U.S. v. Blitch

In prosecution on drug conspiracy and firearm charges, Dist. Ct. did not err in granting state’s motion in limine to preclude defendants from presenting entrapment defense, where instant charges arose out of police scheme to recruit individuals to rob fictional drug stash house that officials told defendants contained 15 kilograms of cocaine. While defendants argued that they were improperly induced to join scheme through promises of obtaining large quantity of cocaine, as well as “hundreds of thousands of dollars,” Ct. found that such promises did not qualify as improper inducements where said promises presented same temptation faced by anyone contemplating robbery and was nothing more than ordinary opportunity to commit crime. Moreover, record showed that officers told defendants that they would recruit others if defendants wanted to back out of scheme. Also, defendants’ predisposition to commit crime was established by one defendant’s enthusiasm to proceed with plan, as well as another defendant’s participation in generation of plan.