Filed: May 19, 2015
Latest Update: Mar. 02, 2020
Summary: UNPUBLISHED UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS FOR THE FOURTH CIRCUIT No. 13-4455 UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, Plaintiff - Appellee, v. JOSE DELORES VANEGAS, a/k/a Chivito, Defendant - Appellant. On Remand from the Supreme Court of the United States. (S. Ct. No. 14-5936) Submitted: April 28, 2015 Decided: May 19, 2015 Before DUNCAN, KEENAN, and WYNN, Circuit Judges. Affirmed by unpublished per curiam opinion. Joseph R. Pope, WILLIAMS MULLEN, Richmond, Virginia, for Appellant. Dana J. Boente, United Sta
Summary: UNPUBLISHED UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS FOR THE FOURTH CIRCUIT No. 13-4455 UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, Plaintiff - Appellee, v. JOSE DELORES VANEGAS, a/k/a Chivito, Defendant - Appellant. On Remand from the Supreme Court of the United States. (S. Ct. No. 14-5936) Submitted: April 28, 2015 Decided: May 19, 2015 Before DUNCAN, KEENAN, and WYNN, Circuit Judges. Affirmed by unpublished per curiam opinion. Joseph R. Pope, WILLIAMS MULLEN, Richmond, Virginia, for Appellant. Dana J. Boente, United Stat..
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UNPUBLISHED
UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS
FOR THE FOURTH CIRCUIT
No. 13-4455
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA,
Plaintiff - Appellee,
v.
JOSE DELORES VANEGAS, a/k/a Chivito,
Defendant - Appellant.
On Remand from the Supreme Court of the United States.
(S. Ct. No. 14-5936)
Submitted: April 28, 2015 Decided: May 19, 2015
Before DUNCAN, KEENAN, and WYNN, Circuit Judges.
Affirmed by unpublished per curiam opinion.
Joseph R. Pope, WILLIAMS MULLEN, Richmond, Virginia, for
Appellant. Dana J. Boente, United States Attorney, Richard D.
Cooke, Assistant United States Attorney, Richmond, Virginia, for
Appellee.
Unpublished opinions are not binding precedent in this circuit.
PER CURIAM:
This case is before us on remand from the United States
Supreme Court for further consideration in light of Riley v.
California, 573 U.S. ,
134 S. Ct. 2473 (2014). In United
States v. Vanegas, 560 F. App’x 191 (4th Cir.) (No. 13-4455),
vacated, U.S. ,
135 S. Ct. 377 (2014), we affirmed Jose
Delores Vanegas’ convictions for conspiracy to distribute
cocaine, 21 U.S.C. § 846 (2012), and possession of a firearm in
furtherance of a drug trafficking offense, 18 U.S.C. § 924(c)
(2012). After reviewing Vanegas’ appeal in light of Riley, we
affirm. *
In Riley, the Supreme Court held that a warrant is
generally required prior to a search of a cell phone. Riley,
134 S. Ct. 2493. This is true even when the cell phone is
seized incident to arrest. Vanegas contends that the search of
his cell phone incident to arrest and the use of the text
messages retrieved from the phone’s data cards was
unconstitutional in light of Riley. The Government asserts that
Vanegas waived his Fourth Amendment challenge by failing to file
a pretrial motion to suppress.
*
In the prior appeal, Vanegas challenged the jury
instructions and the sufficiency of the evidence regarding the
firearm charge. We reinstate our prior opinion affirming his
conviction. See Vanegas, 560 F. App’x at 192-94.
2
Rule 12 of the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure requires
that a motion to suppress be filed either before trial or by the
deadline established by the district court. Fed. R. Crim. P.
12(b)(3)(C), 12(c)(1). If the defendant fails to timely file
such a motion, he has waived his Fourth Amendment challenge
unless the court finds “good cause” for the delay. Fed. R.
Crim. P. 12(c)(3); see United States v. Moore,
769 F.3d 264,
267–68 (4th Cir. 2014) (affirming district court’s determination
that untimely motion to suppress was waived), cert. denied,
135
S. Ct. 1463 (2015); United States v. Sweat,
573 F. App'x 292,
295 (4th Cir.) (No. 13-4703) (noting that “we rarely grant
relief from the denial of an untimely suppression motion”),
cert. denied,
135 S. Ct. 157 (2014).
Vanegas did not move to suppress evidence prior to his
trial. During the sentencing hearing, Vanegas asserted that his
conviction was the result of an unconstitutional search. The
district court responded that it had looked carefully at the
evidence and did not find that any illegal evidence was
presented during the trial. When Vanegas referenced his cell
phone, the court responded that the wiretap evidence was
properly obtained and was authorized by a search warrant. When
Vanegas attempted to clarify that his challenge was to the
search of the contents of his cell phone and data cards, the
court noted his objection and continued with sentencing.
3
We conclude that Vanegas did not timely present his Fourth
Amendment challenge to the district court and therefore waived
this issue. See Fed. R. Civ. P. 12(b)(3)(C);
Moore, 769 F.3d at
267–68. Also, despite Vanegas’ assertion to the contrary, the
district court’s statements at sentencing did not amount to a
finding of good cause to excuse the waiver.
Id.
Having determined that Vanegas waived his Fourth Amendment
challenge to the search of his cell phone and data cards, we
conclude that the Supreme Court’s ruling in Riley,
134 S. Ct.
2493, does not affect the validity of Vanegas’ conviction.
Accordingly, we affirm. We dispense with oral argument because
the facts and legal contentions are adequately presented in the
materials before this court and argument would not aid the
decisional process.
AFFIRMED
4