NAJAM, Judge.
Freddie Boggess was convicted of dealing in methamphetamine, as a Class B felony; possession of chemical reagents or precursors with intent to manufacture, as a Class D felony; driving while suspended, as a Class A misdemeanor; and false informing, as a Class B misdemeanor, following a jury trial. He appeals his convictions for dealing in methamphetamine and possession of chemical reagents or precursors with intent to manufacture, raising the following issues for review:
We affirm.
On the evening of July 7, 2011, Boggess was driving his mother's Dodge Caravan on State Road 8 in Starke County. Indiana State Police Master Trooper Douglas Parker saw that one of the minivan's headlights was unlit and initiated a traffic stop. When Trooper Parker asked Boggess for identification, Boggess stated that he did not have his license with him and identified himself as David Boggess. Trooper Parker checked that name in a database and determined that David Boggess was licensed to drive in Indiana with restrictions, and the vehicle registration for the minivan reflected its ownership by Dolores Boggess, Boggess' mother. Trooper Parker issued Boggess a warning in David Boggess' name concerning the unlit headlight and permitted Boggess to leave the scene.
On the afternoon of July 8, 2011, Boggess was again driving the minivan in Starke County when he passed a traffic stop being conducted by Starke County Sheriff's Deputy Adam Gray and Detective Robert Olejniczak. Detective Olejniczak saw Boggess drive past, recognized Boggess, and knew from prior experience that Boggess' driving privileges were suspended. Detective Olejniczak therefore asked Deputy Gray to stop Boggess' vehicle. Deputy Gray reentered his police car and initiated a traffic stop.
After stopping the minivan, Deputy Gray asked Boggess for his name and identification, and Boggess again identified himself as David Boggess. A short time later Detective Olejniczak arrived to assist Deputy Gray and stated that he knew Boggess as Freddie Boggess from prior encounters. Boggess continued to insist that he was David Boggess. To prove his asserted identity, he produced the written warning Trooper Parker had issued him the prior day. But the detective insisted that he could identify Boggess based upon certain tattoos. Deputy Gray requested information from dispatch about Freddie Boggess' physical characteristics. Boggess' visible tattoos matched the description for Freddie Boggess. Detective Olejniczak arrested Boggess and transported him to the Starke County Jail. A subsequent physical search at the jail confirmed Boggess' identity to be Freddie Boggess based upon numerous tattoos on his body.
Because Boggess was the only occupant of the minivan when he was arrested, Deputy Gray followed Starke County Sheriff's Department policy and inventoried the van's contents before it was towed from the scene. Soon after initiating the inventory search, Deputy Gray found a can of kerosene fuel, pickling salt, and coffee filters. Deputy Gray recognized these items as ones commonly found in mobile methamphetamine manufacturing laboratories, immediately ceased his search, and called for assistance from an Indiana State Police methamphetamine laboratory team.
Two Indiana State Police Troopers, Keith Bikowski and Brandon McBryer, arrived at the scene and searched the minivan. In the search they recovered the torn corner of a plastic bag containing a white powdery substance that was later determined to be 0.16 grams of methamphetamine, eight lithium batteries, used coffee filters, plastic tubing, a can of kerosene, a bottle of drain cleaner, a half-full box of pickling salt, a black nylon case containing five capped syringes with attached hypodermic needles, a digital scale, and a burned pen casing. In the cargo area they also found a plastic bag with a moist, brown sugar-like substance that tested positive for production of hydrochloric gas, which is produced by and used in the methamphetamine manufacturing process.
On July 13, the State charged Boggess with dealing in methamphetamine, as a Class B felony; possession of methamphetamine, as a Class D felony; possession of chemical reagents or precursors with intent to manufacture, as a Class D felony; driving while suspended, as a Class A misdemeanor; false informing, as a Class B misdemeanor; and with being an habitual offender. On November 15, 2011, the State filed an amended information omitting the habitual offender allegation. Following a jury trial on November 16 and 17, 2011, the jury found Boggess guilty of all charges. The trial court entered judgment on all counts except possession of methamphetamine.
On November 23, the court held a sentencing hearing and sentenced Boggess to seventeen years imprisonment for dealing in methamphetamine, three years imprisonment for possession of chemical reagents or precursors with intent to manufacture, one year imprisonment for driving while suspended, and six months imprisonment for false informing, all to be served concurrently. Boggess now appeals.
