United States v. Folse

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA Plaintiff, v. KEVIN FOLSE Defendant.

No. CR 15-2485 JB

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE DISTRICT OF NEW MEXICO

February 21, 2019

SEALED MEMORANDUM OPINION AND ORDER¹

THIS MATTER comes before the Court on the Defendant Kevin Folse's Motion to Seal a Portion of Sentencing Hearing, filed March 12, 2018 (Doc. 254)("Motion"). The Court held a hearing on March 19, 2018. See Sealed Clerk's Minutes, filed March 19, 2018 (Doc. 263). The primary issue is whether the Court should seal the portions of Defendant Kevin Folse's sentencing hearing in which Folse discusses his cooperation with New Mexico Corrections Department officers ("Corrections Officers"). As such information's disclosure threatens Folse's and the Correction Officers' safety, and may hamper the investigations' success and no alternative measures exist to avoid these harms, the Court will seal the relevant segments of the sentencing hearing and will seal the transcript in its entirety. Accordingly, the Court will grant Folse's Motion.

FACTUAL BACKGROUND

The Court recited this case's facts and early procedural history in its Memorandum Opinion and Order at 2-7, 301 F. Supp. 3d 1037, 1041-46, filed October 5, 2017 (Doc. 247)("MOO"). The Court incorporates that recitation here. The Court includes the MOO's footnotes.

The Court takes its factual account from the Presentence Investigation Report, filed May 10, 2017 (Doc. 220)("PSR"). . . .

Between June 30 and July 2, 2015, [Albuquerque Police Department ("APD")] detectives searched for Folse, a.k.a. "Criminal," who was fleeing from law enforcement and had "committed various violent crimes" during flight. PSR ¶ 5, at 4. On July 2, 2015, APD officers stopped a stolen black Cadillac . . . . PSR ¶ 6, at 4. Although the officers determined that Folse was not the driver, the driver stated that he had just purchased the vehicle from Folse and that Folse was located at 1825 Pitt Street NE in Albuquerque, New Mexico. See PSR ¶ 6, at 4. APD dispatched officers to the residence, . . . . See PSR ¶ 7, at 4. The officers failed, however, to positively identify the man. See PSR ¶ 7, at 4. An APD detective then proceeded to the back of the residence and observed an individual -- later identified as Valente Estrada -- looking out the back window. See PSR ¶ 7, at 4. Estrada said the front door was "barricaded" and that he was alone in the residence. PSR ¶ 8, at 5.

Shortly thereafter, the man first observed at the front door -- later identified as Folse -- "had [Estrada] join four other individuals in the bedroom with Angela Murray," Folse's girlfriend,² where Folse "proceeded to take all of their cellular telephones and remove[] their batteries . . . ." PSR ¶ 8, at 5. Estrada "observed that Folse had both a knife and a handgun in his possession." PSR ¶ 8, at 5. To help "ease the tension," Estrada offered Folse and the others marijuana and methamphetamine. PSR ¶ 9, at 5. After consuming the methamphetamine, Folse threatened to stab one of the individuals and to hold "everyone in the room at gunpoint for seven hours."³ PSR ¶ 9, at 5. Tensions were high, because Murrayhad challenged Folse to prove that he had not "been with any of the women in the house[.]" PSR ¶ 10, at 5. In response to this challenge, Folse "pulled out his gun and started pistol-whipping one of the females in the home." PSR ¶ 10, at 5.

Folse eventually decided to leave the residence, but, before leaving, Folse ordered Estrada to hand over the keys to his 2002 silver Saturn passenger vehicle. See PSR ¶ 11, at 5. Estrada complied with Folse's order, fearing that he "had no choice . . . based on the continuous threats and acts of violence against him." PSR ¶ 11, at 5. Folse and Murray then exited the house, and ordered Estrada and one of Murray's female friends into the Saturn. See PSR ¶ 11, at 5. Estrada and the friend "did not feel they had a choice but to go with Folse . . . ." PSR ¶ 11, at 5.

APD received information that Folse had departed the house in a silver Saturn. See PSR ¶ 12, at 5. Officers soon caught up to the Saturn and attempted to conduct a traffic stop . . . . See PSR ¶ 12, at 5. . . . [T]he vehicle . . . "crashed violently, rolling the car onto its roof." PSR ¶ 13, at 6. As APD arrived on the scene, "the vehicle was still spinning and four individuals emerged from the broken windows." PSR ¶ 13, at 6.

Folse and Murray fled on foot. See PSR ¶ 13, at 6. As they entered a residential street, they came upon a 2008 Kia Sorrento sitting in a driveway with the engine running. See PSR ¶ 14, at 6. Folse opened the driver-side door and told Michael B., a juvenile sitting in the passenger seat, that he had "three seconds to get out." PSR ¶ 14, at 6. Michael B. complied with Folse's order, but as Michael B. was exiting the car, Folse backed the car out of the driveway and clipped Michael B.'s left shoulder with the open car door. See PSR ¶ 14, at 6; id. ¶ 16, at 6. In an interview and later at trial, Michael B. testified that Folse had a firearm; immediately after the incident, however, he told a 911 operator that Folse did not have a firearm. See PSR ¶ 14, at 6; id. ¶ 16, at 6.

