United States of America v. Edgar Adam Matos

A team of law enforcement officers from the United States Marshal Service Fugitive Task Force (FTF), including Detective Heege and Deputy Tait, staked out Edgar Matos’s (defendant) apartment in pursuit of Edgar’s cousin, Anthony Matos, who was wanted for murder. When Edgar exited the apartment, he allegedly voluntarily dropped two bags of cocaine in plain view, prompting Heege and Tait to arrest him. Then, without being read his Miranda warnings, Edgar allegedly made spontaneous and voluntary incriminating statements and consented to a search of his apartment, during which FTF officers found cocaine. Edgar was charged with possession of cocaine with intent to distribute. Edgar moved to suppress the evidence, arguing it was the result of an unconstitutional arrest. At the evidence-suppression hearing, Heege and Tait testified they had probable cause to arrest Edgar because they saw Edgar voluntarily throw two bags of cocaine on the ground in their plain view. Heege and Tait further testified that Edgar voluntarily and spontaneously told officers where to find the additional cocaine hidden in his apartment. The trial court held that (1) Tait and Heege’s testimony regarding Edgar’s voluntarily incriminating actions was not credible; and (2) Edgar was arrested without probable cause. The trial court issued an order suppressing all evidence. The government (plaintiff) moved to void the suppression order. At a supplemental suppression hearing, additional FTF officers testified to seeing the bags of cocaine on the ground outside Edgar’s apartment, but no one except Heege and Tait testified to seeing Edgar toss those bags on the ground. Further, additional testimony indicated that Edgar was arrested only to give FTF officers an excuse to search Edgar’s apartment for Anthony, FTF’s real target.