United States v. Yates

132 F. Supp. 2d 559, 2001 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 1659, 2001 WL 185093
CourtDistrict Court, E.D. Michigan
DecidedFebruary 8, 2001
Docket1:99-cr-20073
StatusPublished
Cited by8 cases

This text of 132 F. Supp. 2d 559 (United States v. Yates) 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. Yates, 132 F. Supp. 2d 559, 2001 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 1659, 2001 WL 185093 (E.D. Mich. 2001).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM OPINION AND ORDER DENYING DEFENDANT’S MOTION TO SUPPRESS EVIDENCE

LAWSON, District Judge.

This matter is before the Court on the motion by defendant, Samuel Allen Yates, *561 to suppress evidence seized by the government during the execution of a search warrant at his home, and a search of the defendant’s person during a brief stop and detention, all of which occurred on June 22,1999. The defendant contends that the search warrant affidavit was defective because it did not establish probable cause to search, the search warrant itself did not describe the items to be seized with sufficient particularity, the officers executing the search warrant seized items which were not included in the warrant, and the stop and detention of the defendant’s own person was unlawful. Because the Court finds that there was no defect in the affidavit or search warrant, or in the manner in which it was executed, and because the stop and detention of the defendant did not violate the Fourth Amendment, the Court will deny the defendant’s Motion to Suppress Evidence.

I.

The defendant is charged in a second superseding indictment with conspiracy to distribute marijuana, interstate travel and the distribution of marijuana, and failure to appear when released on bond, in violation of 21 U.S.C. §§ 846, 841(a)(1) and 18 U.S.C. §§ 1952 and 8146(a)(1). The first two charges arose from an investigation conducted by agents of the United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) in Saginaw, Michigan which initially led to the arrest of Clarence “Stormy” Wagner and David Jurisch after they sold marijuana to an undercover officer. Wagner and Jurisch pleaded guilty to marijuana trafficking charges and agreed to cooperate with the government and identify the source of the marijuana which they sold.

Jurisch and Wagner informed DEA Agent T.J. Stevens that they had traveled from Missouri to Arizona with the defendant, Samuel Allen Yates, to obtain marijuana on several occasions. The information which Stevens and others obtained from Wagner and Jurisch was summarized in an affidavit which was presented to United States Magistrate Judge William A. Knox in Missouri on June 17, 1999 in support of an application for a warrant to search Yates’ home. The affidavit states in pertinent part:

5. DEA-1 told S/A McGovern that between November 20 and November 24, 1998, Stormy Wagner, Dave LNU [last name unknown], Sam LNU, and DEA-1 made a trip to Arizona. Wagner purchased sixty (60) pounds of marijuana using money supplied by Wagner, Dave and Sam. The four then drove to St. Louis, Missouri. Sam LNU separated from the group, taking a portion of the marijuana with him. The rest continued on to Michigan.
17. Wagner volunteered that the telephone number used by him at his rented residence, located at 908 Wilson, Bay City, Michigan is (517) 895-7108. Jur-isch volunteered that the telephone number used by him at his residence, located at 4145 South Fraser, Bay City, Michigan is (517) 684-9885. Both Wagner and Jurisch have identified a photograph of Sam Yates of 18172 Deer Drive, Rocky Mount, Morgan County, Missouri, near the City of Eldon, Missouri, in separately conducted photo line-ups as being the Sam LNU who traveled with them from Missouri to Arizona to obtain marijuana on various occasions, most recently in November of 1998. Wagner acknowledged making one such additional trip with Yates and Jurisch in July of 1998 to obtain 20 pounds of marijuana. Yates was the “middle man” in that transaction between the source on the one hand and Wagner and Jurisch on the other. Wagner reported that during the trip in November of 1998, Yates obtained the marijuana from Marisol Sarmiento of 4246 West Monterey Way, Phoenix, Arizona, a different source from the person who had supplied the marijuana in July of that year. As he had on the earlier trip, Yates negotiated the purchase of the *562 marijuana from Sarmiento in November 1998, and then negotiated the sale of that marijuana to Wagner and Jurisch. Wagner denied knowing how much profit Yates made on the transaction, but said that Yates kept approximately one pound of marijuana out of the approximately 61 pounds acquired from Sar-miento in Phoenix in November of 1998.
18. Jurisch reported that he had made two trips to Arizona with Yates in addition to those described above. The first of the two additional trips occurred in 1997, and the second in March of 1998. On those trips, Yates and Jurisch met in Phoenix and stayed in a hotel. Yates than made a telephone call to Sarmiento, who came to their motel. Yates met privately with Sarmiento in her car, and then returned to Jurisch with the marijuana. Jurisch obtained approximately 30 to 40 pounds of marijuana from Yates on the first trip, and approximately 50 pounds on the second trip.
19. Wagner and Jurisch also reported to S/A McGovern that three to four times a year, between 1994 and 1997, Wagner would telephonically contact Yates and place an order for marijuana. Yates would arrange to have a driver deliver the marijuana to Michigan. Wagner and Jurisch would get the marijuana from the driver. Wagner also indicated that the driver apparently would deliver marijuana to the Detroit, Michigan, area for Yates. Wagner said that Yates came to Michigan to deliver 25 pounds of marijuana to him in the summer of 1994.
20. S/A McGovern, having interviewed Wagner and Jurisch separately, found their information regarding Yates to be consistent. In addition, S/A McGovern has obtained telephone toll records for telephones used by Wagner, Jurisch, Sarmiento and Yates. Those telephone toll records contain telephone calls which demonstrate the association between these four individuals, and further corroborate the information supplied by Wagner and Jurisch. Copies of the records relating to Sarmiento are attached hereto as Exhibit “A”, and those relating to Yates as Exhibit “B”.
20. [sic ] Based on my training and experience, I am aware of the habits, characteristics and practices of drug traffickers and their organizations, and have become familiar with the methods and procedures used by individuals to conduct their narcotics business, as well as the type of profits made by narcotics dealers. I am aware that drug traffickers often house and secrete records and/or documents regarding drug trafficking in their residences, outbuildings, vehicles and/or buried on their property, along with proceeds from such transactions. They maintain written records of names, telephone numbers, quantities, amounts and prices of drug transactions. Drug traffickers often place assets in names other than their own to avoid detection of these assets. Even though these assets are in other persons’ names, drug traffickers continue to use these assets and exercise and control over them. Drag traffickers maintain large amounts of United States currency on-hand in order to maintain and finance their ongoing narcotics business.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
132 F. Supp. 2d 559, 2001 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 1659, 2001 WL 185093, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/united-states-v-yates-mied-2001.