United States First Circuit

In this criminal case, the district court denied defendant's motion to suppress both the heroin discovered in hidden compartments of his laptop computer and video game console, and some of the statements he made to US Customs and Border Protection officers upon returning to Puerto Rico from Colombia. Defendant also made statements regarding drug trafficking activity. The case is remanded so that defendant may have the option of withdrawing his guilty plea and proceeding to trial should he choose to do so, where: 1) the motion to suppress the seized heroin and the motion to suppress the statements made upon reentry to Puerto Rico were properly denied, but the statements regarding defendant's drug trafficking activity should have been suppressed; and 2) though it is highly unlikely that the suppression of the drug trafficking activity statements would have affected defendant's decision to plead guilty, it is defendant's decision to make and not the court's decision.

Appellate Information

• Decided 03/20/2015
• Published 03/20/2015

Judges

• Torruella

Court

• United States First Circuit

Counsel