United States v. Marin ( 1996 )

UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS
Filed 11/6/96
TENTH CIRCUIT
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA,
Plaintiff-Appellee,
No. 95-2020
v. (D.C. No. CR 94-180 MV)
(D. N.M.)
RAFAEL MARIN,
Defendant-Appellant.
ORDER AND JUDGMENT *
Before BRORBY, EBEL and HENRY, Circuit Judges.
After examining the briefs and appellate record, this panel has determined
unanimously that oral argument would not materially assist the determination of
this appeal. See Fed. R. App. P. 34(a); 10th Cir. R. 34.1.9. The case is therefore
ordered submitted without oral argument.
Mr. Rafael Marin was convicted of possession of marijuana with intent to
*
This order and judgment is not binding precedent except under the
doctrines of law of the case, res judicata and collateral estoppel. The court
generally disfavors the citation of orders and judgments; nevertheless, an order
and judgment may be cited under the terms and conditions of 10th Cir. R. 36.3.
distribute and aiding and abetting, and the district court sentenced him to twenty-
seven months imprisonment followed by three years supervised release. Mr.
Marin raises several claims on appeal, and we affirm the district court on all
issues.
Briefly stated, the facts are as follows. Agents of the United States Border
Patrol stopped Mr. Marin at a Border Patrol checkpoint. Agent John Esquivel
noticed a temporary license on Mr. Marin's automobile indicating it had recently
been purchased. (Ape. Br. at 4.) Mr. Marin's answers to Agent Esquivel's
questions about his car and destination aroused Agent Esquivel's suspicions.
Agent Esquivel then obtained Mr. Marin's permission to search the car with a
drug detection dog. The dog alerted on a portion of the automobile. The agents
then obtained written consent from Mr. Marin to search the car. The search
revealed approximately forty pounds of marijuana.
Mr. Marin first contends he was unlawfully detained at the border patrol
checkpoint and that the district court erred in refusing to suppress evidence
obtained during the stop. "'[W]hether a search and seizure was reasonable under
the Fourth Amendment is a question of law that we review de novo.'" United
States v. Massie, 65 F.3d 843, 847 (10th Cir. 1995) (quoting United States v.
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Maestas, 2 F.3d 1485, 1490 (10th Cir. 1993)). At a fixed checkpoint such as the
one at which Mr. Marin was detained, border patrol agents may stop, briefly
detain and question individuals without any individualized suspicion that those
persons are engaged in criminal activity. Id. (citing United States v. Martinez-
Fuerte, 428 U.S. 543, 562 (1976)). Agents have authority to ask any question
reasonably related to their duty to prevent entry of unauthorized individuals or
contraband into this country. Id. at 848 (citing United States v. Rascon-Ortiz, 994
F.2d 749, 752 (10th Cir. 1993)). If agents observe "suspicious circumstances"
during initial questioning, they may further detain individuals for inquiry into
those circumstances. Id. (citing Rascon-Ortiz, 994 F.2d at 753). In determining
whether "suspicious circumstances" exist, "we apply 'a common sense view of the
totality of the circumstances.'" Id. (quoting United States v. Sanders, 937 F.2d
1495, 1500 (10th Cir. 1991), cert. denied, 502 U.S. 1110 (1992)).
Applying a common sense view of the totality of the circumstances, we find
sufficient evidence supported Agent Esquivel's determination that suspicious
circumstances existed justifying further detention and questioning of Mr. Marin.
Mr. Marin was driving a car with temporary license plates, and Agent Esquivel
had previously received information that smugglers often use false temporary
licenses, or temporary licenses obtained through illegal means, on vehicles driven
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through checkpoint stops. When Agent Esquivel inquired into vehicle ownership,
Mr. Marin responded that he (and the woman with him) had just purchased the car
and were taking it for a test drive. Agent Esquivel found it odd that someone
would purchase a vehicle and then test drive it. Agent Esquivel also noted the
temporary plate indicated the car had been purchased in El Paso, Texas,
approximately fifty miles from the checkpoint, and he thought it odd someone
would take a fifty-mile test drive. Additionally, in response to Agent Esquivel's
request for vehicle registration, Mr. Marin presented a purchase order that
contained information conflicting with the temporary license. Finally, Agent
Esquivel thought Mr. Marin looked visibly nervous, looking right and left before
answering questions and stuttering and stumbling with his words when asked his
destination.
