Sanders v. Sears

The defendant appeals from his conviction under 21 U.S.C. § 841(a)(1) for possession with intent to distribute cocaine. The basis for this conviction was laid when Iowa City Police Officer Michael Brotherton received a tip from a Phoenix, Arizona, police officer that a Federal Express package addressed to the defendant appeared to be suspicious. After obtaining a search warrant, a team of officers from the Johnson County Multi-jurisdictional Task Force (an Iowa drug-interdiction unit) opened the package at the Federal Express office in Iowa City. After finding that the package contained drugs, the officers resealed the package and delivered it to the defendant at his residence. Shortly thereafter, the officers executed a second search warrant at the residence and took the defendant into custody.