United States v. Sutherland

891 F. Supp. 658, 1995 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 9876, 1995 WL 413208
CourtDistrict Court, D. Maine
DecidedJune 15, 1995
DocketCrim. No. 95-14-P-C
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 891 F. Supp. 658 (United States v. Sutherland) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, D. Maine primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
United States v. Sutherland, 891 F. Supp. 658, 1995 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 9876, 1995 WL 413208 (D. Me. 1995).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM OF DECISION AND ORDER DENYING DEFENDANTS’ MOTIONS TO SUPPRESS

GENE CARTER, Chief Judge.

On March 21, 1995, a federal grand jury returned an indictment against Defendant Farrell Sutherland, charging him with rob[660]*660bery of Key Bank and People’s Heritage Bank, 18 U.S.C. § 2113(a), and Defendant Melissa Foster, charging her with aiding and abetting in the robbery of Key Bank, 18 U.S.C. §§ 2113(a) and 2. Both Defendants filed motions seeking orders suppressing evidence that was seized at the time of their arrest (Docket Nos. 13 and 16) and later as a result of a search of the house where they were staying (Docket Nos. 13, 16, 20, and 29) and statements they made to police following their arrest (Docket Nos. 14 and 15). Based on the evidence presented at the hearing, the Court concludes that Defendants’ Motions to Suppress should be denied.

I. FACTS

The following evidence was presented at the motion hearing. On March 9, 1995, the Key Bank located at 391 Forest Avenue in Portland, Maine was robbed. Nine days later, on March 18,1995, at approximately 9:10 a.m., the People’s Heritage Bank located at 605 Congress Street in Portland, Maine was robbed of $2,460 in cash, all in twenty-dollar bills. The robber was described by the bank teller as a white male, 5'10" tall, slim build, brown hair, twenty-five to thirty years of age, and wearing gray pants, a black leather jacket, and a grey, hooded sweatshirt. As part of his routine investigation of the robbery, Portland Police Detective Daniel Young contacted bus lines and taxicab companies in the Portland area to request information about any unusual fares that were received that morning. Specifically, the police inquired of the ABC Taxicab Company dispatcher whether any unusual fares had been called in from the corner of High Street and Congress Street in Portland, Maine. The dispatcher responded that no unusual fares had been called in from that location. In a subsequent interview, Special Agent Urey Patrick of the Federal Bureau of Investigation asked the ABC Taxicab dispatcher whether any out-of-town fares had been received. Agent Patrick was told that a fare was called in from 28 Waterville Street at approximately 11:00 a.m. requesting transportation to Lynn, Massachusetts.1 Detective Young knew that a man named Farrell Sutherland resided at 28 Waterville Street who matched the description of the robbery suspect and that he had an extensive criminal background. Consequently, the Portland Police Department personnel notified the New Hampshire and Massachusetts State Police about the bank robbery, relaying the eyewitness description of the robbery suspect, that the suspect had escaped with approximately $2,500 in twenty-dollar bills and providing a description of the ABC taxicab.

At approximately 12:45 p.m., the four Massachusetts State Police cars stopped the ABC taxicab as it traveled south on Interstate 95 in the area of Newbury, Massachusetts. As Trooper Haselton approached the vehicle, he saw a white male wearing a black leather jacket who generally matched the description of the bank robbery suspect. Trooper Hasel-ton also saw a grey sweatshirt in the back seat next to the man. Trooper Haselton ordered Defendants Sutherland and Foster out of the vehicle. After being asked by the police, Foster consented to a search of her purse. In the purse, the police found approximately $2,300 in twenty-dollar bills and hypodermic syringes.

Both Sutherland and Foster were taken to the Massachusetts State Police Barracks in Newbury, Massachusetts, where they were advised of their Miranda rights. Detective Young and Special Agent Patrick travelled to Newbury, verified that both Sutherland and Foster had been advised of their Miranda rights, readvised them of their Miranda rights, and questioned them separately. Foster was questioned first, admitting her role in the Key Bank robbery. Govt. Ex. 2. Sutherland initially told the police that he had not left 28 Waterville Street on the morning of March 18 until the taxicab picked him up. He also claimed that friends had given him the money found in Foster’s purse. However, after viewing bank surveillance photographs of the March 9 Key Bank robbery, Sutherland confessed to robbing both [661]*661the Key Bank and the People’s Heritage Bank. He told police that the second robbery was “spontaneous” and that during the robbery, he wore the black leather coat found when he was stopped. Sutherland also said the bank teller gave him “all those twenties that were in Foster’s purse.” Govt. Ex. 3. Sutherland told police that, following the robbery, he went to 28 Waterville Street, where he showered, changed his pants and maybe his sneakers, and flushed bank money bands down the toilet. Govt.Ex. 3. Sutherland stated that he got approximately $400 in the robbery of the Key Bank which he spent on “booze and heroin.” Govt. Ex. 3.

After statements were taken from both Defendants, the information gained was used to apply for and obtain a search warrant by a judge of the Maine District Court for the residence located at 28 Waterville Street, Portland, Maine. Govt. Ex. 4. Later that day, a search was conducted pursuant to the warrant issued. During the search, the authorities seized, among other items, a pair of grey pants, two pairs of sneakers, syringes, and approximately thirty-seven empty bags known to be the type used to store heroin. Govt. Ex. 4.

II. DEFENDANTS’MOTIONS TO SUPPRESS

A The Stop of the Taxicab

Defendants Sutherland and Foster contend that the stop of the taxicab was illegal. Police officers are permitted to make a limited investigative stop of a person or a vehicle if there is articulable and reasonable suspicion that the individual was engaged in criminal activity. See United States v. Sharpe, 470 U.S. 675, 682, 105 S.Ct. 1568, 1573, 84 L.Ed.2d 605 (1985); United States v. Kimball, 25 F.3d 1, 6 (1st Cir.1994). The existence of reasonable suspicion is based on the totality of the circumstances which confronted the officer at the time of the stop. See United States v. Trullo, 809 F.2d 108, 111 (1st Cir.1987).

Detective Young testified that Sutherland, matching the description of the bank robber suspect, was known to have resided at 28 Waterville Street in Portland where the ABC taxicab was called to pick up a fare less than three hours after the robbery. See United States v. Taylor, 985 F.2d 3, 6 (1st Cir.1993). The individuals picked up at 28 Waterville Street asked to be transported to Lynn, Massachusetts. Sutherland was known to have an extensive criminal background.

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Bluebook (online)
891 F. Supp. 658, 1995 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 9876, 1995 WL 413208, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/united-states-v-sutherland-med-1995.