United States v. Poe

556 F.3d 1113, 2009 U.S. App. LEXIS 5237, 2009 WL 514069
CourtCourt of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit
DecidedMarch 3, 2009
Docket07-6237
StatusPublished
Cited by129 cases

This text of 556 F.3d 1113 (United States v. Poe) 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. Poe, 556 F.3d 1113, 2009 U.S. App. LEXIS 5237, 2009 WL 514069 (10th Cir. 2009).

Opinion

LUCERO, Circuit Judge.

This case requires us to answer a question of first impression in this Circuit: Do bounty hunters constitute state actors for purposes of the Fourth Amendment when they conduct a search in the course of seeking out a bail-jumper? We conclude that bounty hunters do not qualify as state actors when, as here, they act without the assistance of law enforcement and for their own pecuniary interests.

Aaron Dale Poe was apprehended by bounty hunters after he jumped bail in an Oklahoma state criminal case. In the home where Poe was found, the bounty hunters discovered drugs, drug-related paraphernalia, and a loaded firearm. Poe was later convicted by a jury on three counts: possession of a firearm and ammunition after a previous felony conviction, possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. The district court sentenced Poe to 165 months’ imprisonment followed by ten years’ supervised release.

On appeal, Poe raises four challenges. First, he claims that the district court erred in denying his motion to suppress because the bounty hunters were state actors conducting a warrantless search in violation of the Fourth Amendment. Sec *1118 ond, he asserts that the government presented insufficient evidence to convict him on each of the three counts. Third, he disputes the procedural reasonableness of his supervised release sentence, arguing that the district court improperly calculated the advisory Guidelines range and departed from that range without advance notice. Finally, he challenges application of an obstruction of justice enhancement based on his trial testimony. Exercising jurisdiction under 28 U.S.C. § 1291 and 18 U.S.C. § 3742, we affirm.

I

A

On August 3, 2006, a bail bonds company hired five bounty hunters to apprehend Poe for jumping bail in an Oklahoma state criminal case. The bounty hunters surv-eilled the home of Kim Wilson, who they believed to be Poe’s girlfriend. 1 Around 10:30 p.m., the bounty hunters observed Wilson exit her house and drive away. Two of the bounty hunters, David DeWitt and Lawrence Sanders, followed her to the AutoZone where she worked to question her about Poe. Wilson indicated that Poe was at her home and agreed to return with DeWitt and Sanders so they would not have to kick in her door. 2

During this conversation, the bounty hunters obtained additional information from Wilson. First, she told them that Poe was planning to sell drugs from her house that night. Second, she disclaimed knowledge of any drugs in the house other than those Poe planned to sell. Third, she said there was a silver gun in the house.

Upon returning to the house, DeWitt and Sanders staked out the back door, while the other bounty hunters watched the front. A car pulled up and an individual, later identified as Chris McGill, exited the car and walked to the back door. After McGill knocked, Poe let him in. From their position, DeWitt and Sanders were able to positively identify Poe.

DeWitt and Sanders approached the back door and observed that McGill was already leaving. As McGill opened the door to leave, DeWitt ordered him to sit on the ground. Sanders went into the home to apprehend Poe, and a struggle ensued. As Sanders wrestled Poe to ground, two pit bulls entered the room and attacked Sanders. Sanders “tased” one of the pit bulls, then both dogs retreated to another room and Poe gave up resisting.

After Poe was subdued, DeWitt observed in plain view in the same room what he believed to be methamphetamine, methamphetamine-related paraphernalia, and a black nine-millimeter pistol. DeWitt emptied the pistol’s chamber and removed its magazine, both of which were loaded. Sanders then called the Oklahoma City Police Department.

Officer James Geery of the Oklahoma City Police Department responded to Sanders’s call, arriving at Wilson’s home shortly after 11:00 p.m. After speaking with the bounty hunters, Officer Geery advised Poe of his Miranda rights. Poe *1119 said that he understood his rights, and before Officer Geery asked him another question Poe said, “The dope and the gun are mine.”

