United States v. Perez-Gonzalez

Opinion

5(&200(1'(' )25 )8//7(;7 38%/,&$7,21 3XUVXDQW WR 6L[WK &LUFXLW 5XOH 

(/(&7521,& &,7$7,21  )(' $SS 3 WK &LU )LOH 1DPH DS

81,7('67$7(6&28572)$33($/6 )257+(6,;7+&,5&8,7 BBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBB

81,7(' 67$7(6 2) $0(5,&$ ; 3ODLQWLII$SSHOOHH    1R Y  !  5$8/ 3(5(=*21=$/(=  'HIHQGDQW$SSHOODQW  1 $SSHDOIURPWKH8QLWHG6WDWHV'LVWULFW&RXUW IRUWKH6RXWKHUQ'LVWULFWRI2KLRDW&ROXPEXV 1Rn*HRUJH&6PLWK'LVWULFWsXGJH $UJXHG6HSWHPEHU 'HFLGHGDQG)LOHG2FWREHU %HIRUH*8<6,/(5$1'%$7&+(/'(5&LUFXLW sXGJHV BBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBB &2816(/ $5*8('  *RUGRQ +REVRQ )('(5$/ 38%/,& '()(1'(5j6 2)),&( &ROXPEXV 2KLR IRU $SSHOODQW 'DQLHO $OOHQ %URZQ $66,67$17 81,7(' 67$7(6 $77251(<&ROXPEXV2KLRIRU$SSHOOHH21%5,() 6WHYHQ 6 1ROGHU )('(5$/ 38%/,& '()(1'(5j6 2)),&( &ROXPEXV 2KLR IRU $SSHOODQW  'DQLHO $OOHQ

  8QLWHG6WDWHVY3HUH]*RQ]DOH] 1R

%URZQ $66,67$17 81,7(' 67$7(6 $77251(< &ROXPEXV2KLRIRU$SSHOOHH BBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBB 23,1,21 BBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBB $/,&(0%$7&+(/'(5&LUFXLWsXGJH$MXU\IRXQG 'HIHQGDQW 5DXO 3HUH]*RQ]DOH] JXLOW\ RI NQRZLQJO\ WUDQVSRUWLQJ LOOHJDO DOLHQV ZLWKLQ WKH 8QLWHG 6WDWHV LQ YLRODWLRQ RI  86& † D  $ LL  +H DSSHDOV WKLV YHUGLFW DUJXLQJ WKDW WKH GLVWULFW FRXUW HUUHG LQ GHQ\LQJ KLV PRWLRQ IRU DFTXLWWDO XQGHU )HGHUDO 5XOH RI &ULPLQDO 3URFHGXUH)LQGLQJQRPHULWWR3HUH]*RQ]DOH]jVFODLPV ZHZLOODIILUPWKHMXGJPHQWRIWKHGLVWULFWFRXUW 6WDWHPHQWRI)DFWV ,QWKHHDUO\PRUQLQJKRXUVRI$XJXVW2KLR6WDWH 7URRSHU7LPRWK\5RRWSXOOHGRYHUDQXQPDUNHGZKLWH)RUG YDQWKDWZDVGULYLQJHUUDWLFDOO\:KLOH7URRSHU5RRWWDONHG ZLWKWKHIURQWVHDWSDVVHQJHU6DQFKH]DQGWKHGULYHU3HUH] *RQ]DOH]KHVKLQHGKLVIODVKOLJKWLQWRWKHUHDURIWKHYDQDQG VDZILIWHHQSHRSOHZKRDSSHDUHGWREHRI+LVSDQLFDQFHVWU\ VRPHZHUHDWWHPSWLQJWRKLGHEHKLQGVHDWVDQGRWKHUVZHUH SDUWLDOO\ FRYHUHG ZLWK EODQNHWV  7KH LQWHULRU RI WKH YDQ ORRNHGDQGVPHOOHGDVLILWKDGEHHQOLYHGLQIRUDZKLOHRQ WKHIORRUZHUHERWWOHVFRQWDLQLQJXULQHDQGPRVWSDVVHQJHUV KDGOLWWOHRUQROXJJDJH 3HUH]*RQ]DOH] SUHVHQWHG 7URRSHU 5RRW ZLWK D IROGHU FRQWDLQLQJ FRPPHUFLDO UHJLVWUDWLRQ SDSHUV DQG ZKDW ZDV DSSDUHQWO\DFDUJRPDQLIHVWWKDWOLVWHGILIWHHQ+LVSDQLFQDPHV ZLWKQRWDWLRQVWKDWHDFKKDGSDLG+HH[SODLQHGWKDWKH ZRUNHGIRUWKHFRPSDQ\WKDWRZQHGWKHYDQDQGKLVMREZDV WR GULYH SHRSOH IURP 7H[DV WR 1HZ

