United States v. Fantroy

146 F. App'x 808
CourtCourt of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit
DecidedAugust 30, 2005
Docket03-2264, 03-2290
StatusUnpublished
Cited by5 cases

This text of 146 F. App'x 808 (United States v. Fantroy) 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. Fantroy, 146 F. App'x 808 (6th Cir. 2005).

Opinion

OPINION

SARGUS, District Judge.

Defendant-Appellant Steven Fantroy appeals his convictions on charges of conspiracy to distribute powder and crack cocaine as well as heroin, 21 U.S.C. § 846, money laundering, 18 U.S.C. § 1956(a)(1)(A), and possession with intent to distribute powder and crack cocaine, 21 U.S.C. § 841(a)(1). Defendant-Appellant Antonio Ameen appeals his conviction on charges of conspiracy to distribute powder and crack cocaine, as well as heroin, and two counts of money laundering. Both Appellants contend that they were deprived of their constitutional right to a jury selected from a fair cross section of the community. Fantroy and Ameen also assert that the sentences they received were imposed under sentencing guidelines found to be unconstitutional in United States v. Booker, — U.S. -, 125 S.Ct. 738, 160 L.Ed.2d 621 (2005). Finally, Ameen appeals three decisions of the district court involving (1) an alleged failure of the prosecutor to disclose, prior to trial, exculpatory oral statements allegedly made by Ameen; (2) the admission of testimony indicating that he had killed a man; and (3) the failure to include within the jury instructions reference to the statute of limitations regarding unlawful conspiracy-

For the reasons that follow, the convictions of Fantroy and Ameen are affirmed. This case is remanded to the district court for resentencing under Booker v. United States, supra.

I.

In 1993, federal agents began an investigation of a drug conspiracy based in Detroit, Michigan. On June 24, 1998, Steven *812 Fantroy, Antonio Ameen, and thirteen other individuals were indicted for multiple crimes related to this conspiracy. Fantroy and Ameen proceeded to trial by jury, while thirteen co-defendants either pleaded guilty or died before going to trial. Several of the co-defendants testified against Fantroy and Ameen at trial. On August 9, 2001, the jury returned guilty verdicts against both Appellants. The jury found Fantroy guilty of drug conspiracy pursuant to 21 U.S.C. § 846, money laundering pursuant to 18 U.S.C. § 1956(a)(1)(A), and possession of cocaine with intent to distribute pursuant to 21 U.S.C. § 841(a)(1). Ameen was convicted of drug conspiracy pursuant to 21 U.S.C. § 846 and two counts of money laundering under 18 U.S.C. § 1956(a)(1)(A) and (B).

At trial, the government produced evidence showing that thirteen wire transfers of drug proceeds had been sent under the name of Steven Fantroy. Two co-conspirators, Mitchell and Wells, both testified that Fantroy had been involved in dealing drugs with them. Additionally, the ATF agent in charge of the investigation, Scott Toth, described the execution of a search warrant on an apartment with utilities listed in Fantroy’s name. The apartment was devoid of all furniture, containing only the equipment necessary for making and packaging crack cocaine. When the agents entered the apartment, Fantroy and two other co-conspirators were present. Fan-troy did not have any drugs on his person, but was carrying $700.00 in cash. After searching the apartment, the federal agents found significant amounts of powder and crack cocaine and a small amount of heroin. They also found an address book in a closet, which contained a bag of crack cocaine, with Fantroy’s name and the address of the apartment in the “personal profile” section.

Several co-defendants testified against Ameen, claiming that he was a leading member of a drug organization which ran several drug houses in Detroit as well as Ohio, Illinois, New York, and California. Jeffrey Wells testified that in about 1989, Ameen gave him crack cocaine to set up a “drug business” in Ohio. Wells claimed the Ohio business was closed a year later because of recurring shootouts. Wells further testified that, after the Ohio drug houses folded, Ameen supplied heroin which Wells, Mitchell, and others took to Buffalo, New York to sell. The government also presented evidence demonstrating that Ameen’s drug activities continued once he moved to California. Wells testified that he visited Ameen several times to carry drug proceeds money to Ameen and to “talk about the drug business.” (JA 481.) In 1998, Wells paid Tomeka Lawler to deliver suitcases of money from drug proceeds to Ameen’s associates in California. Wells also sent wire transfers of drug money from Detroit and Chicago to Ameen’s associates in California.

Barrett LaRoda, Ameen’s alleged business partner in California, testified that, upon Ameen’s request, he referred Ameen to a cocaine supplier in California. Ameen frequently hosted visitors from Detroit at his California house. On several occasions, these visitors brought gift-wrapped boxes or duffel bags full of cash. LaRoda further testified that Ameen told him he left Detroit because, after being kidnapped, he had “taken care of’ one of his kidnappers. According to LaRoda, he and Ameen did not have a genuine business partnership, but rather LaRoda helped Ameen show a legitimate source of income. Ameen wrote checks to LaRoda’s business and then LaRoda paid Ameen a “salary.”

Other co-conspirators gave testimony that supported the allegations of LaRoda and Wells. Arthur Miller testified that he deposited money from drug sales into an account Ameen had set up relating to his *813 Detroit rental property. (JA 328-30) Jose Giboyeaux testified that he sold 15 to 20 kilograms of cocaine every two weeks to Ameen and had his agents deliver it to Ameen’s workers in Chicago.

Ameen contended that he was once a troubled youth from Detroit, who was caught up in drug dealing at an early age, but then found his true love in music. While in his early teens, Ameen was introduced to Arthur Mitchell, and, with Mitchell’s assistance, began selling drugs in increasing quantities. Mitchell was charged as Ameen’s co-defendant and pleaded guilty. Ameen testified that he stopped dealing drugs in the mid-1980’s and began focusing on music instead. In 1989, Ameen left Detroit and moved to California, purportedly for the dual goals of furthering his music career and escaping the drug business in Detroit. Ameen told the jurors he was kidnapped in early 1989 in Detroit by men looking for Mitchell. According to Ameen, the men only freed him after Mitchell “took care of them” by paying them off. After the kidnapping incident, Ameen married Mitchell’s niece and moved to California. Once in California, Ameen moved into a house purchased by his father. He also embarked upon two business endeavors. He partnered with a musician named Maurice Wilcher to begin creating and selling music, and later joined a business started by Barrett LaRoda which sold concert merchandise. Ameen also owned several rental properties in Detroit.

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Bluebook (online)
146 F. App'x 808, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/united-states-v-fantroy-ca6-2005.