United States v. Debrew

Darrell James Debrew pled guilty to possession with intent to distribute crack cocaine in violation of 21 U.S.C.A. § 841(a)(1) (West 1981). He now appeals and challenges the district courts denial of his motion to suppress evidence. He asserts that (i) the detectives improperly seized him before they searched his luggage because they lacked reasonable suspicion or probable cause; (ii) the detectives searched his luggage without his consent; (iii) assuming he consented to the luggage search, he limited the consent so that it did not extend to the false bottom of the closed metal container from which the detectives seized the cocaine; and (iv) the detectives obtained his statements in violation of his Fourth, Fifth, and Sixth Amendment rights because the Miranda warnings were inadequate as a matter of law, and such statements constituted fruits of the poisonous tree. We disagree and affirm.