United States v. Wahid

69 F. Supp. 3d 696, 2014 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 164414, 2014 WL 6673864
CourtDistrict Court, N.D. Ohio
DecidedNovember 24, 2014
DocketCase No. 1:14-CR-00214-022
StatusPublished

This text of 69 F. Supp. 3d 696 (United States v. Wahid) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, N.D. Ohio primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
United States v. Wahid, 69 F. Supp. 3d 696, 2014 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 164414, 2014 WL 6673864 (N.D. Ohio 2014).

Opinion

ORDER & OPINION [Resolving Doc. No. 334 ]

JAMES S. GWIN, District Judge:

The United States uded a warrant to receive cell phone tracking data and sought to identify “Ish,” an unknown individual connected to a heroin distribution conspiracy. The United States tracked the location of a cell phone “Ish” had used and determined that “Ish” was Defendant Ishmael Wahid. Wahid now moves to sup[698]*698press the evidence obtained through the warrant to track the phone’s location.

Defendant argues the United States was reckless because the affidavit supporting the warrant contained false information, and Defendant claims that the warrant was so lacking in probable cause that reliance on it was objectively unreasonable. Defendant also argues that a warrant to track cell phone location requires an elevated showing of probable cause, including a connection between the underlying criminal activity and the Defendant’s presence in a protected area such as a home.

The United States responds that the affidavit for the warrant contained no reckless falsehoods and that reliance on the warrant was objectively reasonable.1

For the following reasons, the Court DENIES Defendant’s motion to suppress the evidence found through the warrant.

I. Background

During the investigation of a suspected drug conspiracy, the United States sought and obtained a warrant to intercept communications to and from a cell phone used by Mark Makupson. Makupson’s text messages and phone calls in December, 2014, revealed contact with a unknown individual calling himself “Ish.” Makupson and Ish had multiple conversations regarding alleged sales of heroin.

On January 14, 2014, the United States requested a search warrant for thirty days of precise location data for the cell phone Ish used to contact Makupson. The warrant was “to precisely locate FNU LNU, aka, Ish, conduct physical surveillance and/or initiate a traffic stop of FNU LNU, aka Ish to properly identify him.” FBI Special Agent Benjamin Carter submitted an affidavit in support. The same day, Chief Judge Solomon Oliver Jr. of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Ohio issued the warrant.2

On January 15, 2014, agents determined that the phone was in a car on a public street in Akron, Ohio. Using the car’s license plate, agents identified Defendant Ishmael Wahid as the individual making calls to Makupson. On June 18, 2014, Wahid was indicted on multiple counts related to a heroin distribution conspiracy.3

On November 14, 2014, the Court held a hearing on Wahid’s motion to suppress. Detective Nestor Maisonet, a member of the Northern Ohio Law Enforcement Task Force, testified at the hearing. Detective Maisonet collaborated on the investigation with Special Agent Carter, who was un-availablé to testify.

II. Legal Standards

The Fourth Amendment guarantees that “no warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.”4 Probable cause indicates a fair probability that evidence of a crime will be found. If an affidavit is used to establish probable cause, the affidavit must provide the official issuing the warrant a substantial basis for determining the existence of probable cause.5

But even if a warrant is ultimately found invalid, evidence found based on that warrant is not excluded if law enforcement officers acted in good faith and rea[699]*699sonably relied on the warrant.6 In United States v. Leon, the Supreme Court identified four situations in which reliance on a warrant is objectively unreasonable. The two that are relevant in this case are as follows: first, when the warrant is issued on the basis of an affidavit that the affiant knows (or is reckless in not knowing) contains false information; and second, when the affidavit is so lacking in indicia of probable cause that a belief in its existence is objectively unreasonable.7

III. Analysis

At the hearing, Wahid first argued that affiant Special Agent Carter was reckless in not knowing that his affidavit contained false information. On cross examination of Detective Maisonet, Wahid’s counsel sought to establish that one of the text message exchanges between Makup-son and Wahid was incorrectly listed in the affidavit as occurring on December 4, 2014, when it had in fact occurred on December 14, 2014. Wahid’s counsel also sought to establish that the affidavit incorrectly stated that the subscriber to the cell phone number in question was unknown, when in fact it was the user whose identity was unknown.

These discrepancies do not come close to the level of reckless disregard for the truth which can invalidate a warrant under Leon. Wahid has not established that any of these discrepancies are more than mere oversights or typographical errors. Such errors do not invalidate a warrant and do not show a reckless disregard for the truth.8

Wahid next argued that the affidavit was so lacking in probable cause that a belief in its existence is objectively unreasonable. The four corners of the warrant belie this conclusion. A warrant meets this standard if it contains only “suspicions, beliefs, or conclusions, without providing some underlying factual circumstances regarding veracity, reliability, and basis of knowledge.”9 The surveillance of Makupson’s phone revealed conversations with Wahid in which the two discuss meeting; argue over money owed based on the weight of drugs exchanged; and even discuss testing the quality drugs before selling them a customer.10

These conversation, put in the context of the conspiracy already being investigated, establish strong support for the. warrant. Evidence of a crime had already been found: the missing piece was the identity of the other participant. Law enforcement officials reasonably relied upon the warrant to find this missing piece.

Wahid’s primary argument, both in his brief and at the hearing, was that a warrant for cell phone location data requires a special showing of probable cause. Wahid relies heavily on United States v. Powell, a'case from the Eastern District of Michigan.11 Wahid argues that cell phone location data allows law enforcement to track an individual in private areas such as his home. Therefore, he claims that a warrant for cell phone data tracking must specifically justify tracking an individual in [700]*700areas where he has a reasonable expectation of privacy.12

The Court rejects Wahid’ argument for several reasons. First, the argument appears irrelevant in light of Leon. Although the court in Powell found that a warrant for long term cell phone location tracking was not supported by probable cause, no evidence was suppressed because reliance on the warrant was in good faith.13 Even if this ease requires a higher probable cause showing, Wahid has not shown a lack of good faith reliance on the warrant issued. Therefore, his argument for suppression of evidence from the warrant fails.

Second, the facts of

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Related

United States v. Leon
468 U.S. 897 (Supreme Court, 1984)
United States v. Thomas
605 F.3d 300 (Sixth Circuit, 2010)
United States v. Carney
675 F.3d 1007 (Sixth Circuit, 2012)
United States v. James Howard Laughton
409 F.3d 744 (Sixth Circuit, 2005)
United States v. Powell
943 F. Supp. 2d 759 (E.D. Michigan, 2013)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
69 F. Supp. 3d 696, 2014 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 164414, 2014 WL 6673864, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/united-states-v-wahid-ohnd-2014.