In this consolidated appeal, Alion Andersson and Charles W. Hinck appeal their convictions of conspiracy to possess cocaine with intent to distribute in violation of 21 U.S.C. §§ 841(a)(1) and 846 (1982) (“Count One”), possession of 21 kilograms of cocaine with intent to distribute (“Count Two”), and distribution of four kilograms of cocaine (“Count Three”). They argue that (1) the warrantless search of a hotel room containing the cocaine was improper; (2) the trial court erroneously admitted hearsay evidence of a coconspirator’s statement; (3) the trial court erred in permitting two witnesses to testify as experts; and (4) the Government did not comply with the disclosure requirements of
Brady v. Maryland,
I. FACTS
To summarize, this case concerns the arrest of several individuals involved in a cocaine transaction. Andersson and Hinck allegedly brought the cocaine to a hotel near the San Francisco airport, where they gave it to others who attempted to sell the cocaine to an undercover narcotics agent. While the actual negotiations took place, Andersson and Hinck left the hotel and *1453 drove around nearby streets. Before the sale was completed, federal and San Mateo County officers arrested all of the defendants almost simultaneously.
The evidence, viewed in the light most favorable to the Government, revealed the following details concerning the drug transaction. Fred Mirgoli, a drug dealer turned Drug Enforcement Agency (“DEA”) informant, asked Shahab Gousheh, a heavy cocaine user to whom he had formerly supplied drugs, if Gousheh knew of a dealer who could supply cocaine to a buyer Mirgoli knew. Gousheh contacted Craig Daniels and Andrew Smith, and eventually they agreed to supply Mirgoli with 21 kilograms of cocaine. Daniels and Smith checked into the Burlingame Sheraton Hotel near the San Francisco airport. Mirgoli checked into the nearby Hyatt Hotel and then went to the Sheraton to discuss the upcoming deal with Daniels, Smith, and Gousheh.
At 10:45 p.m., Daniels telephoned Mirgoli and told him to come to the Sheraton. When Mirgoli arrived, Daniels told him that the delivery would be made at the Hyatt in approximately 20-25 minutes, or about 11:30 p.m. Mirgoli and Gousheh left for Mirgoli’s room at the Hyatt; Daniels and Smith also went to the Hyatt, to Room 327, which Smith had checked into earlier.
In the meantime, at 11:00 p.m., federal agents and San Mateo County Sheriff’s investigators observed Andersson and Hinck rent a white Cadillac at the San Francisco airport. They followed the car to the Hyatt’s parking lot, where, at 11:15 p.m., the investigators saw Andersson and another man take a suitcase, which was later discovered to contain six kilograms of cocaine, into the first floor corridor of the hotel. Room 327 was on this corridor. One person then returned to the car and, after a short conversation, Hinck and perhaps a fourth occupant got out of the car, took out a second suitcase, which was later found to contain eight kilograms of cocaine, and also entered the first floor corridor. After five or ten minutes, or at approximately 11:30 p.m., the investigators saw Andersson and Hinck return to the car and drive away. The agents then saw Smith carry two suitcases from the first to the second floor of the hotel.
At approximately 11:30 p.m., Daniels called Mirgoli and told him to “come to the party.” When Mirgoli and Gousheh arrived at Rоom 327 at 11:45 p.m., they found Daniels alone in the room. Shortly thereafter, Smith arrived with the first suitcase. He then left again and returned with the second suitcase. At approximately midnight, Mirgoli received two kilograms of cocaine and left, ostensibly to have it tested. Then, Smith once again carried the two suitcases to the second floor.
Meanwhile, investigators Alvarez and Young had been following the white Cadillac. Andersson and Hinck drove to a warehouse, which Andersson used for his business. Andersson entered the warehouse and after approximately five minutes, he emerged with an athletic bag. Andersson and Hinck then returned to the Hyatt sometime after midnight and were seen carrying the bag into the hotel. Later, the athletic bag was found in Room 327 and it contained a cash-counting machine. The investigators saw Andersson, Hinck, and a third man emerge from the hotel, shake hands, and Andersson and Hinck again drove off; the third man returned to the hotel. Andersson and Hinck then drove around nearby areas until they returned to the vicinity of the Hyatt shortly after 1:00 a.m.
