United States v. Uiki Teaupa

MEMORANDUM

Uiki Teaupa appeals the district court’s denial of his motions to suppress incriminating statements he made to law enforcement officers concerning his involvement in illegal methamphetamine trafficking. He also appeals the district court’s applica tion of a two-level sentencing enhancement for obstruction of justice. We affirm.

1. Teaupa argues that his self-incriminating statements on October 20, 2009, February 23, 2011, and July 13, 2012, were involuntary confessions and therefore inadmissible. Acknowledging that when he made these statements he was not “in custody” for the purposes of Miranda v. Arizona, 384 U.S. 436 , 86 S.Ct. 1602 , 16 L.Ed.2d 694 (1966), he contends that his close personal relationship with one of the officers with whom he spoke, Edwin Bu-yten, and the lack of warning that his statements could be used against him in criminal proceedings rendered his statements involuntary. See United States v. Preston, 751 F.3d 1008 , 1016 n. 11 (9th Cir.2014) (en banc) (“[T]he voluntariness standard applies to suspects not in custody.”). We review de novo a district court’s conclusion that a confession was voluntary but “consider the district court’s factual…