United States v. Powell

Citation943 F.Supp.2d 759
Decision Date03 May 2013
Docket NumberCase No. 12–cr–20052.
PartiesUNITED STATES of America, Plaintiff, v. Carlos POWELL, et al., Defendants.
CourtU.S. District Court — Eastern District of Michigan

OPINION TEXT STARTS HERE

Dawn N. Ison, Julie A. Beck, Steven P. Cares, U.S. Attorney's Office, Detroit, MI, for Plaintiff.

N.C. Deday LaRene, LaRene & Kriger, Tanisha M. Davis, Robert F. Kinney, III, David R. Cripps, Suzanna Kostovski, Detroit, MI, David A. Nacht, Nacht, Roumel, Salvatore, Blanchard & Walker, Ann Arbor, MI, Jeffery A. Taylor, Sterling Heights, MI, for Defendants.

ORDER DENYING MOTION TO SUPPRESS BY DEFENDANTS CARLOS POWELL(D–1), ERIC POWELL (D–2), EARNEST PROGE (D–5), TOBIAS PROGE (D–6), TAMIKA TURNER (D–8), MARGARITA DE VALLEJO (D–10), BENNY WHIGHAM (D–11), AND DONALD WILSON (D–12) (docket no. 74)

STEPHEN J. MURPHY, III, District Judge.

+-----------------+
                ¦TABLE OF CONTENTS¦
                +-----------------¦
                ¦                 ¦
                +-----------------+
                
+----------------------------------+
                ¦INTRODUCTION                  ¦764¦
                +------------------------------+---¦
                ¦                              ¦   ¦
                +------------------------------+---¦
                ¦LEGAL STANDARD                ¦764¦
                +------------------------------+---¦
                ¦                              ¦   ¦
                +------------------------------+---¦
                ¦BACKGROUND                    ¦765¦
                +------------------------------+---¦
                ¦                              ¦   ¦
                +------------------------------+---¦
                ¦DISCUSSION                    ¦765¦
                +----------------------------------+
                
+--------------------------------------------------------+
                ¦   ¦   ¦                                          ¦     ¦
                +---+---+------------------------------------------+-----¦
                ¦   ¦I. ¦Standing                                  ¦765  ¦
                +---+---+------------------------------------------+-----¦
                ¦   ¦   ¦                                          ¦     ¦
                +---+---+------------------------------------------+-----¦
                ¦   ¦II.¦Real–Time Cell–Site Location–Data Warrants¦766  ¦
                +--------------------------------------------------------+
                
+------------------------------------------+
                ¦  ¦  ¦A.¦Technical Background        ¦767 ¦
                +--+--+--+----------------------------+----¦
                ¦  ¦  ¦B.¦Legal Standards             ¦768 ¦
                +------------------------------------------+
                
+----------------------------------------------------------------------------+
                ¦    ¦    ¦    ¦1. ¦History of Real–Time Cell–Site Location–Data      ¦768   ¦
                ¦    ¦    ¦    ¦   ¦Authorization                                     ¦      ¦
                +----+----+----+---+--------------------------------------------------+------¦
                ¦    ¦    ¦    ¦2. ¦Statutory Authorities                             ¦768   ¦
                +----------------------------------------------------------------------------+
                
+------------------------------------------------------------------+
                ¦   ¦    ¦   ¦  ¦a. ¦Pen Registers and Trap–and–Trace       ¦769   ¦
                +---+----+---+--+---+---------------------------------------+------¦
                ¦   ¦    ¦   ¦  ¦b. ¦Stored Communications Act              ¦769   ¦
                +---+----+---+--+---+---------------------------------------+------¦
                ¦   ¦    ¦   ¦  ¦c. ¦Tracking Devices under 18 U.S.C. § 3117¦769   ¦
                +---+----+---+--+---+---------------------------------------+------¦
                ¦   ¦    ¦   ¦  ¦d. ¦Wiretaps                               ¦769   ¦
                +------------------------------------------------------------------+
                
+------------------------------------------------------+
                ¦   ¦   ¦   ¦3.¦Judicial Precedent                ¦770 ¦
                +------------------------------------------------------+
                
