United States v. Taylor

535 F. Supp. 147, 1982 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 11376
CourtDistrict Court, E.D. Michigan
DecidedMarch 18, 1982
DocketCrim. A. No. 81-80518
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 535 F. Supp. 147 (United States v. Taylor) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, E.D. Michigan primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
United States v. Taylor, 535 F. Supp. 147, 1982 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 11376 (E.D. Mich. 1982).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM OPINION AND ORDER

JULIAN ABELE COOK, Jr., District Judge.

On October 9, 1981, the Government filed a Complaint with this Court, claiming that Defendant, Charles V. Taylor, “did knowingly possess in and affecting commerce, aided and abetted by Irvin Moore, a firearm, to wit: one Plainfield .30 caliber carbine bearing serial number 77459 after having been previously convicted of a felony,” in violation of Title 18, U.S.C. § 2(a) and App. § 1202(a)(1). The Government also alleged that Defendant sold the firearm to Special Agents Don Hightower [Hightower] and Tom Dykstra [Dykstra], both of the Federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms [ATF], while they were acting in an undercover capacity. The Complaint notes that during the transaction, Defendant claimed that the subject firearm was owned by Samuel H. Luckett [Luckett], After a discussion regarding price, Defendant left the undercover agents, for the ostensible purpose of speaking with Luckett. He then returned to the undercover location and sold the firearm to Hightower and Dykstra.

On November 3, 1981, Defendant was indicted pursuant to 18 U.S.C.App. § 1202(a)(1); to wit, Felon in Possession of a Firearm. The Indictment stated that Defendant “having been convicted on November 14, 1975 by a Washtenaw County Circuit Court in Michigan, of manslaughter, a felony, did knowingly receive and possess in commerce and affecting commerce, a firearm, that is: a Plainfield .30 caliber carbine, serial number 77459; in violation of § 1202(a)(1), Title 18, Appendix, U.S. Code.” On November 18, 1981, Defendant filed a Motion to Disclose and Produce Government Informant. At the conclusion of a scheduled oral argument, this Court, on January 7, 1982, granted, in part, and denied, in'part, Defendant’s Motion. Specifically, the Order provided that “(1) (t)he Government will disclose to the Defendant the identity of the informant used in its case. (2). (T)he Government will use its best efforts to locate its informant. (3) (I)f the Government locates the informant and establishes his presence, it will then be necessary for the Defendant to produce him by subpoena for trial. The Government need not produce the informant for the Defendant. (4) (T)he Government shall file a writ[149]*149ten report by 4:00 p. m. on Wednesday, January 6, 1982, advising the Court and defense counsel of the efforts and results of its efforts to locate the informant. (5) (I)f the Government has not located the informant, this Court will consider making a subsequent determination on this matter.

In a letter, dated January 6, 1982, the Government advised this Court that (1) Billy Jo Salisbury [Salisbury] is the name of the informant who was used in the criminal investigation of Defendant, and (2) the Government has been unable to locate Salisbury.

On January 21, 1982, Defendant filed a Motion to Dismiss Indictment for Violation of Defendant’s Rights to Compulsory Process and to a Fair Trial — Evidentiary Hearing Requested. In his Motion, Defendant argued that the Government, by “facilitating the absence of its undercover informant, Billy Salisbury, a witness vital to the defense,” deprived him of his Constitutional rights to compulsory process and to a fair trial. As the result of an Evidentiary Hearing which was held before this Court on February 6, 1982, the Court makes the following Findings of Fact. In July, 1981, a Joint Task Force, which was composed of representatives from ATF and the Washtenaw Area Intelligence Team [WAIT], planned a “sting” operation that would take place in the Ypsilanti, Michigan area. Acting through Ypsilanti Police Detective E. Hall [Hall], the Joint Task Force employed Salisbury to act as an undercover informant in July, 1981. Salisbury was given assurances by several Joint Task Force members that the operation would be conducted in such a manner that his testimony would not be required in any case brought as a result of their operations. From July, 1981 through October, 1981, the Joint Task Force paid Salisbury in excess of $1,000.00 in small amounts, usually less than $4.00 per day, with the understanding that the payments were for subsistence.

On August 26, 1981 (the date of the alleged offense), Luckett sought to borrow money from Defendant “to help get his sister Connie Luckett out of jail on bail.” Defendant, who had known Connie Luckett for fourteen years, was a close friend of the entire Luckett family. Although Defendant did not have the necessary funds to gain. Connie Luckett’s release, he was aware that her brother possessed a firearm. Defendant suggested that if Luckett wanted to sell his firearm,- he believed that Salisbury knew of someone who might buy it. Luckett decided to sell his firearm.

Thereafter, Defendant, Luckett, and one Irvin Moore [Moore] proceeded to Luckett’s home, where Luckett picked up his rifle. Defendant telephoned Salisbury from Luckett’s house, and told him that his “good friend” had a rifle that he desired to sell. Defendant told Salisbury that Luckett was interested in selling his firearm in order to get enough money which would enable his sister, Connie, to be released from jail on bond. Defendant also informed Salisbury of his long time friendship with Connie Luckett. Salisbury offered to contact “his friend, Don” to determine whether he was interested in buying the firearm. Moments later, Salisbury telephoned Defendant and notified him that (1) “Don was in,” and (2) if Defendant would “pick him up .. . he’d take [him] to Don’s.” Luckett, Moore and Defendant, after picking Salisbury up at his home, proceeded to the Glencoe Apartments in Ypsilanti, the site of the Joint Task Force “sting” operation.

Upon arriving at the Glencoe Apartments, Luckett got out of the pickup truck, and reached behind the seat of the truck to get his firearm. However, Salisbury intervened, saying “they won’t do business with you because they don’t know you.” Salisbury indicated that only Defendant should attempt to sell the firearm because (1) Defendant was the only member of the group (excluding Salisbury) who had met “Don” and (2) “Don” was unwilling to purchase firearms from strangers.

Ultimately, Defendant took the rifle to the apartment and met “Don” (to wit, Hightower), who made an offer to purchase the weapon. Defendant immediately left the apartment, and returned to the pickup truck, where he asked Luckett if the offer [150]*150was satisfactory. Luckett was satisfied with the offer, and agreed that Defendant should sell the firearm at the offered price of $150.00.

On October 8, 1981 (the date of Defendant’s arrest), ATF agents learned that threats of physical harm had been made against Salisbury; however, they had no reason to suspect that Defendant was responsible for the threats. Thereafter, on October 10,1981, ATF Agent Philip Oppenheim [Oppenheim] purchased a plane ticket from Detroit, Michigan to Fort Lauderdale, Florida for Salisbury. Oppenheim gave the ticket, together with $1,000.00 in cash, to Hall, with instructions that he deliver them to Salisbury. The cash, which was given by Oppenheim to Salisbury, was a “reward” for a “job well done.”

On October 19, 1981, a Preliminary Examination was held in the instant case, at which time, Defendant claimed that “entrapment has occurred.” Defendant requested the Government to state whether Salisbury, whom he believed to be a crucial witness to his entrapment defense, was an informant. Thereafter, on October 26, 1981, Oppenheim purchased plane tickets from Detroit,,Michigan to California, which were given to Hall, with instructions that he give them to Salisbury’s wife and child.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
535 F. Supp. 147, 1982 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 11376, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/united-states-v-taylor-mied-1982.