United States v. Parker

600 F. Supp. 2d 1251, 2009 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 16747, 2009 WL 395784
CourtDistrict Court, M.D. Florida
DecidedFebruary 17, 2009
Docket8:08-cv-00216
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 600 F. Supp. 2d 1251 (United States v. Parker) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, M.D. Florida primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
United States v. Parker, 600 F. Supp. 2d 1251, 2009 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 16747, 2009 WL 395784 (M.D. Fla. 2009).

Opinion

ORDER

JOHN ANTOON II, District Judge.

Arguing that his Fourth Amendment rights were violated by the Palm Bay Police Department, Defendant Corey Jermaine Parker moves to suppress 1 evidence seized by law enforcement officers during three property searches. The searches were conducted pursuant to separate warrants from a state magistrate 2 granting permission for law enforcement officers to search 2256 Monroe Street, Unit A, Palm Bay, Florida (“Unit A”); 2256 Monroe Street, Unit B, Palm Bay, Florida, (“Unit B”); and 2405 Anchor Road, Palm Bay, Florida (“the Anchor Road residence”). Notwithstanding the warrants, Defendant contends that the searches were conducted without probable cause and that the evidence seized during the searches should be excluded from Defendant’s upcoming criminal trial. 3 The Government responds 4 by arguing that Defendant’s Motion to Suppress should be denied because the warrants were supported by probable cause and because even if the warrants were defective, the good faith exception to the exclusionary rule applies. 5

*1254 The Court held an evidentiary hearing on the motion on January 20, 2009. 6 At the conclusion of that hearing, the Court announced that Defendant’s motion to suppress was denied as to Unit A but would be taken under advisement insofar as it pertained to Unit B and the Anchor Road residence. After considering the evidence and argument of counsel, the Court now concludes that the remainder of the motion must be denied in part and granted in part.

I. Facts

On August 6, 2008, Officer Matthew Waldron of the Palm Bay Police Department conducted a traffic stop. The person whom he stopped, Jacob Bitomski, consented to a search and was found to be in possession of cocaine. Officer Mark P. Scammell then arrived at the scene of the stop and engaged in a discussion with Bitomski. The officers did not arrest Bitomski, but they asked him where he had obtained the cocaine. Bitomski told the officers that he had purchased the cocaine from Defendant at Unit A. Upon receiving this information, Officer Scammell asked Bitomski to participate in a controlled purchase of cocaine from Defendant, and Bitomski agreed to cooperate. The controlled purchase was orchestrated that same day, August 6.

In preparation for the purchase, officers searched Bitomski and his car and then gave him $150 in marked currency to use in making the purchase of cocaine from Defendant. While under the visual surveillance of the officers, Bitomski drove one and a half miles to Unit A and, while inside, purchased three grams of powder cocaine from Defendant. While still under surveillance, Bitomski returned to the officers and delivered the cocaine to them. Another search was conducted of Bitomski and his car, and no currency was found in Bitomski’s possession. After the controlled buy, Bitomski, using a photograph, identified Defendant as the person from whom he had purchased the cocaine.

Six days later, on August 12, Palm Bay police officers conducted a second controlled buy of cocaine from Defendant, again through Bitomski. Bitomski and his car again were searched and found to be free of cocaine. The officers then gave Bitomski marked funds with the understanding that the funds were to be used to purchase three grams of cocaine from Defendant. The officers observed Bitomski as he drove to and entered Unit A. Upon exiting Unit A, Bitomski returned to the officers, delivered to them three grams of cocaine, and informed them that he had purchased the cocaine from Defendant.

Later on August 12, Officer Scammell presented an affidavit to a magistrate seeking a warrant to search Unit A. (Aff. in Supp. of Search Warrant for Unit A, Attach, to Gov’t’s Ex. 1). The affidavit included an account of the first controlled purchase 7 of cocaine but did not disclose Bitomski’s identity. (Id. at 3-4). In the affidavit, Officer Scammell referred to Bitomski as a confidential informant, but he failed to include facts supporting Bitomski’s reliability. Officer Scammell met with an assistant State Attorney (“ASA”) who reviewed and approved the affidavit and proposed warrant before they were presented to the magistrate. Based on the *1255 affidavit, the magistrate concluded that there was probable cause to believe that cocaine was being kept in Unit A, and the magistrate signed the warrant authorizing the search of Unit A that same day— August 12. (Search Warrant for Unit A, Gov’t’s Ex. 1).

At the same time that the officers obtained a search warrant for Unit A, they also requested a warrant authorizing the search of Defendant’s residence on Anchor Road. The affidavit in support of this requested warrant—again, signed by Officer Scammell—described both the first' and second controlled purchases of cocaine that had been conducted with Bitomski. (See Aff. in Supp. of Search Warrant for Anchor Road residence, Attach, to Gov’t’s Ex. 2). In addition, this second affidavit included the following allegations pertaining to Defendant’s residence:

[Bitomski] stated that [Defendant] would come from his main residence and arrive at 2256 Monroe Street at approximately noon on a daily basis ... [and] would then stay at 2256 Monroe Street where he would sell cocaine until approximately 6:00 P.M. at which time he would return to his main residence.... [Bitomski] stated the [Defendant] would not let anyone know where he lived and [Bitomski] only knew that [Defendant’s] main residence was located somewhere in the southeast section of the city. There has also been a second reliable confidential informant relating the same information about [Defendant] and his activities for approximately 6 months.... Through investigation and surveillance it was found that [Defendant] does indeed go to 2256 Monroe Street during the day and return to 2405 Anchor Road after completing his narcotics transactions. The location of 2405 Anchor Road is such that it is in a secluded area of the city and is surrounded by privacy fence and woods. The purpose of searching 2405 Anchor Road is to locate the investigative funds which were exchanged for cocaine with [Defendant]. There is also a reasonable expectation that more cocaine and possibly firearms will be located at 2405 Anchor Street [sic],

(Id. at 5-6). Scammell failed to advise the magistrate that the second informant had provided his information from prison, where he had resided for approximately two years prior to the preparation of the affidavit. The magistrate issued a search warrant for the Anchor Road residence based on this affidavit. (Gov’t’s Ex. 2).

A third controlled purchase was accomplished by Bitomski on August 13, 2008. This purchase was observed by Officer Scammell and was conducted in substantially the same manner as the prior purchases.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
600 F. Supp. 2d 1251, 2009 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 16747, 2009 WL 395784, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/united-states-v-parker-flmd-2009.