United States v. Eiland

314 F. Supp. 3d 284
CourtCourt of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit
DecidedJuly 23, 2018
DocketCase No: 1:04-cr-00379-RCL
StatusPublished

This text of 314 F. Supp. 3d 284 (United States v. Eiland) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals for the D.C. 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. Eiland, 314 F. Supp. 3d 284 (D.C. Cir. 2018).

Opinion

Royce C. Lamberth, United States District Judge

Before the Court is the Motion Pursuant to 18 U.S.C. § 2255 to Vacate, Set Aside, or Correct Sentence by a Person in Federal Custody [ECF No. 1159] by the defendant Gerald Eiland. Defendant claims ineffective assistance of trial counsel and requests that this Court vacate, set aside or correct the sentence imposed on him. Upon consideration of the Motion [ECF No. 1159], the government's Opposition [ECF No. 1169], the entire record herein, and applicable law, the Court DENIES the defendant's Motion.

I. BACKGROUND

Beginning in March of 2003, the Federal Bureau of Investigation ("FBI") and the D.C. Metropolitan Police Department investigated a suspected narcotics trafficking operation in the District of Columbia. United States v. Eiland , 738 F.3d 338, 345 (D.C. Cir. 2013). This investigation, which included the use of physical surveillance, informants, pen register and toll record analysis, and judicially authorized wiretaps, resulted in charges against twenty-one defendants for conspiring to distribute heroin, cocaine, cocaine base, and PCP between 1999 and 2004 in Virginia, Maryland, and the District of Columbia. Id. Gerald Eiland ("Eiland") and Frederick Miller ("Miller") were identified as the leaders of the operation. Id.

Prior to trial, many of the defendants moved to suppress evidence collected through the use of the wiretaps, which they argued were authorized in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2510, et seq. United States v. Eiland , 398 F.Supp.2d 160, 162-63 (D.D.C. 2005). Of particular relevance to this motion is the February 13, 2004, affidavit supporting a wiretap of Miller's telephone submitted by Special Agent Sparks ("Sparks 2/13/2004 Affidavit"), which the defendants argued contained misleading information and omitted material facts. Id. at 163-65. This Court denied the motions to suppress. Id. at 176.

On October 3, 2006, Eiland proceeded to jury trial with codefendants Miller, Robert Bryant, and Alvin Gaskins. 738 F.3d at 345-46. Bryant was acquitted on all charges, and Gaskins was found guilty only of narcotics conspiracy. Id. Eiland and Miller were both found guilty of: (1) narcotics conspiracy with intent to distribute heroin, cocaine, and cocaine base; (2) RICO conspiracy; (3) continuing criminal enterprise; (4) attempt to possess with intent to distribute heroin; and (5) three counts of unlawful use of a communication facility. United States v. Eiland , 525 F.Supp.2d 37, 39 (D.D.C. 2007). Eiland and Miller were sentenced to concurrent sentences of life imprisonment for RICO conspiracy and *289continuing criminal enterprise, with additional lesser sentences imposed for the other convictions. 738 F.3d at 346.

On appeal, Eiland and Miller raised several points of error, including, inter alia : (1) that the affidavits supporting the application for (and subsequent extensions of) a wiretap on Miller's phone failed to establish probable cause or necessity, and therefore the trial court erred in denying the defendants' motions to suppress; (2) that the trial court erred in allowing FBI Agent John Bevington's testimony, which the defendants argued provided a superfluous overview of conspiracy investigations and improperly vouched for cooperating informants; and (3) that the trial court erred in allowing FBI Agent Hall's lay opinion testimony interpreting the wiretap evidence. Eiland , 738 F.3d at 347-54. The D.C. Circuit affirmed the convictions, holding in relevant part: (1) that both probable cause and necessity had been established for the wiretap applications and extensions thereof; (2) that while Agent Bevington's testimony was plain error pursuant to the recent holding in United States v. Moore , 651 F.3d 30, 59-61 (D.C. Cir. 2011), the error was harmless; and (3) that the defendants failed to demonstrate that any error in allowing Agent Hall's testimony, if existent, was prejudicial. Id. at 348-54.

Eiland timely filed the present Motion [ECF No. 1159] within one year of the Circuit's denial of his petition for rehearing. The Motion prays that this Court vacate, set aside, or correct Eiland's sentence pursuant to 18 U.S.C. § 2255 on the grounds that Eiland was denied effective assistance of counsel as guaranteed by the Sixth Amendment to the United States Constitution. ECF No. 1159 at 10. Specifically, Eiland asserts that his counsel performed deficiently by failing to:

(1) raise meritorious arguments challenging the sufficiency of the affidavits supporting the wiretap applications and extensions thereof under Title III of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act, 18 U.S.C. § 2510, et seq. (Id. at 10-33);
(2) move in limine

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Bluebook (online)
314 F. Supp. 3d 284, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/united-states-v-eiland-cadc-2018.