United States v. Phillip David Fussell , 366 F. App'x 102 ( 2010 )

[DO NOT PUBLISH]
IN THE UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS
FOR THE ELEVENTH CIRCUIT
________________________ FILED
U.S. COURT OF APPEALS
No. 09-11555 ELEVENTH CIRCUIT
FEBRUARY 17, 2010
Non-Argument Calendar
JOHN LEY
________________________
CLERK
D. C. Docket No. 08-00005-CR-OC-10-GRJ
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA,
Plaintiff-Appellee,
versus
PHILLIP DAVID FUSSELL,
a.k.a. Davy,
Defendant-Appellant.
________________________
Appeal from the United States District Court
for the Middle District of Florida
_________________________
(February 17, 2010)
Before EDMONDSON, MARCUS and ANDERSON, Circuit Judges.
PER CURIAM:
Phillip David Fussell appeals his convictions and 216-month total sentence
for drug offenses, 21 U.S.C. §§ 841(a)(1), 846. No reversible error has been
shown; we affirm.
On appeal, Fussell challenges the district court’s denial of his motion to
suppress the drugs discovered in his house on the basis that the warrant affidavit
omitted material information that bore on the credibility of two informants. He
contends that inclusion of these omissions would have precluded a finding of
probable cause. We review the denial of a motion to suppress under a mixed
standard of review, examining the district court’s factual determinations for clear
error and its application of law to those facts de novo. United States v. Boyce,
351 F.3d 1102, 1105 (11th Cir. 2003). We “will not overturn a district court’s
decision that omissions . . . in a warrant affidavit” fail to invalidate the warrant
unless the decision is clearly erroneous. See United States v. Jenkins, 901 F.2d
1075, 1079 (11th Cir. 1990).
Affidavits supporting search warrants are presumptively valid. Franks v.
Delaware, 98 S.Ct. 2674, 2684 (1978). To prevail on a motion -- based on
allegations of falsity in the supporting affidavit -- to suppress evidence that was
2
seized pursuant to a search warrant, the defendant has the burden of establishing
that (1) the affiant made the alleged misrepresentations or omissions knowingly or
recklessly, and (2) exclusion of the alleged misrepresentations or inclusion of the
alleged omissions would result in a lack of probable cause. United States v.
Novaton, 271 F.3d 968, 986-87 (11th Cir. 2001).
Here, the warrant affidavit was based on information received from
informants Heather Mount and Exael Castillo-Pineda in two unrelated drug
investigations. Police officers had information that Mount was en route to buy
drugs from Fussell. The officer who made the affidavit aided in the surveillance of
Mount and observed Mount enter Fussell’s driveway, go into his house, later exit,
and then drive away. Officers followed Mount to her home, served her with a
search warrant, discovered methamphetamine in Mount’s purse and in her house,
and arrested her. On questioning, Mount admitted to buying the drugs in her purse
from Fussell and to replenishing her supply every other day.
In the investigation of Castillo, officers recovered a large amount of
methamphetamine from his residence during a consent search and also discovered
a ledger documenting a transaction with Fussell. Castillo admitted to supplying
Fussell regularly with drugs for a three-month period, identified Fussell’s
residence, and drew a map of it for officers.
3
The facts in the affidavit clearly demonstrate probable cause to believe that
Fussell had methamphetamine in his house. See United States v. Brundidge, 170
F.3d 1350, 1352 (11th Cir. 1999) (explaining that “[p]robable cause to support a
search warrant exists when the totality of the circumstances allow a conclusion that
there is a fair probability of finding contraband or evidence at a particular
location”). And none of the omissions alleged by Fussell -- even if deliberately or
recklessly made -- negate a determination of probable cause. Fussell notes that
both Mount and Castillo initially lied to police about their drug activities upon their
arrests. While these initial lies may bear on the informants’ credibility,
information about whether drugs were in Fussell’s house independently was
corroborated through officer observation of Mount entering Fussell’s house and
Castillo’s ledger and identification of Fussell’s house. See United States v.
Haimowitz, 706 F.2d 1549, 1555-56 (11th Cir. 1983) (omitted negative
information about the background of an informant does not necessarily invalidate
the warrant if the statements are coupled with independent corroboration of
information by another person).
