United States v. Muessig

427 F.3d 856, 2005 U.S. App. LEXIS 23139, 2005 WL 2767188
CourtCourt of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit
DecidedOctober 26, 2005
Docket04-6005, 04-6033, 04-6055
StatusPublished
Cited by20 cases

This text of 427 F.3d 856 (United States v. Muessig) 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. Muessig, 427 F.3d 856, 2005 U.S. App. LEXIS 23139, 2005 WL 2767188 (10th Cir. 2005).

Opinion

TYMKOVICH, Circuit Judge.

Defendants-Appellants Huong Muessig, Sonny Lee Tran and Nga Tran were each convicted of violating 21 U.S.C. § 841(c)(2) by distributing pseudoephedrine with reasonable cause to believe it would be used to manufacture methamphetamine. On appeal, the defendants make five arguments. First, Muessig and Nga Tran argue the government’s evidence was insufficient to establish knowledge under § 841. *859 Second, Sonny Tran argues that the district court improperly allowed testimony from an undercover officer based on evidence that should have been disclosed pri- or to trial. Third, Sonny and Nga Tran each argue that the district court erred in failing to grant a mistrial after an unad-mitted exhibit was inadvertently sent to the jury room. Fourth, Sonny Tran argues his conviction should be reversed due to cumulative error by the district court. Finally, Muessig argues that she is entitled to resentencing in light of United States v. Booker, — U.S.-, 125 S.Ct. 738, 160 L.Ed.2d 621 (2005).

We AFFIRM.

I. Background

Sonny’s Express Grocery and Smoke for Less are two Oklahoma City convenience stores that were operated by the Trans and Muessig at various times between June 2000 and September 2001. Both stores were subject to an undercover operation aimed at stemming illegal sales of pseudoephedrine for use in methamphetamine manufacturing.

On June 29, 2000, Detective Mark Went-hold and an informant entered Sonny’s, which was then owned by Sonny and Nga Tran. Sonny Tran was working behind the counter. Wenthold and the informant spoke to Tran about buying a “large amount” of pseudoephedrine. At trial, Wenthold testified that during the course of this discussion, “it was decided that we would buy, I believe it was six bottles each, and then leave the store and immediately walk back in, and buy six bottles each again, immediately go back out, come back in, and buy another six bottles of pseu-doephedrine.” Tr. at 51-52. During one of the purchases, Wenthold told Sonny Tran that he and his companion were “making methamphetamine with [the pills].” Tr. at 52. Despite this, Tran continued to sell them the pills. In exchange for the pills, Wenthold and the informant paid Sonny Tran hundreds of dollars in cash.

On June 30, Wenthold and the informant returned to Sonny’s, where Nga Tran, Sonny Tran’s wife, was working behind the counter. Following the pattern of their first visit, Wenthold testified that he and the informant “each bought eight bottles ... left the store, came back in, bought the eight bottles again, left the store, and did it a third time.” Tr. at 52-53. Nga Tran charged them $112 per eight bottles, totaling $672 in cash. During the course of the transactions, Wenthold told Nga Tran he was willing to sell her some of the “stuff’ they planned to make, and that the “stuff’ could help her stay awake for days at a time. She told him she “wasn’t into that kind of stuff.” Tr. at 53.

On April 6, 2001, Wenthold returned to Sonny’s alone. 1 During this transaction and subsequent visits to Sonny’s and Smoke for Less, Wenthold was wired for audio and video recording. Muessig was working behind the counter when Went-hold arrived. After she expressed reluctance to sell him large quantities of pseudoephedrine, Wenthold urged her to telephone Nga Tran, which Muessig did. Muessig told Nga Tran (in Vietnamese) that she was “very afraid.” Tr. at 121— 122. Muessig then gave the telephone to Wenthold, who assured Tran (in English) that he “had bought pills there before and there hadn’t been any trouble.” Tr. at 56. During this conversation, Tran invited him to visit her new store to purchase pills. Following Wenthold’s con *860 versation with Tran, Muessig called Tran a second time and spoke with her again.

After the two telephone conversations, Wenthold and Muessig began to discuss the prospect of Wenthold purchasing pseu-doephedrine pills. Muessig voiced concerns that Wenthold was “with the FBI.” Tr. at 56. Wenthold told her that he had purchased pseudoephedrine pills at the store before, and “those people didn’t go to jail yet, so everything was all right.” Tr. at 56-57. This was apparently sufficiently convincing to Muessig, who then sold Wenthold 24 boxes of pseudoephedrine tablets, for which he paid her $250 in cash.

On April 13, at Nga Tran’s invitation, Wenthold visited Tran’s new Oklahoma City store, Smoke for Less. Nga Tran was working behind the counter. After Tran stated that she “recognized” Wenthold, she sold him 24 boxes of pseudoephedrine pills for $260. She also stated that “you scare people,” and Wenthold reassured her he was not a police officer. Tr. at 74-76.

Wenthold returned to Sonny’s on April 13, 2001. Muessig was behind the counter, and he told her he had $500 to spend on pseudoephedrine pills. They joked about her suspicions that he was with the FBI. Muessig joked that should refer to himself as “Mark, with the FBI” if he were to call her in the future. Tr. at 62. Before leaving the store, Wenthold purchased 36 boxes of pills for $460.

On April 19, 2001, Wenthold returned to Sonny’s for the last time. Muessig was again behind the counter, and she repeated her concerns that he was with the FBI. Nonetheless, she sold him 24 boxes of pseudoephedrine pills for $300. On the same day, Wenthold also visited Smoke for Less, where Sonny Tran was working behind the counter. After a telephone call to Nga Tran, Sonny Tran told Wenthold the current price on pseudoephedrine pills. Wenthold told Sonny Tran that he “liked the bottles [of pills] because it was easy to cut open the bottles, instead of having to pop each individual pill out of the package like you have to do [with the packages].” Tr. at 77. Wenthold also discussed the process of cooking methamphetamine. Nonetheless, Sonny Tran sold him 16 bottles of pseudoephedrine tablets for $400 in cash.

On May 21, 2001, Wenthold again visited Smoke for Less. Nga Tran was working at the store, and she showed him a “blister pack” of pills, which Wenthold informed her he “didn’t like,” because “you had to pop each pill out.” Tr. at 80. He also mentioned that he preferred bottles of pills because he “could cut the bottoms out of the bottles.” Tr. at 81. Tran again told Wenthold that he “scared people,” and that people “thought [he] was a police offieer[J” Tr. at 81. Despite her concerns, Tran sold Wenthold 25 bottles of pills for $700.

Wenthold made his last trip to Smoke for Less on September 27, 2001. Nga Tran was working behind the counter. Wenthold told Tran that he preferred a particular kind of bottle, because he “liked to cut the bottoms out of them.” Tr. at 85. They also discussed the prospect of having the pills delivered to Wenthold, but Tran did not appear interested in accommodating such a request. Before departing, Wenthold purchased 48 bottles of pills for $1200.

After these visits, the government concluded its investigation. Indictments were filed in October 2002.

II. Discussion

A. Sufficiency of the Evidence as to Muessig and Nga Tran

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Bluebook (online)
427 F.3d 856, 2005 U.S. App. LEXIS 23139, 2005 WL 2767188, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/united-states-v-muessig-ca10-2005.