APD officers later located the Kia Sorrento and recognized Folse as the driver. See PSR ¶ 15, at 6. When the officers attempted another vehicle stop, Folse again failed to yield. See PSR ¶ 15, at 6. "A vehicle pursuit ensued, but was discontinued due to the reckless driving by Folse." PSR ¶ 15, at 6. Folse eventually abandoned the Kia Sorrento on Interstate 40, hopped the freeway retaining wall, and "ran towards a business complex where he was able to get a ride out of the area." PSR ¶ 15, at 6.

The next day, on July 3, 2015, APD located Folse at a Seven-Eleven store in Albuquerque. See PSR ¶ 17, at 6. When officers attempted to arrest Folse, he fled the scene in a stolen 1999 Ford F-150 truck.⁴See PSR ¶ 17, at 6. A vehiclepursuit again ensued, but "officers disengaged from the chase because Folse was putting the public at risk of being harmed." PSR ¶ 17, at 6. Later that day, Isleta Pueblo Police Department officers observed the Ford F-150 truck parked at the Isleta Casino outside Albuquerque. See PSR ¶ 17, at 6. After reviewing security tapes, officers confirmed that Folse was in the Casino. See PSR ¶ 17, at 6. When Folse exited Isleta Casino, officers arrested him without incident. See PSR ¶ 17, at 6. The keys to the stolen F-150 were in his pocket. See PSR ¶ 17, at 6.

MOO at 2-5, 301 F. Supp. 3d at 1043-46.

Folse has been incarcerated at the North Facility of the Penitentiary of Santa Fe, New Mexico ("North Facility") -- a maximum security unit -- since November, 2015. See Defendant Kevin Folse's Sealed Memorandum in Support of Motion to Seal a Portion of Sentencing Hearing at 1, filed March 12, 2018 (Doc. 255)("Memo."). During this time, Folse has been cooperating with Corrections Officers "in critical undercover operations." Memo. at 2. The North Facility "houses some of the most violent and dangerous inmates in the state of New Mexico." Memo. at 4-5. The population includes many inmates with gang connections. See Memo. at 4-5. Folse has, among other things, informed the Corrections Officers about shanks hidden in inmates' cells, "worked 'undercover'" to facilitate "a purported drug transaction," and helped uncover "corruption and contraband at the prison." Memo. at 3-4. His cooperation has facilitated recovering shanks, intercepting an attack on Corrections Officers, and apprehending a Corrections Officer who was distributing drugs. See Memo. at 3-4. Aaron Vigil, the "Deputy Warden for the North Facility," Memo. at 2, promised Folse nothing for his "cooperation," but Folse returned "accurate, reliable and useful information that yielded tangible results," Memo. at 4. At the time of the Motion's filing, Folse was continuing such "cooperation and assistance." Memo. at 4-5.

PROCEDURAL BACKGROUND

On July 14, 2015, a [federal G]rand [J]ury indicted Folse for: (i) being a felon in possession of a firearm, in violation of 18 U.S.C. §§ 922(g)(1) and 924(a)(2) (Count I); (ii) carjacking a silver Saturn, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2119 (Count II); and (iii) using, carrying, and brandishing a firearm in relation to and in furtherance of a crime of violence, i.e., carjacking the Saturn, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 924(c) (Count III). See Indictment at 1-2, filed July 14, 2015 (Doc. 10)("Indictment"). On September 9, 2015, a [federal G]rand [J]ury returned a Superseding Indictment. See Superseding Indictment 1, filed September 10, 2015 (Doc. 31)("Superseding Indictment"). The Superseding Indictment preserves the original Indictment's three counts and adds two new counts. Count IV charges Folse with carjacking a 2008 Kia Sorrento, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2119, see Superseding Indictment ¶ 4, at 3, and Count V charges Folse with using, carrying, and brandishing a firearm in relation to and in furtherance of a crime of violence, i.e., carjacking the Kia Sorrento, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 924(c), see Superseding Indictment ¶ 5, at 3. Plaintiff United States [of America] . . . later dismissed Count V, because it obtained evidence that Folse did not use a firearm in the second alleged carjacking. See United States' Unopposed Motion to Dismiss Count Five of the Superseding Indictment ¶¶ 5-9, at 3, filed October 1, 2015 (Doc. 83). On October 8, 2015, following a three-day trial, a jury convicted Folse on all four remaining counts. See Verdict at 1, filed October 8, 2015 (Doc. 105).

MOO at 5-7, 301 F. Supp. 3d at 1041-43. Folse's sentencing hearing is scheduled for March 21, 2018. See Notice, filed March 9, 2018 (Doc. 253).

1. The Motion.

In the Motion, Folse requests that the Court seal "a portion of his sentencing hearing . . . so that counsel for Mr. Folse may present certain evidence and arguments to the Court which bears on the Court's sentencing analysis under the 18 U.S.C. § 3553(a) factors." Motion at 1. With the Motion, Folse filed the sealed Memo. which...