Officer Geery requested permission to search the home. Poe replied that he could not consent because it was not his home. Asked why he was at Wilson’s house, Poe explained that he and Wilson dated for about a year and half, during which time he lived with her, but that they had broken up about a month earlier. He also stated that he had “finagled” a key from Wilson prior to moving out. At trial, Poe elaborated on his relationship with Wilson, explaining that after he moved out, he continued to return to the house to shower, shave, change clothes, and eat. Wilson knew that Poe had a key, and she never said or did anything to indicate that Poe lacked her permission to be there.

At the scene, Poe also admitted to Officer Geery that he sold drugs to McGill in the past and would have sold drugs to McGill that night if there had been enough time. 3 He reiterated that the gun and drugs belonged to him and not Wilson, and he explained that he obtained the gun two months earlier in exchange for drugs.

Officer Geery obtained verbal and written consent from Wilson to search the home. 4 During the search, Officer Geery discovered that the home had a video surveillance system that allowed the occupants to monitor the front porch, the driveway, and the approach to the back of the house. He also recovered physical evidence, including: the gun DeWitt had unloaded, a nine-millimeter Makarov semiautomatic pistol; eleven rounds of .380 caliber ammunition; a bag containing 6.9 grams of methamphetamine; a bag containing 2.3 grams of methamphetamine; a bag containing 3.1 grams of methamphetamine; a set of digital scales; and a box containing approximately 200 Ziploc bags ranging in size from one-and-one-half to three inches square and a set of manual scales. Upon finding this incriminating evidence, Officer Geery arrested Poe. McGill was also arrested on the basis of outstanding warrants.

Evidence establishing the above facts was presented at trial. In addition, Oklahoma City Police Officer Mark Danner testified as a drug expert. He testified that pit bulls and video surveillance are commonly employed by drug dealers. Danner also opined that the amount of drugs and related paraphernalia (scales and bags) were consistent with distribution. Finally, he described the street value of methamphetamine and explained the connection between firearms and drug transactions.

Poe presented three witnesses in addition to testifying in his own defense. 5 The essence of Poe’s defense was that he and Wilson had been using drugs prior to Wilson’s departure for work.

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

United States v. Johnson
Tenth Circuit, 2025
State v. Jordan
Supreme Court of North Carolina, 2024
United States v. Cruz-Cruz
Tenth Circuit, 2023
United States v. Gonzales
Tenth Circuit, 2022
United States v. Arellanes-Portillo
34 F.4th 1132 (Tenth Circuit, 2022)
Torres v. Santistevan
Tenth Circuit, 2021
United States v. Finnesy
953 F.3d 675 (Tenth Circuit, 2020)
United States v. Chatman
952 F.3d 1211 (Tenth Circuit, 2020)
United States v. Faulkner
950 F.3d 670 (Tenth Circuit, 2019)
United States v. Fernandez-Barron
950 F.3d 655 (Tenth Circuit, 2019)
Miller v. Bear
Tenth Circuit, 2019
United States v. Streett
363 F. Supp. 3d 1212 (D. New Mexico, 2018)
United States v. Pulham
Tenth Circuit, 2018
United States v. Ackerman
831 F.3d 1292 (Tenth Circuit, 2016)
State v. Howl
2016 NMCA 084 (New Mexico Court of Appeals, 2016)
United States v. Serrano-Rodriguez
626 F. App'x 733 (Tenth Circuit, 2015)
United States v. Goodwin
625 F. App'x 840 (Tenth Circuit, 2015)
United States v. Rodebaugh
798 F.3d 1281 (Tenth Circuit, 2015)
United States v. Rogers
599 F. App'x 850 (Tenth Circuit, 2015)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
556 F.3d 1113, 2009 U.S. App. LEXIS 5237, 2009 WL 514069, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/united-states-v-poe-ca10-2009.