United States v. Troy Clayton Kleinebreil

966 F.2d 945, 1992 U.S. App. LEXIS 15369, 1992 WL 155419
CourtCourt of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit
DecidedJuly 7, 1992
Docket90-8375
StatusPublished
Cited by74 cases

This text of 966 F.2d 945 (United States v. Troy Clayton Kleinebreil) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals for the Fifth 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. Troy Clayton Kleinebreil, 966 F.2d 945, 1992 U.S. App. LEXIS 15369, 1992 WL 155419 (5th Cir. 1992).

Opinion

BARKSDALE, Circuit Judge:

Convicted on marijuana (two counts) and assault of a federal officer charges, Troy *947 Clayton Kleinebreil bases error on the denial of his motion to suppress, the jury instruction on his defense to the assault charge, and the application of the Sentencing Guidelines. 2 We AFFIRM the convictions; but, because the district court double-counted adjustments to the group offense levels for the marijuana and assault convictions, we VACATE the sentences and REMAND for resentencing.

I.

In 1988, more than a year prior to his arrest, the Austin Police Department began investigating a marijuana organization believed to include Kleinebreil, and to be shipping marijuana in rental cars from Austin to Atlanta, Georgia. That December, a trained dog alerted to a suitcase that was later picked up by Kleinebreil at the Austin airport baggage claim area. Kleinebreil consented to a search of the bag, but no contraband was found. Later that month, Austin police officers learned that Jill Jacobs, Kleinebreil’s common-law wife, had made a $1,056 cash purchase of first class, round-trip airfare between Austin and Atlanta. The ticket was issued in the name of Tim Jacobs. Surveillance was established at the Austin airport; and, when the flight arrived, the officers recognized Kleinebreil from their earlier encounter. Kleinebreil agreed to allow the officers to search his carry-on bag, which contained over $76,000 in cash. He first denied ownership of the money, stating that someone on the airplane must have put it in his bag; later, he said that he might be “going to buy a race car for a friend”. The cash was seized, and Kleinebreil was given a receipt.

On the morning of May 10, 1989, during surveillance at the Austin airport, officers observed Kleinebreil, driving a Trans-Am, pick up Danny Cook. The surveillance team followed the Trans-Am to a nearby fast-food restaurant. After driving behind the restaurant, the Trans-Am left the parking lot, followed by a Chevrolet rental car. Both cars stopped at a gas station, where a Hispanic male was observed talking to Kleinebreil and Cook. When the cars left, the Trans-Am, driven by Kleinebreil, was followed by the rental car, driven by Cook. After the Trans-Am turned onto another road, the rental car continued eastbound. 3

The rental car was stopped east of Austin near Bastrop; and Cook consented to a search of the vehicle. After approximately 100 pounds of marijuana were found in the trunk, Cook was arrested. Fearing that Kleinebreil might learn of Cook’s arrest and destroy evidence of drug-trafficking, DEA agents, Austin police officers, and sheriffs deputies assigned to an Organized Crime Task Force obtained a warrant that night to search Kleinebreil’s home.

The warrant was signed by the magistrate around 10:30 p.m. Approximately an hour later, when Kleinebreil and his wife were in bed, the agents and officers went to his home to execute the warrant. They had previously received information that Kleinebreil had a gun. When they arrived at his residence, one of the master bedroom windows at the front of the house was open. The officers testified that they knocked and announced their purpose two or three times, but received no response. 4 After breaking down the front door, the officers entered the residence; and Kleine-breil began shooting at them. In the gunfire exchange that followed, Deputy Sheriff Lewis was shot in the hand; Austin police officer Medlicott, in the chest (fortu *948 nately, he was wearing a bullet-proof vest); and Kleinebreil, in his right arm and shoulder area.

During the subsequent search of the residence, officers found two guns, three grams of marijuana, a radio frequency detector, 5 and a key and a receipt for a mini-warehouse. They also found marijuana residue in the trunk of Kleinebreil’s car. A warrant was then obtained for the mini-warehouse, where the officers found marijuana debris , and packing material, and a magazine with Kleinebreil’s name and address on it.

In a four-count indictment, Kleinebreil was charged with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute marijuana, in violation of 21 U.S.C. §§ 841(a)(1) and 846 (count one); possession with intent to distribute marijuana, in violation of 21 U.S.C. § 841(a)(1) (count two); assault of a federal officer, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 111(a)(1) and (b) (count three); and using a firearm during and in relation to the drug trafficking crimes charged in counts one and two, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 924(c)(1) (count four). He was convicted on the first three counts, acquitted on the fourth. He received, inter alia, consecutive sentences of 30 months of imprisonment each on counts one and two, and 91 months on count three, for a total of 151 months.

II.

Kleinebreil challenges the denial of his suppression motion, the jury instruction on the assault charge, and the application of the Guidelines.

A.

Kleinebreil moved prior to trial to suppress statements he made and evidence seized from him at the Austin airport in December 1988, as well as the evidence seized from his home and car, and the mini-warehouse. After a hearing, the district court denied the motion; and Kleinebreil challenges that ruling. 6

While we review questions of law de novo, “[i]n reviewing a trial court’s ruling on a motion to suppress based on live testimony at a suppression hearing, the trial court’s purely factual findings must be accepted unless clearly erroneous, or influenced by an incorrect view of the law, and the evidence must be viewed most favorably] to the party prevailing below.”

United States v. Muniz-Melchor, 894 F.2d 1430, 1433-34 (5th Cir.), cert. denied, 495 U.S. 923, 110 S.Ct. 1957, 109 L.Ed.2d 319 (1990) (quoting United States v. Maldonado, 735 F.2d 809, 814 (5th Cir.1984)).

1.

With respect to the search of his home, Kleinebreil concedes that, in light of the events earlier on the day the warrant was issued, there was probable cause to believe that he was involved in drug-trafficking; but he contends that the search warrant affidavit was insufficient to demonstrate probable cause to believe that any evidence of such activities could be found in his home. 7

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Bluebook (online)
966 F.2d 945, 1992 U.S. App. LEXIS 15369, 1992 WL 155419, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/united-states-v-troy-clayton-kleinebreil-ca5-1992.