United States v. Larry L. Rogers

921 F.2d 1089, 1990 U.S. App. LEXIS 21886, 1990 WL 207432
CourtCourt of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit
DecidedDecember 19, 1990
Docket89-3217
StatusPublished
Cited by17 cases

This text of 921 F.2d 1089 (United States v. Larry L. Rogers) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals for the Tenth 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. Larry L. Rogers, 921 F.2d 1089, 1990 U.S. App. LEXIS 21886, 1990 WL 207432 (10th Cir. 1990).

Opinion

H. DALE COOK, Chief District Judge.

Larry L. Rogers appeals from his conviction on one count of possession of cocaine with intent to distribute in violation of 21 U.S.C. § 841(a)(1), one count of using or carrying firearms during and in relation to a drug trafficking offense, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 924(c), and one count of using or carrying a machine gun during and in relation to a drug trafficking offense, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 924(c).

I.

In September, 1988, a special narcotics task force with the Johnson County, Kansas Sheriffs Office began investigating Dale Willeford for narcotics trafficking. (R.Supp. I, p. 13). In making two controlled purchases of cocaine from Wille-ford, an investigator with the task force, Richard Stutzman, learned that Willeford’s “source” for the cocaine lived “a short distance away” and that his “source” could always take care of Willeford’s cocaine needs. {Id. at 18). Surveillance of Wille-ford led officers to an apartment at the Georgetown Apartment complex in Merriam, Kansas. {Id. at 15). Officers there observed Willeford entering Apartment 107 at 7100 Eby Drive, which was leased to Rogers' co-defendant, William J. Moore. The officers also observed Rogers frequently entering and leaving the apartment. On one occasion, the surveillance team photographed Rogers carrying a laundry basket of clothes into the apartment. (R.Supp. II, p. 168). Another time, Detective Stutzman stopped Rogers near the apartment to arrange a purchase of cocaine. Rogers told Stutzman that the area was “dry”, i.e., that he had no cocaine to sell, but accepted a phone number from Stutzman to call later. (R.Supp. I, p. 20-21). Rogers never called Stutzman, but Willeford thereafter warned Stutzman to stay away from his “source”. Willeford stated that Rogers had warned him that Stutzman was a “cop”. {Id. at 22).

Stutzman executed an affidavit, detailing his contacts with Willeford and stating his belief that Willeford’s “source” was to be found at Apartment 107, 7100 Eby Drive, Merriam, Kansas. Based upon that affidavit, a search warrant for the above address was obtained.

When the officers serving the search warrant knocked on the apartment door, Rogers answered and allowed the officers to enter the apartment. (R.Supp. II, p. 233). Rogers apparently had been lying on the sofa in the living room. {Id. at 256-57). The apartment was small, with one bedroom. {Id. at 264). Moore was in the hallway leading into the bedroom when the officers entered. {Id. at 234).

In their search of the apartment, the officers seized 51.4 grams of cocaine, packaged in fifteen small Ziploc plastic bags. The officers also seized a weighing scale, small and large Ziploc plastic bags, snow seals for gram-size packages, dealing records and calculator receipts with initials next to amounts owed, all of which were alleged at trial to be indicative of distributing cocaine. (R.Supp. I, p. 35-36, 50-51). All these items, as well as $3,400 in currency, were recovered from the bedroom. From the living room, the officers seized a bong pipe and a mirror with cocaine residue and a razor blade on it. {Id. at 53-54).

The officers also seized a number of firearms during the execution of the search warrant. A loaded Ruger semi-automatic rifle was propped up on the floor of an open linen closet in the hallway leading to the bedroom. {Id. at 65). A loaded Jennings .22 handgun was found under the sofa cushions in the living room, where Rogers apparently had been lying. {Id. at 63). A loaded Smith and Wesson handgun was found in the bedroom, on the nightstand next to the bed. {Id. at 66). A *1092 loaded, British Sten machine gun was in an open closet in the bedroom. {Id. at 67). Ammunition for the machine gun and the other firearms was found in that same bedroom closet.- {Id. at 59, 77).

The sole item in the apartment that was identified as belonging to Rogers was a prescription drug bottle with his name on it, which was found on the nightstand in the bedroom. {Id. at 41, 104).

Several witnesses testified at trial that they had purchased cocaine from Moore. (R.Supp. II, p. 119, 217; R.Supp. Ill, p. 312). These witnesses testified that they had seen various firearms in the apartment while purchasing cocaine there. (R.Supp. II, p. 121, 218; R.Supp. Ill, p. 313). Their testimony also indicated that generally Rogers would answer the door for cocaine purchasers. (R.Supp. II, p. 123, 199; R.Supp. Ill, p. 311). The actual purchases were usually made in the bedroom of the apartment, although one witness testified that he purchased cocaine from Moore in the apartment’s living room. (R.Supp. II, p. 123, 196; R.Supp. Ill, p. 312). Three witnesses testified that they purchased cocaine from Rogers at the apartment, when Moore was unavailable. (R.Supp. II, p. 200, 217; R.Supp. Ill, p. 338). One witness testified that on one occasion when he purchased cocaine from Rogers at the apartment, Rogers met him at the door with a loaded handgun. (R.Supp. II, p. 199). Rogers did not testify at trial.

After the jury found Rogers guilty on the three counts with which he was charged, Rogers filed a motion for judgment of acquittal. The trial court denied that motion, and sentenced Rogers to 33 months on the drug trafficking count, to five years on the firearms count, and to ten years on the machine gun count. The sentences on the firearms and machine gun counts were to run consecutive to the drug trafficking sentence; Rogers’ sentence thus totalled seventeen years and nine months.

Rogers filed a timely appeal with this court, raising three issues. Rogers contends that the consecutive sentences imposed under section 924(c) on the two firearms counts violate the double jeopardy clause of the Constitution. Rogers next argues that the trial court erred in denying his motion for judgment of acquittal, when the evidence was insufficient to prove him guilty of the crimes charged against him. Finally, Rogers maintains that the trial court erred in only partially granting his motion to produce witnesses. For the reasons set forth below, we vacate the sentences imposed on the two firearms counts and remand for resentencing, and affirm as to the other two issues.

II.

In United States v. Henning, 906 F.2d 1392 (10th Cir.1990), this court considered the same question confronting us here: whether a conviction for a single drug trafficking offense will support the imposition of consecutive sentences under 18 U.S.C. § 924(c) for multiple firearms carried or used in connection with that single offense. In Henning,

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921 F.2d 1089, 1990 U.S. App. LEXIS 21886, 1990 WL 207432, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/united-states-v-larry-l-rogers-ca10-1990.