OLFHQVH SODWH WKH JODVV LQ LWV SDVVHQJHUDUHD ZLQGRZV ZDV 7URRSHU5RRWFRXOGWHOOIURPWKHJDVUHFHLSWVLQWKHIROGHU KD]HG SUHYHQWLQJ RWKHUV IURP VHHLQJ LQVLGH WKH YDQ WKDWWKHYDQZDVWUDYHOLQJWR1HZ

VXVSHFWHGWKDWVRPHZHUHLOOHJDODOLHQV+HUHSRUWHGWKDWWKH NQRZQ WKDW WKH SDVVHQJHUV ZHUH LOOHJDO DOLHQV UDWKHU KH ODWHQLJKW GHSDUWXUH WLPH DQG WKH FKRLFH RI URXWH KDG EHHQ DUJXHV WKDW QR UHDVRQDEOH MXU\ FRXOG KDYH IRXQG WKDW KH GLFWDWHGWRKLPE\KLVVXSHULRUVEXWFRQFHGHGWKDWKHNQHZ WUDQVSRUWHGWKHPmLQIXUWKHUDQFHRIlWKHLULOOHJDOSUHVHQFHLQ WKDWERWKWKHGHSDUWXUHWLPHDQGWKHURXWHKDGEHHQFKRVHQ WKHFRXQWU\ EHFDXVHWKH\OHVVHQHGWKHFKDQFHVRIGHWHFWLRQE\WKH,16 +HDOVRDGPLWWHGWKDWZKHQWKHYDQPDGHVWRSVGXULQJWKH ,Q8QLWHG6WDWHVY)RUG3LFN8S)GWK MRXUQH\6DQFKH]ZRXOGRQO\DOORZWKUHHRUIRXUSDVVHQJHUV &LUWKLV&LUFXLWFRQVLGHUHGKRZWRLQWHUSUHWWKHmLQ WR JHW RXW DW D WLPHnIHDULQJ WKDW VRPHRQH ZRXOG FDOO WKH IXUWKHUDQFH RIl UHTXLUHPHQW LQ WKH SURFHVV UHMHFWLQJ DQ SROLFH LQWHUSUHWDWLRQ DGRSWHG E\ WKH 1LQWK &LUFXLW EHFDXVH WKDW LQWHUSUHWDWLRQZDVmXQDEOHWRGLVWLQJXLVKEHWZHHQVRPHRQH 'XULQJWKHWULDO3HUH]*RQ]DOH]WZLFHPRYHGIRUD5XOH ZKR NQRZLQJO\ VPXJJOHV LOOHJDO DOLHQV DFURVV WKH FRXQWU\ MXGJPHQW RI DFTXLWWDO EDVHG RQ WKH LQVXIILFLHQF\ RI WKH IURPVRPHRQHZKRNQRZLQJO\JLYHVDQLOOHJDODOLHQDULGHWR HYLGHQFH7KHGLVWULFWFRXUWGHQLHGERWKPRWLRQVDQGWKHMXU\ D VKHOWHU IRU WKH KRPHOHVVl  ,G DW  FRQVWUXLQJ8QLWHG IRXQGKLPJXLOW\+HQRZDSSHDOVWKHGHQLDORIKLV5XOH 6WDWHVY0RUHQR)GWK&LU ,QVWHDGZH PRWLRQV DGRSWHG DQ LQWHQWEDVHG DSSURDFK WKDW UHTXLUHV WKH JRYHUQPHQWWRSURYHmWKDWWKHGHIHQGDQWZLOIXOO\WUDQVSRUWHG $QDO\VLV DQ LOOHJDO DOLHQ ZLWK WKH VSHFLILF LQWHQW RI VXSSRUWLQJ WKH DOLHQjVLOOHJDOSUHVHQFHl,G:HQRWHGWKDWLQGLVFHUQLQJWKLV :H PD\ UHYHUVH WKH MXU\jV YHUGLFW RQ WKH EDVLV RI LQWHQWWKHFRXUWVKRXOGFRQVLGHUDOOFUHGLEOHHYLGHQFHERWK LQVXIILFLHQWHYLGHQFHRQO\LIZHFRQFOXGHDIWHUYLHZLQJWKH GLUHFWDQGFLUFXPVWDQWLDOVXFKDVmZKHWKHUWKHGHIHQGDQWZDV