+---------------------------------------------------------------------------+
                ¦    ¦    ¦    ¦   ¦a. ¦Cases in Which Probable Cause Is Required    ¦770   ¦
                +----+----+----+---+---+---------------------------------------------+------¦
                ¦    ¦    ¦    ¦   ¦b. ¦Cases Holding That Less Than Probable Cause  ¦771   ¦
                ¦    ¦    ¦    ¦   ¦   ¦Is Required                                  ¦      ¦
                +---------------------------------------------------------------------------+
                
+------------------------------------------------------+
                ¦   ¦   ¦   ¦4.¦United States v. Skinner          ¦773 ¦
                +------------------------------------------------------+
                
+------------------------------------------------------+
                ¦   ¦   ¦   ¦  ¦a.¦Skinner   Distinguished        ¦773 ¦
                +------------------------------------------------------+
                
+--------------------------------------------+
                ¦  ¦  ¦C.¦Conclusion and Findings of Law¦775 ¦
                +--------------------------------------------+
                
+----------------------------------------------------------------------------+
                ¦    ¦    ¦    ¦1. ¦Fourth Amendment Implications                     ¦775   ¦
                +----+----+----+---+--------------------------------------------------+------¦
                ¦    ¦    ¦    ¦2. ¦Statutory Analysis                                ¦777   ¦
                +----+----+----+---+--------------------------------------------------+------¦
                ¦    ¦    ¦    ¦3. ¦Probable Cause Showing for Real–Time Cell–Phone   ¦778   ¦
                ¦    ¦    ¦    ¦   ¦Tracking                                          ¦      ¦
                +----+----+----+---+--------------------------------------------------+------¦
                ¦    ¦    ¦    ¦4. ¦Limitations of the Standard                       ¦780   ¦
                +----------------------------------------------------------------------------+
                
+-----------------------------------------------------------------+
                ¦   ¦    ¦D. ¦Probable Cause for the March 11, 2010 Warrant¦780   ¦
                +-----------------------------------------------------------------+
                
+-------------------------------------------------------------------------+
                ¦    ¦    ¦    ¦1. ¦Summary of the March 11, 2010 Donovan Affidavit¦781   ¦
                +----+----+----+---+-----------------------------------------------+------¦
                ¦    ¦    ¦    ¦2. ¦Probable Cause Analysis                        ¦782   ¦
                +----+----+----+---+-----------------------------------------------+------¦
                ¦    ¦    ¦    ¦3. ¦Good Faith Exception                           ¦783   ¦
                +-------------------------------------------------------------------------+
                
+----------------------------------------------------------------------------+
                ¦    ¦    ¦E.  ¦“Fruit of the Poisonous Tree” and the Remaining      ¦784    ¦
                ¦    ¦    ¦    ¦Cell–Site Warrants                                   ¦       ¦
                +----------------------------------------------------------------------------+
                
+----------------------------------------------------------------------+
                ¦    ¦    ¦                                                     ¦      ¦
                +----+----+-----------------------------------------------------+------¦
                ¦    ¦III.¦Warrantless Use of GPS Tracking Devices/Traffic Stops¦784   ¦
                +----------------------------------------------------------------------+
                
+------------------------------------------+
                ¦  ¦  ¦A.¦GPS tracking device         ¦785 ¦
                +------------------------------------------+
                
+--------------------------------------------------------------------+
                ¦   ¦    ¦   ¦1. ¦Technical Background                        ¦785   ¦
                +---+----+---+---+--------------------------------------------+------¦
                ¦   ¦    ¦   ¦2. ¦GPS Tracker Installation and Re–Installation¦785   ¦
                +---+----+---+---+--------------------------------------------+------¦
                ¦   ¦    ¦   ¦3. ¦Constitutionality of the GPS tracker        ¦786   ¦
                +--------------------------------------------------------------------+
                
+------------------------------------------+
                ¦  ¦  ¦B.¦The Traffic Stops           ¦787 ¦
                +------------------------------------------+
                
+------------------------------------------------------+
                ¦   ¦   ¦   ¦1.¦Legal Standards                   ¦787 ¦
                +---+---+---+--+----------------------------------+----¦
                ¦   ¦   ¦   ¦2.¦Analysis                          ¦788 ¦
                +------------------------------------------------------+
                