Our standard of review in sufficiency matters is well-settled. We consider only the probative evidence and reasonable inferences supporting the verdict. When reviewing a claim of sufficiency of the evidence, we do not reweigh the evidence or judge the credibility of the witnesses.
Boggess contends that the evidence is insufficient to support his conviction for dealing in methamphetamine.
Boggess maintains that the State did not show that he knowingly or intentionally possessed methamphetamine, with intent to manufacture the same, pure or adulterated. But Boggess stipulated that officers found in the van's center console a plastic baggie with a corner cut off and a torn corner of a plastic baggie containing a white powdery substance, which was later determined to be 0.16 grams of methamphetamine. Thus, the State showed that he possessed methamphetamine.
We next address whether the evidence is sufficient to show his intent to manufacture methamphetamine. Boggess argues that the State did not show that he actually or constructively possessed the precursors found inside the van. Actual possession occurs when an individual "`has direct physical control over the item.'"
Where the defendant has possession of the premises where contraband is discovered, but that possession is not exclusive, then the inference of intent must be supported by additional circumstances pointing to the defendant's knowledge of the nature of the controlled substances and their presence.
Here, Boggess was the only individual in the minivan when it was stopped on July 8, and he had driven the van the prior evening when Trooper Parker stopped him because of a nonfunctioning headlight. Boggess had borrowed the van from his mother two days earlier. The small corner of a plastic baggie that contained 0.16 grams of methamphetamine was located in the front console of the vehicle, which was within Boggess' reach while driving the minivan. Officers also found in the front area of the van eight lithium batteries, syringes, and a pen casing with burn marks. In the rear cargo area of the vehicle, in plain view along with Boggess' bag, were plastic aquarium tubing, kerosene, and soiled coffee filters. Trooper Bikowski also found the plastic bag containing the brown sugar-like substance that produced hydrochloric gas, which he testified was indicative of an ongoing methamphetamine manufacturing process. Other officers likewise testified that all of the seized items are commonly used in the manufacture of methamphetamine.
Some of the items were found within his reach in the driver's seat of the van, and the evidence taken from the cargo area was in plain view next to Boggess' personal property. And at both traffic stops, Boggess denied his identity, repeatedly so on the day of his arrest. Considered together, this evidence supports an inference that Boggess constructively possessed material used to manufacture methamphetamine. And from his possession of the precursors, we can reasonably infer that he intended to manufacture methamphetamine.
Boggess next contends that his convictions for dealing in methamphetamine and possession of chemical agents or precursors with intent to manufacturer violate double jeopardy principles under Indiana's actual evidence test. Article I, Section 14 of the Indiana Constitution provides that "[n]o person shall be put in jeopardy twice for the same offense." Our supreme court has explained that two offenses are the same offense if the statutory elements of the crime are the same or the actual evidence used to convict the defendant of two offenses is the same.
Under the actual evidence test, "the actual evidence presented at trial is examined to determine whether each challenged offense was established by separate and distinct facts."
Application of the actual evidence test requires the court to identify the essential elements of each of the challenged crimes and to evaluate the evidence from the fact-finder's perspective.
Here, Boggess was convicted of both dealing in methamphetamine ("Count I") and possession of chemical reagents or precursors with intent to manufacture ("Count III"). Again, to prove that Boggess committed Count I, the State was required to show that he possessed methamphetamine with intent to manufacture methamphetamine, pure or adulterated.
Contrary to Boggess' contention on appeal, and as mentioned above, officers found methamphetamine wrapped in a corner of a plastic baggie in the van.
In closing argument, the State referred to Boggess' possession of two of these four precursors as supporting a conviction for Count I:
Transcript at 259-60. In other words, the State relied on two of the four precursors listed on the charging information under Count III to support both convictions for both Count I and Count III.
But Count III of the charging information also alleged that Boggess possessed two other precursors, namely, salts and sulfuric acid. And Boggess cannot show that the State relied on the salts and sulfuric acid to support the conviction for Count I. The jury could have relied on Boggess' possession of salts and sulfuric acid, which would have been sufficient to convict him of Count III. As such, Boggess has not shown a reasonable possibility that the jury used the same evidence to establish all of the essential elements of both Count I and Count III. Boggess' double jeopardy argument must fail.
Affirmed.
KIRSCH, J., and MAY, J., concur.