After leaving Room 327 at midnight, Mirgoli had turned the “samples” over to government agents at approximately 12:15 a.m. Because the agents did not know which room on the second floor was the “stash room,” Mirgoli called Daniels in Room 327 to ask for additional “samples,” in order to give the agents another chance to observe Smith’s trips to the second floor. A government agent then saw Smith in the vicinity of Room 414. After reviеwing the registration cards for several rooms, he decided, based on an incomplete registration card and the fact that the room had been paid for in cash, that Room 414 was probably the “stash room.”
*1454 Mirgoli returned to Room 327 at approximately 1:00 a.m., where Daniels was arrested at 1:15 a.m. Shortly thereafter, Smith, who had been seen walking into Room 414, left this room with Gousheh for the lobby, where they were arrested at 1:25 a.m. At 1:29 a.m., agents knocked on the door of Room 414; when they received no response, they used a passkey to enter the room. There they found James Dorn, and two suitcases, one of which was open and contained approximately six kilograms of cocaine. Dorn was arrested and they then opened the second suitcase and discovered an additional eight kilograms of cocaine. In the meantime, Andersson and Hinck had been arrested near the Hyatt at approximately 1:20 a.m.
A Federal Grand Jury indicted Andersson, Hinck, Gousheh, Daniels, Smith, and Dorn on three counts: (1) conspiracy to possess cocaine with intent to distribute in violation of 21 U.S.C. §§ 841(a)(1) and 846 (1982); (2) possession of 21 kilograms of cocaine with intent to distribute in violation of 21 U.S.C. § 841(a)(1) (1982); and (3) distribution of four kilograms of cocaine in violation of 21 U.S.C. § 841(a)(1) (1982).
Shortly before trial began, on October 1, 1984, Daniels, Smith, Dorn, and Gousheh, through plea bargains, entered guilty pleas. Gousheh later agreed to testify for the Government. On October 16, the jury convicted Anderssоn and Hinck on all counts. Andersson received the following consecutive sentences: Count One (conspiracy): four years’ imprisonment, three years’ special parole, $25,000 fine; Count Two (possession with intent to distribute): four years’ imprisonment, three years’ special parole, $25,000 fine; Count Three (distribution): two years’ imprisonment, three years’ special parole, $25,000 fine. Hinck was sentenced to five years’ imprisonment on each count, to run concurrently, to three years’ special parole, and was not fined.
II. THE SEARCH OF ROOM 414 AND THE CLOSED SUITCASE
Andersson and Hinck contend that the warrantless search of Room 414 was not justified by exigent circumstances, and that the search of the closed suitcase, which contained apprоximately half of the cocaine seized, was also illegal. The Government disputes these contentions and also argues that appellants do not have standing to raise these issues on appeal.
A. Standing
The Government argues that appellants do not have standing to challenge the search of Room 414 because they did not demonstrate either ownership or a reasonable expectation of privacy and thus did not meet their burden of proof under
Rakas v. Illinois,
The Supreme Court in
Rakas
noted that the inquiry is more accurately focused upon whether a particular defendant’s own Fourth Amendment rights have been violated as a part of the merits of defendant’s claim rather than on a concept of “standing.”
The mоtion to suppress was made by defendant Dorn, who rented the room and clearly had a reasonable expectation of privacy in it. Andersson and Hinck merely joined in that motion. In that context, the district court did not deal with the issue of whether Andersson and Hinck had a reasonable expectancy of privacy in the room. It ruled on the justification for the warrantless search of the room and the suitcase and concluded that the searches were justified. Because we affirm the conclusion of the district court on that basis, we need not consider the issue of whether Andersson and Hinck had a legitimate expectation of privacy.
B. Room 414
A warrantless entry into a hotel room must be justified by exigent cirсumstances.
United States v. Alfonso,
Exigency has been defined as those circumstances that would cause a reason *1455 able person to believe that entry ... was necessary to prevent physical harm to the officers or other persons, the destruction of relevant evidence, the escape of the suspect, or some other consequence improperly frustrating legitimate law enforcement efforts.