Affording appropriate deference to Agent Esquivel's determinations, id. at
848-49 (citing Sanders, 937 F.2d at 1500), we find under the totality of the
circumstances suspicious circumstances existed justifying the continued detention
and questioning of Mr. Marin. Furthermore, because Mr. Marin consented to the
dog sniff search, he consented to the resulting brief detention. See United States
v. Chavira, 9 F.3d 888, 890 n.1 (1993). Upon de novo review, we affirm the
district court's holding that the search and seizure was lawful.
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We also affirm the district court's refusal to grant Mr. Marin's motion to
suppress evidence obtained during the stop. "In reviewing a district court's ruling
on a motion to suppress evidence, we view the evidence in the light most
favorable to the prevailing party and accept the district court's findings of fact
unless they are clearly erroneous." Massie, 65 F.3d at 847. We find the district
court's reasoning persuasive and, as Mr. Marin has not presented evidence
proving its findings of fact clearly erroneous, affirm for substantially the reasons
stated by that court.
Mr. Marin also claims there was insufficient evidence to support his
conviction of possession of marijuana with intent to distribute and aiding and
abetting. On such a claim,
we review the entire record in the light most favorable to the
government to determine whether the evidence is such that a
reasonable jury could find the defendant guilty beyond a reasonable
doubt. To the extent that the evidence conflicts, we accept the jury's
resolution of conflicting evidence and its assessment of the
credibility of witnesses."
United States v. Chavez-Marquez, 66 F.3d 259, 262 (10th Cir. 1995) (quoting
United States v. Sapp, 53 F.3d 1100, 1103 (10th Cir. 1995), cert, denied, 116 S.
Ct. 796 (1996)).
After reviewing the record, and considering it in the light most favorable to
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the government, we conclude a reasonable jury could find Mr. Marin guilty
beyond a reasonable doubt. Mr. Marin asserts the government presented no
evidence he had knowledge or control or dominion over the marijuana proving
only that marijuana was concealed in the car he was driving. However, the jury
heard testimony from which it could have inferred Mr. Marin's knowledge of the
marijuana and complicity with the charged offenses. Moreover, the jury's refusal
to credit Mr. Marin's testimony was its prerogative, and we must accept its
assessment of witness credibility. Chavez-Marquez, 66 F.3d at 262.
Mr. Marin also contends the district court erred in not granting him a four-
level downward departure based on his minimal role in the offense. The district
court's finding that Mr. Marin was not a minimal participant, and thus not entitled
to the requested departure, is a finding of fact that will not be disturbed on appeal
unless it is clearly erroneous. United States v. Ballard, 16 F.3d 1110, 1114 (10th
Cir. 1994).
Section 3B1.2 of the United States Sentencing Guidelines and its
commentary allow the district court to grant a two- to four-level departure to less
culpable defendants who played minor or minimal roles in the commission of the
charged offense. Mr. Marin claims to be less culpable than others involved in the
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offense, alleging he was too poor to have any ownership interest in the marijuana
and his involvement was merely as the driver of the car containing marijuana.
However, even if Mr. Marin's participation in the commission of the offense was
limited to the role of a driver, that does not necessarily render him less culpable,
or entitle him to a departure, because drivers may be essential cogs in drug
distribution schemes. See United States v. Carter, 971 F.2d 597, 600 (10th Cir.),
cert. denied, 113 S. Ct. 628 (1992); United States v. Arredondo-Santos, 911 F.2d
424, 425 (10th Cir. 1990). There is no per se rule allowing couriers or drivers to
achieve minimal participant status. Ballard, 16 F.3d at 1115. Mr. Marin had the
burden of establishing by a preponderance of the evidence that he was a minimal
or minor participant, Carter, 971 F.2d at 599, and the district court failed to find
he met that burden. We find no evidence in the record or in Mr. Marin's brief on
appeal showing the district court's failure to depart clearly erroneous.
Mr. Marin raises four additional issues. Review of the record informs us
these issues are meritless.
The judgment of the district court is AFFIRMED.
Entered for the Court
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WADE BRORBY
United States Circuit Judge
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