United States v. Scott

83 F. Supp. 2d 187, 2000 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 561, 2000 WL 65093
CourtDistrict Court, D. Massachusetts
DecidedJanuary 18, 2000
DocketCr.A. 99-10099-WGY
StatusPublished
Cited by10 cases

This text of 83 F. Supp. 2d 187 (United States v. Scott) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, D. Massachusetts primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
United States v. Scott, 83 F. Supp. 2d 187, 2000 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 561, 2000 WL 65093 (D. Mass. 2000).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM AND ORDER

YOUNG, Chief Judge.

I. Introduction.

The defendant, Alan N. Scott (“Scott”), here moves to suppress the fruits of two search warrants issued by Magistrate Judge Marianne Bowler. The first warrant issued on March 12, 1999, and was executed on March 16, 1999. The second warrant issued on April 8, 1999, authorizing the government to search the hard drives of two computers seized during the execution of the first warrant. Scott also moves to suppress the contents of his wallet seized by a Secret Service agent on March 16, 1999. Scott argues that the fruits of these two searches should be suppressed because: (a) the initial search warrant issued was not supported by probable cause; (b) the seizure of the computers was illegal due to the absence of probable cause; (c) the search warrants were lacking in particularity; (d) the government so exceeded the scope of the search warrants during their execution that suppression should be mandatory; (e) the search and seizure of the wallet was not a valid search incident to arrest; (f) the government agents failed to comply with Rule 41(d) of the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure and Scott was prejudiced thereby; and (g) the warrant execution was devoid of the “Good Faith” requirement necessary to invoke United States v. Leon. The government filed a response in opposition to Scott’s motion to suppress, and Scott filed a reply to the government’s opposition. The parties jointly agreed to submit the matter upon the written record without the necessity for an evidentiary hearing.

II. Factual Background.

Based on information provided by two confidential witnesses and long-time childhood friends, James Kent (“Kent”) and *190 Michael Jackson (“Jackson”), Special Agent Mark Graham (“Graham”) of the United States Secret Service submitted a thirty-three page affidavit on March 12, 1999 to Magistrate Judge Bowler. The affidavit summarized a bank fraud scheme alleged to have been undertaken by Scott, Robert Chace, Jr. (“Chace”), Kent, and Jackson. (Def.’s Mot. to Suppress at 2.) Further, the affidavit alleged that Kent and Jackson were involved with Scott and Chace in obtaining “Rhode Island identification cards in false names,” (id. at 3), and stated that Kent and Jackson “were further instructed to obtain Shaw’s supermarket cards, AAA cards and ATM cards, along with opening maildrops in the false names.” (Id.) Moreover, the affidavit recounted information given to Graham by Kent and Jackson regarding two automobile loans secured from BankBoston, as well as other actions taken by the informants. Finally, the affidavit sought the issuance of arrest warrants for Scott and Chace and a search warrant for the premises of 15$ Mason Street, Hyde Park, Massachusetts. The warrants were issued on March 12, 1999, and were executed on March 16, 1999.

On March 16, 1999, Federal agents arrested Scott at his residence, 15$ Mason Street, Hyde Park, Massachusetts upon a complaint charging “Scott with making a counterfeit security, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 513(a); producing a false identification document, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1028(a)(1); bank fraud, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1344; preventing communication to law enforcement, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1512(b); and conspiracy, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 371.” (Gov’t Resp. Opp’n at 2.) The Federal agents then executed the search warrant and seized numerous items. Among the items seized were two computers, a Compaq Presario 4660 and an IBM Thinkpad. (Def.’s Mot. to Suppress at 6.) Scott alleges that despite his request, the “executing agents refused to show or give [him] a copy of either the search warrant or arrest warrant, although [he] was arrested and taken away from the premises by Agent Graham.” (Id.) Further, Scott alleges that “[t]he executing agents also did not leave a copy of the search warrant at the premises, although a copy of the inventory was left at 15$ Mason Street.” (Id.) An inventory of the items seized was duly filed with the Court.

On April 8, 1999, Graham submitted an additional affidavit to Magistrate Judge Bowler seeking an additional search warrant for the 15$ Mason Street address. The search warrant authorized the Federal agents to search the hard drives of the two computers seized in the initial search for evidence of additional federal offenses. These offenses were: “[m]aking false claims against the United States, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 287; and wire fraud, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1343.” (Gov’t Resp. Opp’n at 2.)

III. Analysis.

In Illinois v. Gates, the Supreme Court held that “ ‘[A] magistrate’s determination of probable cause should be paid great deference by reviewing courts.’ ” Illinois v. Gates, 462 U.S. 213, 236, 103 S.Ct. 2317, 76 L.Ed.2d 527 (1983) (quoting Spinelli v. United States, 393 U.S. 410, 419, 89 S.Ct. 584, 21 L.Ed.2d 637 [1969]); see also United States v. Feliz, 182 F.3d 82, 86 (1st Cir.1999); United States v. Procopio, 88 F.3d 21, 25 (1st Cir.1996). As the Supreme Court described:

[T]he task of the issuing magistrate is simply to make a practical, commonsense decision whether, given all the circumstances set forth in the affidavit before him, including the “veracity” and “basis of knowledge” of persons supplying hearsay information, there is a fair probability that contraband or evidence of a crime will be found in a particular place.

Gates, 462 U.S. at 238, 103 S.Ct. 2317.

Likewise, the First Circuit has adopted a totality of the circumstances approach and held that “[i]n order to establish prob *191 able cause, the facts presented to the magistrate need only ‘warrant a man of reasonable caution’ to believe that evidence of a crime will be found.” Feliz, 182 F.3d at 86 (quoting Texas v. Brown, 460 U.S. 730, 742, 103 S.Ct. 1535, 75 L.Ed.2d 502 [1983]); see also United States v. Vigeant, 176 F.3d 565, 569 (1st Cir.1999); United States v. Khounsavanh,

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Bluebook (online)
83 F. Supp. 2d 187, 2000 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 561, 2000 WL 65093, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/united-states-v-scott-mad-2000.