+------------------------------------------------------+
                ¦   ¦   ¦   ¦  ¦a.¦Whigham Traffic Stop           ¦788 ¦
                +---+---+---+--+--+-------------------------------+----¦
                ¦   ¦   ¦   ¦  ¦b.¦Valle Traffic Stop             ¦789 ¦
                +---+---+---+--+--+-------------------------------+----¦
                ¦   ¦   ¦   ¦  ¦c.¦Proge Traffic Stop             ¦790 ¦
                +---+---+---+--+--+-------------------------------+----¦
                ¦   ¦   ¦   ¦  ¦d.¦de Vallejo Traffic Stop        ¦790 ¦
                +------------------------------------------------------+
                
+---------------------------------------------------------------------------+
                ¦    ¦    ¦                                                         ¦       ¦
                +----+----+---------------------------------------------------------+-------¦
                ¦    ¦IV. ¦Warrants Issued for the Search of Nine Detroit Properties¦791    ¦
                +---------------------------------------------------------------------------+
                
+----------------------------------+
                ¦                              ¦   ¦
                +------------------------------+---¦
                ¦CONCLUSION                    ¦793¦
                +------------------------------+---¦
                ¦                              ¦   ¦
                +------------------------------+---¦
                ¦ORDER                         ¦793¦
                +----------------------------------+
                
INTRODUCTION

This is a criminal drug prosecution. Defendants are charged with various drug dealing, firearms, and money laundering offenses. 21 U.S.C. §§ 841(a)(1) and 846; 18 U.S.C. §§ 924(c)(1) and 1956. The government contends that the defendants operated a large scale drug trafficking ring in Detroit and, among other things, imported large quantities of cocaine and heroin into the city.

In April 2012, eight of the fourteen defendants filed a Motion to Suppress Evidence and Request for an Evidentiary Hearing. See Mot. to Supress, ECF No. 74; see also Notices of Joinder/Concurrence, ECF Nos. 81, 87, 88, 94. The Court held a hearing on the motion on December 18, 2012. On January 4, 2013, the Court issued an order (1) making a preliminary finding that defendants Carlos Powell and Eric Powell had standing to contest admission of the evidence challenged in the motion; (2) denying the motion as to the challenged pen-register and trap-and-trace evidence; and (3) ordering an evidentiary hearing regarding federal...

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  • United States v. Espudo
    • United States
    • United States District Courts. 9th Circuit. United States District Court (Southern District of California)
    • July 19, 2013
    ...the government from obtaining it solely on the authority of the Pen/Trap statute. See United States v. Powell, 943 F.Supp.2d 759, 776–77, 2013 WL 1876761, at *13 (E.D.Mich. May 3, 2013) (“[T]he information sought here is clearly location data and the government therefore cannot acquire it s......
  • United States v. Caraballo
    • United States
    • United States District Courts. 2nd Circuit. District of Vermont
    • August 7, 2013
    ...to obtain location data without installing any device in or on the cell phone itself. See United States v. Powell, 943 F.Supp.2d 759, 777, 2013 WL 1876761, at *13 (E.D.Mich. May 3, 2013) (“Moreover, a cell phone is not a ‘tracking device’ as defined by 18 U.S.C. § 3117. First, a cell phone ......
  • United States v. Baker
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    • United States District Courts. 3th Circuit. United States District Court of Middle District of Pennsylvania
    • September 23, 2021
    ...real-time cellphone tracking. See U.S. v. Griggs, 2021 WL 3087985, at *2 (E.D. Mich. July 22, 2021) (citing United States v. Powell, 943 F. Supp. 2d 759, 778 (E.D. Mich. 2013) ) ("[A] specific showing is required to establish probable cause when the government seeks a warrant for long-term ......
  • United States v. White, Case No. 13–20423.
    • United States
    • United States District Courts. 6th Circuit. United States District Court (Eastern District of Michigan)
    • November 24, 2014
    ...cellular tracking data constituted a search that must be justified by probable cause and a warrant. United States v. Powell, 943 F.Supp.2d 759, 770 (E.D.Mich.2013) (Stephen J. Murphy, J.). Other courts have concurred. See United States v. Davis, 754 F.3d 1205, 1217 (11th Cir.2014) (“[C]ell ......
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