Alfonso,
In essence, Andersson and Hinck argue that there were no exigent circumstances justifying the warrantless entry into Room 414; or, alternatively, if such circumstances did exist, they were created by the agents themselves. Specifically, they contend that the agents knew the location of the cocaine “hours” before they entered Room 414.
The Government first learned that the sale would take place in the Sheraton at 10:45 p.m., when Daniels called Mirgoli. However, at that point, the room identified was Room 327, not Room 414. The agents did not learn the location of the “stash room” until sometime after midnight, when Agent Dershaw saw Smith in the vicinity of Room 414 and checked the registration cards for the second floor rooms. In the meantime, Daniels and the others in Room 327, the “sale room,” were waiting for Mirgoli to return and inform them whether the sale would be consummated. Thus, the agents had only a short time in which to decide whether to arrest the defendants and sеarch the hotel rooms. In fact, the first arrest, that of Daniels, occurred at 1:15 a.m., and agents entered Room 414 at 1:29 a.m.
As the Government points out, other factors also show the existence of exigent circumstances. First, the agents were uncertain as to the number of individuals involved. It was reasonable to assume that unknown individuals were guarding the cocaine in Room 414, thus raising the possibility that these individuals might become alarmed when the others did not return and either destroy the evidence or escape. In fact, a hitherto unidentified individual, James Dorn, was found in Room 414.
See, e.g., Alfonso,
Appellants contend that, at a minimum, the agents should have obtained a telephonic warrant. In
United States v. Manfredi,
C. The Suitcase
When the agents entered Room 414, they found James Dorn standing next to a bed upon which rested two suitcases. One of the suitcases was open and contained cocaine. After arresting Dorn, the agents opened the other suitcase and found additional cocaine. Appellants contend that the search of the second suitcase was illegal.
“[A] police officer may, incident to a lawful arrest, conduct a contemporaneous warrantless search of the arrestee’s person and of the area into which the arrestee might reach to retrieve a weapon or destroy evidence---- Containers found within that area may also be searched contemporaneously with the arrest.”
United States v. Burnette,
III. THE DANIELS STATEMENT
During most of the night’s events, Gousheh was in Room 327 with Daniels. When Gousheh heard Andersson and Hinck, who had returned to the Hyatt with the cash-counting machine, knock on the door, he went first into the bathroom to freshen up and then returned to the bedroom area. Daniels briefly introduced Gousheh to Andersson and Hinck, and then Daniels accompanied them back to the white Cadillac. When Daniels returned to Room 327, Gousheh asked Daniels what was going on. According to Gousheh’s testimony, Daniels replied: “Nothing. They just want to know if he’s doing O.K. or if everything is going O.K.” Andersson and Hinck argue that Gousheh’s testimony about Daniels’s statement was improperly admitted under Federal Rule of Evidence 801(d)(2)(E) and also violated their rights under the Sixth Amendment’s Confrontation Clause.
Federal Rule of Evidence 801(d)(2)(E) provides that a statement is not hearsay if it is “a statement by a coconspirator of a party during the course and in furtherance of the conspiracy.” Before a statement may be admitted, the proponent must show: “(1) that the declaration be in furtherance of the conspiracy; (2) that the declaration be made during the course of the conspiracy; and (3) that there is independent proof of the existence of the conspiracy and of the connection of the declarant and the defendant with it.”
United States v. Perez,
We review a trial court’s finding that statements were made “during the course of” and “in furtherance of” the conspiracy under the clearly erroneous standard.
United States v. Smith,
We have, on many occasions, sought to define the “in furtherance of” requirement. We have stated that “mere conversations between co-conspirators” or “merely narrative declarations” are not admissible as statements in furtherance of a conspiracy____ Instead, the statements must “further the common objectives of the conspiracy,” or “set in motion transactions that [are] an integral part of the [conspiracy].”
United States v. Layton,
This raises the question of whether, by meeting the requirements ' of Rule 801(d)(2)(E), Daniels’s statement also sur
*1457
vives a challenge under the Sixth Amendment’s Confrontation Clause. In
Ohio v. Roberts,
With regard to its first argument, the Government asserts that the Court’s statement in
Roberts
that “[reliability can be inferred without more in a case where the evidence falls within a firmly rooted hearsay exception” should apply here.
