United States v. Harlan Garcia

CourtCourt of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit
DecidedApril 15, 2009
Docket08-2170
StatusPublished

This text of United States v. Harlan Garcia (United States v. Harlan Garcia) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals for the Eighth 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. Harlan Garcia, (8th Cir. 2009).

Opinion

United States Court of Appeals FOR THE EIGHTH CIRCUIT ___________

No. 08-2170 ___________

United States of America, * * Appellee, * * Appeal from the United States v. * District Court for the * District of South Dakota. Harlan Garcia, * * Appellant. * ___________

Submitted: December 11, 2008 Filed: April 15, 2009 ___________

Before COLLOTON and SHEPHERD, Circuit Judges, and GOLDBERG,1 Judge. ___________

SHEPHERD, Circuit Judge.

Harlan Garcia was convicted by a jury of conspiracy to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine, see 21 U.S.C. §§ 841(a)(1), (b)(1)(A), and 846, and distribution of 50 grams or more of methamphetamine, see 21 U.S.C. § 841(a)(1), (b)(1)(B). Garcia appeals his convictions, contending that the district court erred in denying his motion for disclosure of portions of the Presentence Investigation Reports (“PSRs”) of government witnesses, instructing the jury, and denying his motion for judgment of acquittal. We conclude that the district court’s failure to review the PSRs

1 The Honorable Richard W. Goldberg, United States Court of International Trade, sitting by designation. of government witnesses requires remand of Garcia’s convictions to determine whether those PSRs contained any material exculpatory or impeachment information and, if they do, whether failure to provide it was harmless error. We otherwise affirm.

I.

“We state the facts in the light most favorable to the jury verdict.” United States v. Garth, 540 F.3d 766, 769 (8th Cir. 2008). In 2002 and 2003, Harlan Garcia sold methamphetamine in what he describes as “[s]mall quantities, very small. Eightballs.”2 (Trial Tr. 190.) Garcia was the regular source of supply for a number of lesser dealers, including Michelle Lucero. Frequently, Garcia would supply Lucero with methamphetamine and then he and Lucero would use together. Lucero tended to buy an eighth of an ounce of methamphetamine from Garcia one to two times a week.

In 2003, Garcia also provided methamphetamine to Colleen Loris, who later became his girlfriend.3 At first, Loris did not actively participate in Garcia’s methamphetamine sales. However, Loris observed Garcia selling methamphetamine in quantities of up to one ounce. Loris also assisted Garcia in small ways and became familiar with Garcia’s regular customers.

In the middle or end of 2003, Loris took over Garcia’s methamphetamine sales. Loris stated, “I wouldn’t say he wasn’t capable [of running the organization]; he wasn’t running it and I was.” (Id. at 163.) Loris believed that Garcia had insufficient

2 “An ‘8-ball’ refers to one-eighth of an ounce, or 3.5 grams, of methamphetamine.” United States v. Becker, 534 F.3d 952, 954 n.4 (8th Cir. 2008) (quotation omitted). 3 Loris and Garcia were married on July 12, 2006; at that time, Loris was in custody following her arrest for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine in June 2006.

-2- funds to run the business because he had lost some money in Las Vegas. Essentially, Garcia and Loris underwent a role reversal such that Loris was actually dealing the methamphetamine while Garcia was present. Loris would share methamphetamine with Garcia. Lucero indicated that Garcia “was no longer able to supply what was needed; he wasn’t answering phone calls; [he was] pretty much out of the business.” (Id. at 20.) At that time, Loris was selling to Lucero in quantities of up to an ounce or more on a frequent basis, as often as every other day.

In the spring of 2004, Zacchari Muncy, who had friends who were purchasing methamphetamine from Loris, began purchasing directly from Loris. Initially, Muncy purchased quarter-ounces or half-ounces of methamphetamine. It was not unusual for Muncy to use methamphetamine with Loris or for Garcia to join them. Muncy described Garcia as Loris’s “enforcer” or “intimidator.” Whether Garcia was around depended on the status of his relationship with Loris.

