United States v. Schaefer

859 F. Supp. 2d 397, 2012 WL 1514894
CourtDistrict Court, E.D. New York
DecidedMay 1, 2012
DocketNo. 09-CR-695 (JFB)
StatusPublished
Cited by5 cases

This text of 859 F. Supp. 2d 397 (United States v. Schaefer) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, E.D. New York primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
United States v. Schaefer, 859 F. Supp. 2d 397, 2012 WL 1514894 (E.D.N.Y. 2012).

Opinion

memorandum and order

JOSEPH F. BIANCO, District Judge.

Defendant William E. Schaefer (“defendant” or “Schaefer”) was indicted on October 7, 2009 on one count of possession of child pornography, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 2252(a)(4)(B) and 2252(b)(2).

Schaefer moved to suppress statements he made to law enforcement officers and evidence seized by law enforcement officers during a search of defendant’s home [400]*400on August 20, 2007, arguing that he did not voluntarily consent to the search because, inter alia, federal agents refused to allow him to place a telephone call to his brother, a Nassau County police officer, during the search. In addition, Schaefer moved to dismiss the indictment for preindictment delay, in violation of the defendant’s due process rights guaranteed by the Fifth Amendment, because he was not arrested until October 16, 2009, which was over two years after the search.

At a conference on November 9, 2010, after counsel for defendant conceded that there was no actual prejudice from the pre-indictment delay, the Court denied defendant’s request for an evidentiary hearing on that issue, denied that portion of the motion, and stated that a written order would follow. With respect to the motion to suppress, on November 9, 2010 and November 15, 2012, the Court conducted an evidentiary hearing regarding the consent issue and, on February 1, 2011, the Court orally denied the motion to suppress for reasons set forth in detail on the record. The Court now issues this Memorandum and Order regarding the motion to dismiss for pre-indictment delay and to supplement its oral ruling on the motion to suppress, including a more detailed discussion of the relevant case authority.1

I. Facts

At the evidentiary hearing, the Court heard testimony from Special Agent Joseph Lazzara, Special Agent Eric Mancini, and from the defendant. After evaluating the credibility of the witnesses, and the other evidence offered at the hearing, the Court makes the following findings of fact. With respect to the findings of fact, the Court notes that it found the testimony of Special Agent Lazzara and Special Agent Mancini to be fully credible in light of their demeanor and the other evidence offered at the hearing. Moreover, as discussed below, the defendant agreed, to a substantial extent, with their testimony and, where he contradicted the agents’ testimony as to certain key aspects of the circumstances surrounding the search, the Court found the defendant not to be credible in light of his demeanor and the other evidence.

A. Findings of Fact2

1. Search on August 20, 2007

On August 20, 2007, Special Agent Joseph Lazzara (“Agent Lazzara”), then employed by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (“ICE”), went to defendant’s residence at 29 Town Path in Glen Cove, New York, with ICE Special Agent Rosanna Licitra (“Agent Licitra”), and with Nassau County Detective Betty Egan (“Detective Egan”). (Nov. 9, 2010 Tr.3 at 3-5.) Agent Lazzara, Agent Licitra, and Detective Egan visited the defendant’s residence intending to conduct a “knock and talk,” also known as a “consent search,” to see if there was child pornography on the defendant’s computer. (Id. at 6.) ICE had received the lead about the defendant from Operation Flicker, an undercover operation run out of ICE’s Birmingham, Alabama office. (Id.) Agents in Birmingham had gotten a tip that a PayPal account was to be used nationwide as an access point to a child pornography website. (Id.) After [401]*401conducting a warrant search on the PayPal account, agents were able to obtain the names of numerous individuals who had gained access to the child pornography website. (Id.) As a result of this search, Agent Lazzara was provided with defendant’s name, home address, telephone number, and email address. (Id. at 6-7, 35.) On cross-examination, Agent Lazzara stated that, prior to the visit to Schaefer’s house, he did not discuss with his supervisor, or any other officers engaged in the investigation, whether to get a search warrant for the defendant’s home and seizure of his computer. (Id. at 40.)

On August 20, 2007, at approximately 5:30 p.m., the agents and detective approached the defendant’s front door and knocked. (Id. at 8, 45.) The defendant opened the door, and Agent Lazzara explained that they were conducting an investigation regarding the use of a computer through the internet to obtain child pornography images. (Id. at 8.) The defendant allowed the agents and detective to come inside. (Id. at 9.) In response to Agent Lazzara’s questions, the defendant said that he lived alone, owned a computer that was hooked up to the internet, and had an email account with the same address as the email address provided through Operation Flicker. (Id. at 9-10.) The defendant said he used the internet to pay bills, “conduct e-trade,” and purchase fishing equipment. (Id. at 10.) The defendant further stated that he had adult pornography on his computer, and that he paid approximately $29 per month with his credit card to belong to an adult pornography website. (Id. at 10-11.) The defendant told the agents and detective that about a week before the August 20, 2007 visit, he had been the victim of credit card fraud. (Id. at 11, 13-14.) Agent Lazzara asked the defendant if he understood the definition of child pornography, and the defendant responded that it involved the sexual penetration of an individual under the age of 18. (Id. at 14, 70.) At that point, the defendant stated that he had not sought out child pornography, was not interested, in child pornography, and had no child pornography on his computer. (Id. at 14-15.)4

The defendant’s demeanor, when they began discussing child pornography, was agitated and nervous. (Id. at 15.) Agent Lazzara said that the defendant was “moving around a little bit” and had trouble making eye contact. (Id.) Agent Lazzara “got the sense that there was something bothering him.” (Id.) Agent Lazzara was concerned for officer safety, particularly because they were in relatively close proximity. (Id. at 15-16.)

About midway through the interview'— probably close to 5:45 p.m. — the defendant told Agent Lazzara that he was going to call his brother. (Id. at 16, 58, 71.) Agent Lazzara testified that he believed that the defendant mentioned that his brother was a police officer. (Id. at 16, 65-66, 71.) Agent Lazzara wanted to ask the defendant some additional questions before the defendant made the phone call, but the defendant “reached behind him and basically grabbed the phone and brought it up fast.” (Id. at 16.) The phone was a handheld set for a land line, and was located on an end table or coffee table next to the couch. (Id. at 59) The defendant’s reach for the phone happened in a “split second,” and surprised Agent Lazzara. (Id. at 16.') He testified that he “felt threatened by it.” [402]*402(Id.) The agent told the defendant to hang up the phone, and the defendant complied. (Id. at 16-17.)5 Agent Lazzara thought the defendant seemed calmer and less agitated after he hung up the phone. (Id. at 17.)

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
859 F. Supp. 2d 397, 2012 WL 1514894, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/united-states-v-schaefer-nyed-2012.