The four factors to be considered under Dutton are:
(1) whether the statements аre assertions of past fact, (2) whether the declarant had personal knowledge concerning the crime, (3) the possibility of faulty recollection, and (4) whether the circumstances suggest that the declarant misrepresented the defendant’s role____ All four indicators need not be present.
Tille,
IV. EXPERT TESTIMONY
Andersson and Hinck challenge the admission of certain testimony by Mirgoli and Alvarez as expert testimony. Under Federal Rule of Evidence 702, “a witness qualified as an expert by knowledge, skill, experience, training, or education” may offer expert testimony “[i]f scientific, technical, or other specialized knowledge will assist the trier of fact to understand the evidence or to determine a fact in issue.” Admission of expert testimony is a matter within the broad discretion of the trial judge.
Fleishman,
First, appellants argue that Mirgoli should not have been allowed to testify as an expert witness because he lacked sufficient expertise in drug operations. However, given Mirgoli’s participation in over 50 similar drug sales, the district court did not abuse its discretion by finding that Mirgoli was qualified to testify about drug transactions. Appellants also contend that allowing Mirgoli to testify as an expert witness improperly buttressed his credibility by removing the “taint” of his status as a government informant. However, a review of the record shows that the trial judge properly instructed the jury that, because Mirgoli was a paid informant, his testimony should be considered with greater care than that given by an ordinary witness. Under these circumstances, we find that the trial court did not abuse its discretion in admitting Mirgoli’s testimony about drug transactions.
Second, appellants argue that Alvarez should not have been allowed tо testify that Andersson and Hinck engaged in “counter-surveillance techniques,” i.e., driving in a manner designed to determine if they were being followed, because the Government had not established that there was specific evidence that such driving techniques were associated with cocaine transactions. However, the record shows that the district court did have such evidence before it in this case. During the afternoon, Daniels had successfully eluded agents who were trailing him to the “stash house” in Woodside. Thus, the district court did not abuse its discretion in admitting Alvarez’s testimony.
V. BRADY AND JENCKS ACTS CLAIMS
Appellants first argue that the Government did not comply with
Brady v. Maryland,
A. Mendez’s Notes
Brady v. Maryland
requires the prosecution to disclose evidence that is both favorable to the accused and material either to guilt or punishment.
Here, the record shows that Gousheh spoke to government officials three times. First, shortly after his arrest, Gousheh was interviewed by a DEA agent. He did not mention the Daniels statement at that time. The DEA form recording this interview was turned over to appellants. Second, after he had decided to cooperate with the Government, Gousheh was interviewed by Mendez but did not discuss the Daniels statement. Gousheh was also interviewed by defense counsel at this time and did not mention the Daniels statement. Finally, shortly before he- was to testify, Gousheh told Mendez about the Daniels statement. Mendez then informed bоth defense counsel and the court, which held a separate hearing in which defense counsel were allowed to cross-examine Gousheh about his expected testimony. During this hearing, defense counsel did not ask Gousheh about any prior statements he may have made to government officials. Given these circumstances, in which the Government promptly disclosed additional information to the defense and defense counsel were afforded an opportunity to examine Gousheh before his testimony was presented to the jury, we find that the Government complied with its obligations under Brady.
B. Agent Alvarez’s Notes
While observing appellants’ activities, Alvarez took four pages of notes, which apparently listed the sites visited by the white Cadillac after it left the Hyatt, but did not include the routes taken between the various destinations. He then turned the notes over to another agent, who wrote a report that did not include Alvarez’s observations. This report was given to appellants. Sometime later, Alvarez prepared a supplemental report, also given to appellants, which listed the Cadillac’s destinations but not the routes travelled. During this time, Alvarez’s original notes were apparently lost. Appellants argue that the Government was obligated to produce Alvarez’s notes under the Jencks Act, which requires that the Government produce any statements made by its witnesses after they have testified at trial.
