United States v. Harris

961 F. Supp. 1127, 1997 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 11769, 1997 WL 232484
CourtDistrict Court, S.D. Ohio
DecidedApril 15, 1997
DocketCR-2-95-93
StatusPublished
Cited by7 cases

This text of 961 F. Supp. 1127 (United States v. Harris) 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. Harris, 961 F. Supp. 1127, 1997 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 11769, 1997 WL 232484 (S.D. Ohio 1997).

Opinion

OPINION AND ORDER

KINNEARY, District Judge.

This matter is before the Court on the Defendant Larry Wayne Harris’s (“Harris”) motion to suppress statements, motion- to suppress evidence, and motion to dismiss the indictment. The Court held hearings on these motions on April 1, 1997 and April 9, 1997. The Court DENIES Harris’s motions.

I.. Findings of Fact

Harris is charged in an indictment with wire fraud and mail fraud. The indictment alleges that Harris used fraudulent misrepresentations to mail order three vial of yersinia pestis, the bacteria that causes bubonic plague, from a Maryland company known as American Type Culture Collection (“ATCC”).

The Court begins with the government’s version of the facts. At approximately 4:15 p.m. on May 11, 1995, Forrest Smith of the Ohio Department of Health called Edward Sachs of the Lancaster Health Department, and informed Sachs that Harris, a resident of Láneaster, Ohio, had ordered and received vials of yersinia pestis. Smith added that Harris was not qualified to possess the bacteria: (April 1 Tr. p. 6.) Around 5:20 p.m., Sachs contacted Captain Lutz of the Lancaster police department and together they investigated these allegations by confirming some of the details and by calling various health officials at both the state and federal level. (Tr. pp. 9-10.) Later that evening, Captain Lutz obtained a warrant from a state court to search Harris’s residence at 266 Cleveland Avenue, Lancaster, Ohio. (Tr. p. 24; Gov. Exh. 1.)

At approximately 1:40 a.m., May 12, 1995, the Lancaster police arrived at Harris’s residence to execute the search warrant. (Tr. pp. 24, 26.) The search team included public health officials, members of the Fairfield *1130 County hazardous materials team, and a hazardous materials truck full of equipment and gear. (Tr. pp. 26, 54.) Some of the officers and members of the hazardous materials team were dressed in hazardous material suits. (Id.)

Captain Lutz and Lieutenant Regan approached the house in their regular uniforms. Lutz went to the door and lured Harris out of his residence by telling him his car had been involved in a hit-skip accident. (Tr. pp. 27, 54-55.) After Harris stepped out of his residence, Captain Lutz walked him over to Harris’s car where Regan was standing; Lutz and Regan then handcuffed Harris over the hood of his car. (Tr. pp. 28-29, 55.) While they were handcuffing Harris, Harris spontaneously told them “if this is about the pestis, it’s in the car.” (Tr. pp. 30, 35-56, 57-58, 59.) Regan asked Harris’s permission to search the car, which Harris granted; Harris told the officers that his keys were in his pocket. (Tr. pp. 30, 56, 58.) Lutz and Bill Bropst of the Fairfield County hazardous materials team searched the car while Regan read Harris his rights. (Tr. pp. 32, 56-57.) Harris was very talkative during this period, and told various officers and health agents that the pestis was safe to handle. (Tr. pp. 32-33, 56-57, 58.) Regan had to ask Harris to quit talking so that Regan could finish reading his rights. (Id.) After the vials were found in the car, Harris was placed in the back of a police vehicle and eventually transported to the Lancaster police station where he was held for questioning. (Tr. pp. 33, 57.) Lutz and Regan returned to the police station separately and interrogated Harris.

The police interrogated Harris at the Lancaster police station at around 2:40 a.m. The officers taped the interrogation with Harris’s knowledge. (Gov. Exh. 6; Tr. pp. 74, 88.) Harris did not tell the officers that he wanted an attorney either before or during this interrogation. (Tr. pp. 34, 58.) After the interrogation, Harris was returned to his residence.

Later on May 12, the Lancaster police contacted the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”) and Special Agent Roger Wilson was assigned to the case.- (Tr. p. 63.) When Wilson arrived at the police station, the police briefed him on the case. Sometime that morning, the Chief of Police told Wilson that, during a phone conversation with Harris about Harris’s impounded car, Harris asked the Chief whether the Chief thought that Harris needed an attorney. (April 9 Tr. p. 6.) The Chief responded “that’s up to you.” Id. Harris was at his residence at the time of the phone call. (Id. at 6-7,10)

While Wilson contacted his superiors, the police used information gathered during the first search and interrogation to obtain an arrest warrant for Harris and a warrant to search his house again. (April 1 Tr. p. 64.) That afternoon, Lieutenant Michael Rosser went to Harris’s residence to serve the arrest warrant on Harris. (Tr. p. 92.) Rosser asked Harris to step outside, Rosser read Harris the warrant and then placed Harris under arrest. (Tr. p. 93.) Rosser read Harris his Miranda rights at this time. (Tr. p. 74.) Harris did not say anything about an attorney to Officer Rosser. (Tr. p. 94.) Patrolman Gardner then cuffed Harris and transported him to the Lancaster Police Department. (Tr. p. 94.) Harris did not say anything at all on the ride to the station. (Tr. p. 66.)

Special Agent Wilson interrogated Harris at the police station. Wilson testified that when he introduced himself to Harris, Harris “immediately indicated to me that he wanted to tell me his side of the story regarding having the bubonic plague.” (Tr. p. 66.) Wilson then handed Harris a waiver form and read from a copy of the form as Harris followed along. (Tr. p. 67; Gov. Exh. 8.) Wilson proceeded with the interrogation after Harris signed the waiver form. (Tr. p. 67.) Harris did not ask Wilson for an attorney nor did he mention to Wilson that he had called an attorney. (Tr. p. 68.)

For the most part, Harris does not dispute the facts as stated above. However, he takes several crucial exceptions. First, Harris contends that no one read him his Miranda rights until the arrest warrant was executed. (Tr. p. 74.) Second, Harris claims that he never consented to the search of his car or informed the officers that his keys were in his pocket. (Tr. pp. 74, 75, 76.) Third, Harris claims that in addition to telling the *1131 police chief over the phone that he had contacted an attorney, he also told the arresting officer and Special Agent Wilson that he had contacted his attorney. (Tr. pp. 79, 80, 81, 84.)

Resolving these factual disputes is crucial to the decision of whether to grant or deny Harris’s motions. Given the conflicting testimony, the resolution of these factual disputes depends upon whom the Court finds more credible. After observing the demeanor of the government witnesses and of Harris, the Court finds the government witnesses more credible than Harris. The Court doubts Harris’s trustworthiness for three reasons.

First, Harris’s testimony at the April 1 hearing is inconsistent with his statements at the first interrogation at the police station. When asked at the hearing whether he had a laboratory in his home, Harris testified:

I most certainly do, most definitely do---I have, by all practical purposes, a very fine laboratory, very well equipped laboratory, even backup microscopes, backup equipment, and do extensive research.

(Tr. p.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
961 F. Supp. 1127, 1997 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 11769, 1997 WL 232484, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/united-states-v-harris-ohsd-1997.