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Cooperating source is seeking disclosure of OAG’s informants
Man is also accused of selling ‘ice’
Janet King
The defense counsel in the case of a man accused of selling methamphetamine or “ice” wants the court to order the Office of the Attorney general to disclose who their informants were prior to trial.
Qiu Yongqiang, through his attorney Janet King, has filed a motion asking the Superior Court to compel the Office of the Attorney General to reveal the identity of its informants.
In her motion to compel, King said the Commonwealth intends to prove at trial that a “Chinese male” who handed methamphetamine to a Drug Enforcement Task Force Cooperating Source No. 831495 or CS and Cooperating Defendant No. 045779 or CD on two occasions was Qiu.
The lawyer noted that on April 12, 2022, a Chinese male known to the CS as “Jason” handed the CS approximately 0.7 gross gram of methamphetamine.
On this date, King stated, a Drug Enforcement Task Force rode in CS’ vehicle.
On April 27, 2022, a Chinese male known to the CD as “Brother” handed the CD two small Ziploc bags with approximately 1.6 gross grams of methamphetamine.
Later, the CD identified “Brother” as Qiu. No DETF officer accompanied the CD during this exchange, King said.
“CS and CD played prominent roles in the arrest and prosecution of the defendant and therefore their identities are “relevant and helpful” and should be disclosed, King said,” she stated.
King claims, based on these arguments, that her client could prove that CS would contradict DETF’s Cris Deleon Guerrero’s version of the events or exculpate the defendant.
King said the defendant is entitled to the disclosure of CD’s identity because the informant is the only witness in a position to amplify or contradict the testimony of the defendant.
“Similarly alarming is that the CD identified the Chinese male in the transaction on April 27, 2022 as ‘Brother’ [but] there is no other information how CD later identified ‘Brother’ as this defendant,” the lawyer stated.
The court is set to commence Qui’s jury trial on Oct. 11, 2022.
According to court documents, following a “buy-walk” operation conducted by the Department of Public Safety-Drug Enforcement Task Force in April 2022, Qiu was identified by informers as a drug dealer who sold methamphetamine.
Qiu, 34, is currently facing charges with trafficking of a controlled substance.