In
United States v. Harris,
VI. SENTENCES
Appellants argue that the district court improperly imposed consecutive sentences for Count Two (possession with intent to distribute) and Count Three (distribution). They rely on
United States v. Palafox,
The Government argues that the indictment in this case was drawn to reflect the two-step, two-level nature of the transaction and is different from the convictions in Palafox. The Government states that the appellants were charged with possession with intent to distribute a 21-kilogram bulk *1460 amount of cocaine that was delivered to Daniels, and that they were charged with distribution of four kilograms of cocaine by Daniels to Mirgoli on a coconspirator theory. It contends that this case differs from Palafox because the possession and distribution to Daniels involved a different time, a slightly different place, and different participants. It cites United States v. Rodriguez-Ramirez, 777 F.2d 454, 457-58 (9th Cir.1985), in support of this argument. There, a conviction and separate sentence for the distribution of a sample and a subsequent sale two days later was upheld.
In this case, it is clear that the coconspirators of Andersson and Hinck possessed 21 kilograms of cocaine in the hotel with the intent to distribute, and that they thereafter distributed a sample of four kilograms in the hotel with the intent of completing the sale of the 21 kilograms to the same customer, Mirgoli, at the same place, immediately after approval of the sample. The jury was properly instructed that Andersson and Hinck could be found guilty of those substantive crimes committed by their coconspirators in carrying out the conspiracy.
See Pinkerton v. United States,
Having determined that appellants are entitled to relief, we must consider what relief is appropriate. Each defendant is entitled to have the judgment of conviction and the sentence vacated аnd stayed on one of the two counts in accordance with
Palafox.
The Government contends that we should remand for resentencing in Andersson’s case. Andersson argues that we should follow the procedure in
Palafox
and that we should simply remand with instructions that the district court vacate and stay the judgment of conviction and sentence on one of the two counts.
Palafox
involved the imposition of two concurrent five-year sentences for a single criminal undertaking.
Similarly, in
United States v. Touw,
Andersson further contends that resentencing is inappropriate when service of the sentence has already begun. Relying principally on
United States v. Best,
The
DiFrancesco
Court held that the Double Jeopardy Clause did not prohibit the Government from appealing the defendant’s “dangerous special offender” sentence.
This Court’s decisions in the sentencing area clearly establish that a sentence does not have the qualities of constitutional finality that attend an acquittal____
The double jeopardy considerations that bar reprosecution after an acquittal do not prohibit review of a sentence. We have noted above the basic design of the double jeopardy provision, that is, as a bar agаinst repeated attempts to convict, with consequent subjection of the defendant to embarrassment, expense, anxiety, and insecurity, and the possibility that he may be found guilty even though innocent____
The Double Jeopardy Clause does not provide the defendant with the right to know at any specific moment in time what the exact limit of his punishment will turn out to be____
Id.
at 134, 136, 137,
Similarly, we conclude that Andersson has no legitimate expectation of finality in the original sentence when he has placed those sentences in issue by direct appeal and has not completed serving a valid sentence.
2
Further, resentencing here does not implicate concerns regarding multiple punishments or successive prosecutions. Our examination of
DiFrancesco
leads us to conclude that the Double Jeopardy Clause does not provide an absolute bar to the resentencing of Andersson here.
Accord United States v. Colunga,
The vacating of both sentences is particularly appropriate when, as here, there is not one legal and one illegal sentence. Rather, it is the coexistence of the two sentences which causes the illegality. Neither of the sentences has priority.
Therefore, we affirm Andersson’s and Hinck’s conviction on Count One. We remand the case to the district court with instructions:
1. In Hinck’s case, to vacate the judgment of conviction on Count Two or Three and to stay the entry of judgment and imposition of sentence on the other. The stay is to become permanent upon the completion of the sentence on the remaining count.
2. In Andersson’s case, to vacate the judgments of conviction on Counts Two and Three and to resentence on the two counts with the sentence on each to be no more severe than the combined sentence of Counts Two and Three. The judgment of conviction and imposition of sentence on one of the two counts shall be stayed. The stay is to become permanent upon completion of the sentence on the remaining count.
Notes
. While a coconspirator’s statement technically is excluded from the definition of hearsay under Fed.R.Evid. 801(d)(2)(E), rather than being classified as a hearsay exception, both the Supreme Court, in
Inadi
and
Dutton,
and this court apply a hearsay exception analysis, focusing on the necessity and reliability of the testimony.
See, e.g., United States v. O’Connor,
. Contrast
United States v. Arrellano-Rios,
.
But see United States v. Jones,