HYLGHQFHLQWKHOLJKWPRVWIDYRUDEOHWRWKHSURVHFXWLRQWKDW FRPSHQVDWHG IRU WKH WUDQVSRUWDWLRQ    ZKDW HIIRUWV WKH QR UDWLRQDO WULHU RI IDFW FRXOG KDYH IRXQG WKH HVVHQWLDO GHIHQGDQWWRRNWRFRQFHDORUKDUERUWKHLOOHJDODOLHQV>DQG@ HOHPHQWVRIWKHFULPHEH\RQGDUHDVRQDEOHGRXEWsDFNVRQY ZKHWKHU WKH LOOHJDO DOLHQV ZHUH IULHQGV FRZRUNHUV RU 9LUJLQLD86:HPD\ILQGVXIILFLHQW FRPSDQLRQVRIWKHGHIHQGDQWRUPHUHO\KXPDQFDUJRWKDWZDV HYLGHQFHmHYHQWKRXJKWKHFLUFXPVWDQWLDOHYLGHQFHGRHVQRW EHLQJVKLSSHGl,G2QWKHIDFWVLQ)RUG3LFN8SZH µUHPRYHHYHU\UHDVRQDEOHK\SRWKHVLVH[FHSWWKDWRIJXLOWjl IRXQGWKDWWKHUHTXLVLWHLQWHQWZDVQRWSUHVHQWWKHGULYHUV 8QLWHG 6WDWHV Y &ODUN  )G   WK &LU  ZHUHQRWEHLQJFRPSHQVDWHGWKH\PDGHQRDWWHPSWWRKLGH TXRWLQJ8QLWHG6WDWHVY6WRQH)GWK&LU WKHSDVVHQJHUVRUFRQFHDOWKHIDFWWKDWWKH\ZHUHLOOHJDODOLHQV   WKH DOLHQV ZHUH WUDYHOLQJ LQ KRSHV RI ILQGLQJ HPSOR\PHQW UDWKHUWKDQWRHYDGHGHWHFWLRQDQGWKHDOLHQVZHUHIULHQGVDQG 7KHVWDWXWH3HUH]*RQ]DOH]ZDVFRQYLFWHGXQGHU86& UHODWLYHVRIWKHGULYHUV,GDWo †D  $ LLUHTXLUHVWKH*RYHUQPHQWWRSURYHWKDWKH NQRZLQJO\WUDQVSRUWHGLOOHJDODOLHQVLQWKH8QLWHG6WDWHVmLQ /RRNLQJ WR WKH SUHVHQW FDVH ZH ILQG WKDW WKHUH ZDV IXUWKHUDQFHRIVXFKYLRODWLRQRIODZl3HUH]*RQ]DOH]GRHV VXIILFLHQW HYLGHQFH IRU D UHDVRQDEOH MXU\ WR FRQFOXGH WKDW QRW FRQWHVW WKH MXU\jV ILQGLQJ WKDW KH NQHZ RU VKRXOG KDYH 3HUH]*RQ]DOH] ZLOIXOO\ WUDQVSRUWHG LOOHJDO DOLHQV ZLWK WKH VSHFLILF LQWHQW RI IXUWKHULQJ WKHLU LOOHJDO SUHVHQFH LQ WKH 8QLWHG6WDWHV)LUVW3HUH]*RQ]DOH]ZDVWREHFRPSHQVDWHG  +H FRQFHGHG WKDW KH ZDV DZDUH RI WKH SUREOHPV ZLWK LOOHJDO DOLHQV LQWKHDPRXQWRIIRUKLVGULYLQJ6HFRQGWKHLQWHQWWR LQ 7H[DV DQG LQGHHG KH KDUGO\ FRXOG KDYH DOOHJHG RWKHUZLVH JLYHQ WKDW FRQFHDOWKHSDVVHQJHUVLVXQPLVWDNDEOHWKHYDQnWKRXJKLW KH KDG ZRUNHG LQ D VKHULIIjV GHSDUWPHQW LQ 7H[DV IRU ILYH \HDUV DQG KDG ZDV FRPPHUFLDOnZDV HQWLUHO\ XQPDUNHG DSDUW IURP LWV D GHJUHH LQ FULPLQDO MXVWLFH