Other omissions Fussell challenges -- that Mount was a drug addict and
seller, that Castillo sold large quantities of cocaine, and that both faced potentially
harsh penalties -- were implied in the warrant and serve to bolster probable cause.
4
And omissions of Mount’s first driving past Fussell’s house and parking in a
parking lot and of the specific circumstances of Castillo’s arrest are immaterial to
the informants’ credibility and to whether Fussell had drugs in his house. See
Madiwale v. Savaiko, 117 F.3d 1321, 1327 (11th Cir. 1997) (omissions that are
insignificant or immaterial do not invalidate a warrant). Thus, Fussell did not
show that omissions invalidated the search warrant.
We now turn to Fussell’s sentencing arguments. He challenges his base
offense level of 38 on grounds that insufficient evidence existed to show he
possessed at least 15 kilograms of methamphetamine. We review for clear error a
district court’s determination of the drug quantity used to establish a base offense
level for sentencing purposes. United States v. Simpson, 228 F.3d 1294, 1298
(11th Cir. 2000).
The government must establish the quantity of drugs attributable to a
defendant by preponderance of the evidence. United States v. Butler, 41 F.3d
1435, 1444 (11th Cir. 1995). Sentencing may be based on fair, accurate, and
conservative estimates of the quantity of drugs attributable to a defendant, but
cannot be based on calculations of drug quantities that are merely speculative.
United States v. Zapata, 139 F.3d 1355, 1359 (11th Cir. 1998).
At trial, Castillo and another key leader in the drug conspiracy testified that
5
they either delivered personally or caused to be delivered to Fussell at least 50
pounds (22.7 kilograms) of methamphetamine. Both witnesses noted that this
quantity was a conservative estimate.1 Based on the direct and consistent
testimony of key players in the drug conspiracy, we cannot say that the district
court clearly erred in concluding that Fussell possessed at least 15 kilograms of
methamphetamine. Nothing indicates that the witness estimates, though not
precise, were inaccurate or exaggerated. United States v. Lee, 68 F.3d 1267, 1276
(11th Cir. 1995) (we give “great deference to the district court’s assessment of the
credibility and evidentiary content” of witnesses who testify at trial).
Fussell also argues that the district court erred in denying him a minor role
reduction, U.S.S.G. § 3B1.2(b), because he was only a customer in the scheme of a
larger drug conspiracy. We review for clear error the district court’s determination
about a defendant’s role in an offense. United States v. Ryan, 289 F.3d 1339, 1348
(11th Cir. 2002). “The defendant has the burden of establishing his role by a
preponderance of evidence.” Id. Under U.S.S.G. § 3B1.2(b), “[a] defendant
warrants a two-level reduction for playing a minor role in an offense if he is less
culpable than most other participants, although his role could not be described as
1
Also, at sentencing, an investigating agent testified that he interviewed Castillo and
Gomez during the government investigation; and both men told him that, conservatively
estimating, they had delivered to Fussell at least 50 pounds of methamphetamine.
6
minimal.” Id.
We conclude that the district court committed no clear error in denying
Fussell a minor role reduction. While Fussell was part of a larger drug conspiracy,
he only was held accountable for the drugs he purchased and distributed. See
United States v. De Varon, 175 F.3d 930, 944 (11th Cir. 1999) (explaining that
“[o]nly if the defendant can establish that [he] played a relatively minor role in the
conduct for which [he] has already been held accountable -- not a minor role in any
larger criminal conspiracy -- should the district court grant a downward adjustment
for minor role in the offense”). And, as the district court noted, this quantity of
drugs was quite large. See id. at 943 (a large amount of drugs is an important
factor in determining the availability of a minor role reduction). Contrary to
Fussell’s assertion, he was more than a mere customer: he purchased large
quantities of drugs from leaders of a drug distribution conspiracy and
independently sold them to others.2
AFFIRMED.
2
Fussell also generally argues that he is entitled to resentencing because, even after
United States v. Booker, 125 S.Ct. 738 (2005), district courts still apply the Sentencing
Guidelines as mandatory; and this mandatory application results in de facto constitutional
violations. Fussell’s argument has no merit: he does not argue -- nor does anything in the record
indicate -- that the district court that sentenced him applied the guidelines as mandatory. We
also note that Fussell received a sentence 76 months below the low end of his guidelines range.
7