United States v. Michael Smith

245 F.3d 538, 2001 U.S. App. LEXIS 4897, 2001 WL 290185
CourtCourt of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit
DecidedMarch 27, 2001
Docket99-3894
StatusPublished
Cited by21 cases

This text of 245 F.3d 538 (United States v. Michael Smith) 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. Michael Smith, 245 F.3d 538, 2001 U.S. App. LEXIS 4897, 2001 WL 290185 (6th Cir. 2001).

Opinion

OPINION

HOOD, District Judge.

On January 20, 1999, a federal grand jury sitting in the Southern District of Ohio charged Defendant Michael Smith and five co-defendants with drug-related offenses in a ten-count indictment. Defendant Smith was named in Counts I, II, and X of the indictment. Defendant Smith and his co-defendants pleaded guilty to Count I of the indictment, which is conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute cocaine base and cocaine from October 1, 1998, until January 20, 1999, in violation of 21 U.S.C. § 846. Count II of the indictment charged that Defendant Smith and James Oglesby unlawfully distributed cocaine base in violation of 21 U.S.C. § 841(a)(1), (b)(l)(B)(iii) and 18 U.S.C. § 2 on October 8, 1998. Count X charged Defendant Smith and George Carter with unlawfully distributing cocaine base in an amount in excess of five grams on November 9, 1998, in violation of 21 U.S.C. § 841(a)(1), (b)(l)(B)(iii) and 18 U.S.C. § 2.

On January 21, 1999, Defendant Smith was arrested and held without bond until a hearing on January 25, 1999. Defendant Smith was arraigned and entered a not guilty plea on January 28, 1999. Trial was scheduled on March 8, 1999 but was postponed until April 1, 1999, at a pre-trial conference with Defendant Smith’s attorney. On the day of trial, Defendant Smith changed his plea and pleaded guilty to Count I of the indictment, conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute cocaine base and cocaine. The government was informed of Defendant Smith’s decision to plead guilty late in the day on the eve of trial. At Defendant Smith’s sentencing hearing on June 30, 1999, he objected to the inclusion of 5.5 grams of cocaine base in the calculation of his base offense level. Defendant Smith’s objection was as follows:

Objection No. 1: The defense counsel objects to paragraphs #44, #45, and #46 of the presentence report. Specifically, the defense objects to Mr. Smith [sic] involvement in the sale of 5.5 grams of crack cocaine. According to Mr. Smith, there was another individual involved in the sale of the 5.5 grams of cocaine known as “the Fatman”; therefore, he feels he is not responsible for this transaction.

It was Defendant Smith’s contention that if the 5.5 grams of crack cocaine had been excluded from the calculation of his base offense level, the level would have been thirteen instead of twenty-three. A base offense level of thirteen, coupled with Defendant Smith’s criminal history category of V, would have given Defendant Smith 30 to 37 months’ imprisonment lessening the 84-105 months of imprisonment imposed.

*540 Defendant Smith’s objection was overruled at the sentencing. The district court determined that Defendant Smith was responsible for the additional 5.5 grams of crack cocaine. The district court also determined, based upon Defendant Smith’s untimely acceptance of responsibility, he qualified for only a two point reduction and not a three point reduction. Therefore, Defendant Smith’s guideline range was 92-115 months; he was sentenced to a term of 92 months of imprisonment. Defendant Smith filed a timely notice of appeal.

I. BACKGROUND

The Drug Enforcement Agency (“DEA”) and the Loekland, Ohio and Lincoln Heights, Ohio Police Departments conducted a joint investigation during the late summer of 1997. The state police departments requested assistance from the DEA in handling the growing drug trafficking problem in them towns. A specialized investigative unit known as the Mobile Enforcement Team (“MET”) from Detroit, Michigan was sent to assist in the investigation in September of 1998. The local police officers had discovered during their preliminary investigations that the biggest source of drug trafficking was centered around 608 Walnut Street in Loekland, Ohio. The Walnut address was a two-family, two-story residence. Joseph Oglesby and his family lived on the first floor of the dwelling and Defendant Smith lived on the second floor of the dwelling. The local police had received numerous private complaints of drug sales by Defendant Smith, Oglesby, and Oglesby’s son, Joseph Cain, out of 608 Walnut. Persons involved in the drug activity often loitered around the dwelling and purchased drags primarily from Defendant Smith.

In October of 1998, the MET began targeting individuals involved in drug trafficking at 608 Walnut. Confidential informants were sent to make “controlled purchases” of crack cocaine. On October 9, 1998, the confidential informant purchased $100 worth of crack cocaine from Cain at the 608 Walnut address under the surveillance of the MET. The MET agents observed the confidential informant drive to 608 Walnut, get out of the vehicle and speak briefly with Oglesby. Oglesby informed the informant that Cain was not home, but that Oglesby could sell the informant some crack cocaine. The informant arranged a time and place to meet Oglesby in order to conduct the transaction. Prior to the time that the informant had agreed to meet, agents observed Oglesby talking to Defendant Smith in front of 608 Walnut. Defendant Smith handed Oglesby a small item which was believed to be crack cocaine. At the designated time, Oglesby left and met the informant and gave the informant the package in exchange for $100. The package contained .75 grams of crack cocaine.

On November 8, 1998, during one of the many controlled buys which occurred over the next couple of months, the informant purchased one-half ounce of crack cocaine from Defendant Smith and his co-defendant George Carter. Defendant Smith told the informant to come to 608 Walnut to make the buy. The surveillance officers observed the informant speaking with Defendant Smith as he leaned out of a second floor window. Defendant Smith was later identified by Officer Watts as the person leaning out of the window because Defendant Smith’s identity could not specifically be determined from the video. Officer Watts used binoculars to ascertain the identity of the person with whom the informant was conversing. The agents heard Defendant Smith instruct the informant to come to the rear of the house via an audio wire worn by the informant. The informant met Defendant Smith in the *541 rear of the house where the informant inquired about the purchase price of the half-ounce of crack cocaine. Defendant Smith responded that the cost was $500. The agents heard the informant’s conversation with Defendant Smith via the audio wire, and heard the name “Mike” as well as the nickname “Fat”, referring to the “Fatman”, the nickname of co-defendant Cornelius Ogletree. Defendant Smith instructed the informant to return in approximately half an hour.

The informant returned to 608 Walnut thirty minutes later and found Defendant Smith standing outside of the house with two other individuals, one of which was co-defendant Carter.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
245 F.3d 538, 2001 U.S. App. LEXIS 4897, 2001 WL 290185, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/united-states-v-michael-smith-ca6-2001.