United States v. Samuel Scroggins

TJOFLAT, Circuit Judge:

I

In November 1987, inspectors in the United States Postal Service began to investigate a number of instances in which self-service stamp vending machines had been forced open and their funds removed. During the course of the investigation, postal inspectors placed surveillance cameras at various post offices. On December 16, 1987, one of these cameras recorded Samuel Scroggins prying open and removing the funds inside a stamp vending machine located in Jonesboro, Georgia. Scroggins was subsequently arrested and agreed to talk with law enforcement officials after viewing…