United States v. Tyson Trotter

837 F.3d 864, 101 Fed. R. Serv. 511, 2016 U.S. App. LEXIS 16788, 2016 WL 4784038
CourtCourt of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit
DecidedSeptember 14, 2016
Docket15-2606
StatusPublished
Cited by11 cases

This text of 837 F.3d 864 (United States v. Tyson Trotter) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals for the Eighth 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. Tyson Trotter, 837 F.3d 864, 101 Fed. R. Serv. 511, 2016 U.S. App. LEXIS 16788, 2016 WL 4784038 (8th Cir. 2016).

Opinion

KELLY, Circuit Judge.

Tyson Trotter was convicted by a jury of a conspiracy to distribute, and to possess with intent to distribute, methamphetamine in violation of 21 U.S.C. § 846. The district court 1 sentenced Trotter to the statutory mandatory minimum sentence of twenty years’ imprisonment, pursuant to 21 U.S.C. § 841(b)(1)(A). On appeal, Trotter asserts the district court erred in allowing testimony at trial regarding text messages in violation of the best evidence *866 rule. He also appeals his conviction on the grounds that the evidence was insufficient to prove he entered into a conspiracy and that the court’s jury instructions were erroneous. Finally, he claims error in the calculation of the amount of drugs attributable to him for purposes of sentencing. Having jurisdiction under 28 U.S.C. § 1291, and finding no error, we affirm.

I. Background

In June 2014, Katie Feist took over her husband’s methamphetamine distribution business after he was arrested and sent to prison. Later that summer, she started getting methamphetamine from John Dheilly. Dheilly told Feist his supplier was named “Tyson” — Trotter’s first name— and that they met in the parking lot of a restaurant named Mabel Murphy’s in Fergus Falls, Minnesota, to exchange drugs and money.

In November 2014, Feist approached the Grand Forks Narcotics Task Force (GFNTF) and offered to help them with their investigation of drug trafficking in the Grand Forks area in an effort to earn a reduction in her husband’s sentence. On November 19, 2014, Feist conducted a controlled buy of methamphetamine from Dheilly, providing him $3,000 in marked money.

On November 22, 2014, Feist accompanied Dheilly to Mabel Murphy’s restaurant to obtain methamphetamine. Members of the GFNTF and the West Central Drug and Violent Crimes Task Force conducted surveillance and observed Dheilly get something out of the trunk of a white BMW. Law enforcement stopped both Dheilly’s vehicle and the BMW after they left the parking lot. Trotter was driving the BMW. During a search of the BMW, officers found $13,000 under the car seat and $3,000 in the center console. The serial numbers on $2,900 of the money found in the console matched the serial numbers on the money Feist had given Dheilly in the controlled buy on November 19, 2014. During a search of Dheilly’s car, officers found almost half a kilo of methamphetamine, various items associated with the use of methamphetamine, and three cell phones.

On November 26, 2014, Feist informed GFNTF officers that additional drugs would be found in her apartment. The officers conducted a consent search of the apartment and found approximately 40 grams of methamphetamine, drug paraphernalia, and $611 in cash. Feist told officers the money was drug proceeds.

On December 18, 2014, a grand jury indicted Trotter and Dheilly on one count of a drug conspiracy in violation of 21 U.S.C. § 846. Trotter proceeded to trial. Various members of the GFNTF testified, as did Feist.

Joel Lloyd, the agent assigned to work with Feist, testified that after a search warrant was obtained for the cell phones found in Dheilly’s vehicle, he extracted all text messages from Dheilly’s contact list, saving the information to a thumb drive. Agent Karsten Anderson analyzed the drive and prepared a 345-page exhibit containing all text messages between Dheilly and Trotter from July 26, 2014, through November 22, 2014. At trial, Anderson testified about the text messages and his report was admitted as Exhibit 35.

After trial, Trotter was convicted of conspiracy to distribute, and to possess with intent to distribute, 500 grams or more of methamphetamine, and he was sentenced to the statutory mandatory minimum sentence of twenty years in prison. We address each of Trotter’s alleged errors in turn.

II. Discussion

We first address Trotter’s argument that allowing Agent Anderson to tes *867 tify as to the content of the text messages between Trotter and Dheilly from July 26, 2014, through November 22, 2014, violated Federal Rule of Evidence 1002, the best evidence rule. 2 Trotter asserts Anderson’s testimony violated the rule because only “some of the text messages from November 22” were introduced into evidence. Trotter did not object to the officer’s-testimony before the district court, so our review is for plain error. 3 United States v. White Bull, 646 F.3d 1082, 1091 (8th Cir. 2011) (holding that if there is not a timely objection to the admission of evidence at trial, review is for plain error). To obtain relief under plain error review, Trotter “must show (1) the district court committed an error, (2) the error is clear or obvious, and (3) the error affected his substantial rights.” Id. Even if these first three requirements are met, however, we “will only reverse if the error ‘seriously affect[s] the fairness, integrity or public reputation of judicial proceedings.’ ” United States v. Jean-Guerrier, 666 F.3d 1087, 1091 (8th Cir.2012) (quoting Puckett v. United States, 556 U.S. 129, 135, 129 S.Ct. 1423, 173 L.Ed.2d 266 (2009)).

Trotter cannot meet this burden. Contrary to Trotter’s assertion otherwise, Anderson’s report contained all the text messages between Trotter and Dheilly from July 26, 2014, through November 22, 2014, as extracted from Dheilly’s cell phone. Anderson’s report was then admitted at trial as Exhibit 35. Because the messages themselves were admitted into evidence, and Anderson’s testimony was based on them, allowing Anderson to testify about the text messages did not violate the best evidence rule. See United States v. Buchanan, 604 F.3d 517, 523-24 (8th Cir.2010) (“The purpose of the best evidence rule ... is to prevent inaccuracy and fraud when attempting to prove the contents of a writing.” (quoting United States v. Yamin, 868 F.2d 130, 134 (5th Cir.1989))).

Trotter next argues the evidence presented at trial was insufficient to prove Trotter and Dheilly entered into a conspiracy. Trotter contends the evidence showed no more than a buyer-seller relationship. Our review of the sufficiency of the evidence is de novo. United States v. Ruiz-Zarate, 678 F.3d 683, 689 (8th Cir.2012). We will not reverse unless no reasonable jury could have found the defendant guilty. Id.

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Bluebook (online)
837 F.3d 864, 101 Fed. R. Serv. 511, 2016 U.S. App. LEXIS 16788, 2016 WL 4784038, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/united-states-v-tyson-trotter-ca8-2016.