United States v. Timothy B. McCarty

892 F.2d 80, 1989 U.S. App. LEXIS 19183, 1989 WL 153159
CourtCourt of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit
DecidedDecember 18, 1989
Docket89-5065
StatusUnpublished

This text of 892 F.2d 80 (United States v. Timothy B. McCarty) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals for the Sixth 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. Timothy B. McCarty, 892 F.2d 80, 1989 U.S. App. LEXIS 19183, 1989 WL 153159 (6th Cir. 1989).

Opinion

892 F.2d 80

NOTICE: Sixth Circuit Rule 24(c) states that citation of unpublished dispositions is disfavored except for establishing res judicata, estoppel, or the law of the case and requires service of copies of cited unpublished dispositions of the Sixth Circuit.
UNITED STATES of America, Plaintiff-Appellee,
v.
Timothy B. McCARTY, Defendant-Appellant.

No. 89-5065.

United States Court of Appeals, Sixth Circuit.

Dec. 18, 1989.

Before KENNEDY and WELLFORD, Circuit Judges, and LIVELY, Senior Circuit Judge.

WELLFORD, Circuit Judge.

In the fall of 1968, Michael R. Jarnigan was charged in a four-count indictment with conspiracy to commit mail fraud and three separate mail fraud counts. He faced a potential serious sentence. Rather than go to trial, Jarnigan entered into a plea agreement with the United States providing for a maximum sentence of two years in jail, and he was placed on probation for three years. He agreed to cooperate with regard to all inquiries made of him regarding the matters set forth in the indictment. Thereafter, Jarnigan became a paid informer for the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in Knoxville, Tennessee, and he received $8600 during the several months preceding the arrest of Timothy B. McCarty, defendant herein.

Jarnigan met McCarty in April 1987 while the former was on federal probation. The two continued to meet socially at the homes of friends until on or about December 18, 1987, when McCarty was arrested on drug offenses. Jarnigan had met the defendant at a public park in Fountain City, a suburb of Knoxville, several weeks before the arrest, for the alleged purpose of purchasing an ounce of cocaine. Prior to the meeting, Jarnigan was equipped with a recording device by the FBI and received the cash to make a purchase of cocaine. The discussions that occurred during this meeting were recorded, transcribed, and introduced into evidence at McCarty's trial, and this meeting was surveilled by the FBI. Defendant told Jarnigan that he wished to meet him at a remote location where they could complete the transaction. Jarnigan attempted to persuade the defendant to complete the transaction at the park, but the defendant wanted to take the money from Jarnigan and then make other delivery arrangements. Jarnigan was instructed not to give McCarty the money without first receiving the cocaine.

Ultimately, they left the park together and traveled to a remote location selected by the defendant. The defendant then instructed Jarnigan to wait there while he went to get the cocaine. The defendant returned shortly thereafter and tossed an envelope containing a package of cocaine into Jarnigan's waiting car. Jarnigan testified that he had paid McCarty $2200 for the cocaine. Jarnigan delivered the cocaine, consisting of 27.8 grams of 82% pure cocaine, and turned it over to the FBI.

A week later, Jarnigan again met the defendant at Rifle Range Road so that Jarnigan could purchase another ounce of cocaine for $2200. Jarnigan and his car were searched before the meeting, and again Jarnigan was provided with a tape recorder to record the conversation. This meeting was surveilled by law enforcement agents from an aircraft. During their meeting, Jarnigan paid the defendant $2200 in cash for a package of cocaine consisting of 27.9 grams of 70% pure cocaine.

During the latter transaction, Jarnigan asked the defendant if he could purchase more than one ounce of cocaine for an associate, and the defendant indicated that they could talk about it later. Defendant then called Jarnigan and asked if his friend liked the cocaine which had just been delivered that day, according to Jarnigan's testimony.

A week later, the defendant called Jarnigan, in an unrecorded conversation, and indicated that he could provide him with 14 ounces of cocaine. Jarnigan then contacted the FBI and then called McCarty from the FBI office. The defendant confirmed that he had fourteen ounces of cocaine which he could sell for $18,000. In a few days, the defendant called Jarnigan and stated that "the only thing I can do is 10 for 15," which Jarnigan testified meant ten ounces of cocaine for $15,000.

That afternoon, the defendant arrived at Jarnigan's hotel room to complete the transaction discussed, indicating that the quantity had been reduced from fourteen to ten ounces because of the source's limited supply. The defendant also explained that the person who was supplying the ten ounces of cocaine would not be willing to supply it without first receiving the money.

FBI Agent Currie was present in an undercover capacity, pretending to be the person for whom Jarnigan was obtaining the cocaine. Defendant was then arrested and a loaded revolver was seized from the front waist band of the his trousers. A knife was seized from the front seat of McCarty's automobile, the blade of which, on analysis, contained cocaine powder.

McCarty testified at trial that a few days after meeting Jarnigan, he saw Jarnigan and his friends shooting cocaine. The defendant also testified that he first began using and acquiring cocaine from Jarnigan shortly thereafter and later became addicted. McCarty testified that he got a quarter of a gram to a gram of cocaine from Jarnigan in each transaction. Defendant claimed that he never sold cocaine to anyone except to Jarnigan.

RaNonda Sherod, a defense witness, testified that she knew Jarnigan, that she had seen Jarnigan use cocaine in 1987, and that Jarnigan had furnished her cocaine during a three to four month stretch in the fall of 1987. Justin Nichols, RaNonda Sherod's son, testified that he had seen Jarnigan at his mother's home weighing and bagging cocaine. (Justin also testified that his mother had let him use marijuana since he was fifteen years old). Justin's brother, Joshua Nichols, who was fifteen years old, testified to the same effect and that Jarnigan showed him how to weigh and purify cocaine.

Jeff Holbert also testified that Jarnigan had given him cocaine and used it in front of him. Tinnel Stair, another defense witness, testified that she had been a friend of the McCarty family for years; that the defendant's reputation was one of truthfulness, but that Jarnigan had a bad reputation for truthfulness.

In rebuttal, Denise McCoy, a nursing student, testified that she had known the defendant for four years and that she had obtained cocaine from McCarty approximately six times during a six month time span prior to April 1987. McCoy further testified that she had seen the defendant supply cocaine on numerous occasions in April 1987 to others, including Sherod, Holbert, Jeff Carmen, David Jesse, Susie Smith, and Brenda McFarland.

McCoy testified that she was introduced to McCarty by Jeff Holbert for the purpose of obtaining cocaine, and that she had introduced Jarnigan to the defendant. McCoy testified that she had seen the defendant selling cocaine both before and after she introduced him to Jarnigan. After learning that Jarnigan was working as an informant for the FBI and that McCarty was arrested, Jeff Holbert came to McCoy's house and told her that if he ever saw Jarnigan, he would kill him.

HISTORY

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
892 F.2d 80, 1989 U.S. App. LEXIS 19183, 1989 WL 153159, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/united-states-v-timothy-b-mccarty-ca6-1989.