

Prior to the Court’s acceptance of his guilty plea on October 25, 1990, Bottom’s counsel, Peter Swenty, discussed on two occasions with the Assistant United States Attorney (AUSA) prosecuting the case whether Bottom “would cooperate with the government in assisting with the apprehension and conviction of certain other individuals.” Doc. 23, exb. B (Swenty aff.) at 1. Bottom declined to do so. According to Mr. Swenty, neither the AUSA, nor other officials, then advised him that the government was considering the forfeiture of any property besides the $18,920.00 found in Bottom’s home the night of his arrest. In fact, the AUSA apparently did not orally notify Messrs. Swenty and Bottom of the instant, civil in rem action until one hour after the Court’s acceptance of Bottom’s guilty plea. As Mr. Swenty explains, the AUSA then “told [me] words to the effect that: ‘that’s what can happen if you don’t cooperate [with us].’ ” Id. at 2. Although Mr. Swenty states in his affidavit that Bottom might have elected to go to trial had he known, before pleading guilty, of the government’s true intent to forfeit his home, see id. at 3, Bottom made no efforts to revoke his guilty plea prior to sentencing.

II.

The Court first addresses the merits of the government’s motion. 21 U.S.C. § 881(a)(7) authorizes the forfeiture of real property “which is used, or intended to be used, in any manner or part, to commit, or to facilitate the commission of [federal narcotics laws] punishable by more than one year’s imprisonment....” To satisfy § 881, “the government ‘must establish probable cause to believe that a substantial connection exits between the property to be forfeited and the illegal exchange of a controlled substance.’ ” United States v. $67,220.00 in U.S. Currency, 957 F.2d 280, 283 (6th Cir.1992). “Probable cause means [a] reasonable ground for belief of guilt, supported by less than prima facie proof but more than mere suspicion.” Id. at 284 (internal quotations deleted). The existence of probable cause may be demonstrated by examining evidence developed after the seizure in question, provided the government’s forfeiture proceedings were not begun in bad faith or pursuant to “wild allegations based on the hope that something will turn up.... ” Id. Once probable cause is shown, the burden shifts to the claimant (i.e., Bottom) to prove his innocent ownership of the property in question. Id. at 287.

Bottom does not dispute that § 881(a)(7) is here satisfied, see doc. 23 at 1, and the Court agrees that the government has [684]*684shown the required probable cause. Bottom, for example, is the sole owner of the subject real property. Doc. 6 at 1. In addition, each of the two narcotic crimes to which he plead guilty are felonies. See 21 U.S.C. §§ 841(b), 843(c); see also CR-1-90-89-1, doc. 14 (reflecting Bottom’s guilty plea to both indictment counts). Finally, probable cause is amply shown by the cocaine found at Bottom’s residence during the search, as addressed in an ‘affidavit in support of forfeiture’ by DEA agent Michael Fieler, doc. 1, exb. A at 1; by Bottom’s admission to paragraph eleven of the government’s complaint, see doc. 7 at 2; and by Bottom’s guilty plea itself, appendix at 690-691. United States v. $83,320.00 in U.S. Currency and $40.00 in Can. Currency, 682 F.2d 573, 577 (6th Cir.1982); United States v. 228 Acres of Land and Dwelling located on Whites Hill Rd., Chester, VI, 916 F.2d 808, 813-14 (2d Cir. 1990), cert. denied, — U.S. —, 111 S.Ct. 972, 112 L.Ed.2d 1058 (1991);

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806 F. Supp. 681, 1992 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 20737, 1992 WL 290035, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/united-states-v-certain-real-property-premises-known-as-3840-jackie-ohsd-1992.