In December 2004, Loris asked Muncy to travel from Denver, Colorado, to Rapid City, South Dakota, to deliver a pound of methamphetamine and collect the money. Muncy knew the purchasers as “Dave” and “Vicki.” When Muncy returned from this first trip, he gave the money to Loris with Garcia present. In the summer of 2005, Muncy made an additional trip to South Dakota on Loris’s behalf; this time Garcia accompanied Muncy. Muncy observed Dave and Vicki give Garcia an envelope of money. Muncy also saw Garcia give a plastic bag containing methamphetamine to Dave. After returning from at least one of these trips, Muncy recalls Garcia counting out the money after Muncy delivered it to Loris.

Muncy also delivered methamphetamine for Loris to Jeff McMahan in Rapid City. In the course of his contact with McMahan, Muncy became aware that

-3- McMahan was angry because the drugs he had received were “wet.”4 Muncy recalls seeing a text message on McMahan’s phone, which he understood to have come from Garcia, blaming Muncy for the fact that the methamphetamine had been watered down. When asked why he believed the text message actually came from Garcia and that Loris had not simply used Garcia’s phone to send it, Muncy answered that “[Garcia] would be the one that would do that. He would usually be the one that was calling to cover the tracks, you know, to intimidate me, or to get me to say something, like, I had watered it down, or the intimidation process, basically.” (Id. at 107.)

McMahan confirmed that he received text messages that he believed came from Garcia. Although McMahan did not recall the specific text message concerning wet methamphetamine about which Muncy testified, McMahan did discuss the wet methamphetamine with Garcia, and Garcia blamed Muncy. The conversation took place in late September or early October 2005, when McMahan met with Loris and Garcia in Edgemont, South Dakota. This meeting was McMahan’s first face-to-face encounter with Loris or Garcia. At the meeting, McMahan agreed to loan Loris and Garcia $20,000 in cash. In exchange, Loris agreed to discount the price of the drugs she was selling to McMahan. Up to that point, McMahan had been paying $12,000 for a pound of methamphetamine. Loris suggested that she would cut the price to $10,000 per pound, and Garcia interjected that the price was too low. McMahan suggested that he pay $11,000 per pound. After the deal was reached, Garcia counted the cash from McMahan.

4 According to the government’s brief, “[s]ince methamphetamine is a crystalline substance sold by weight, adding water or other liquid to it will artificially increase the weight. By the time the substance is used, the water has often been evaporated, leaving a lesser weight than the purchaser expected.” (Appellee’s Br. 5 n.2.)

-4- On October 18, 2006, a federal grand jury indicted Garcia in a four-count indictment.5 Count I alleged conspiracy to distribute 500 grams or more of a mixture containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine pursuant to 21 U.S.C. §§ 841(a)(1), (b)(1)(A), and 846. Counts II and IV both alleged distribution of 50 grams or more of a mixture containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine pursuant to 21 U.S.C. § 841(a)(1), (b)(1)(B). Count II involved distribution in Rapid City, South Dakota, in February 2005, while count IV addressed distribution in Rapid City in June and July 2005.

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

United States v. Spinelli
551 F.3d 159 (Second Circuit, 2008)
Brady v. Maryland
373 U.S. 83 (Supreme Court, 1963)
Giglio v. United States
405 U.S. 150 (Supreme Court, 1972)
Kyles v. Whitley
514 U.S. 419 (Supreme Court, 1995)
Lucien v. Amos v. United States
496 F.2d 1269 (Eighth Circuit, 1974)
United States v. John Burton Devore, Jr.
839 F.2d 1330 (Eighth Circuit, 1988)
United States v. Milo I. Worthing, Jr.
434 F.3d 1046 (Eighth Circuit, 2006)
United States v. Becker
534 F.3d 952 (Eighth Circuit, 2008)
United States v. Garth
540 F.3d 766 (Eighth Circuit, 2008)
United States v. Whitehill
532 F.3d 746 (Eighth Circuit, 2008)
JCB, INC. v. Union Planters Bank, NA
539 F.3d 862 (Eighth Circuit, 2008)
United States v. Price
542 F.3d 617 (Eighth Circuit, 2008)
United States v. Davis
538 F.3d 914 (Eighth Circuit, 2008)
United States v. Reddest
512 F.3d 1067 (Eighth Circuit, 2008)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
United States v. Harlan Garcia, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/united-states-v-harlan-garcia-ca8-2009.