Document ID: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-ca8-05-03737/USCOURTS-ca8-05-03737-0/pdf.json

Parties Involved:
Todd Eugene Stockwell
Appellant
United States of America
Appellee

Document Text:

1

The Honorable Mark Bennett, Chief Judge, United States District Court for the

Northern District of Iowa.

United States Court of Appeals

FOR THE EIGHTH CIRCUIT

___________

No. 05-3737

___________

United States of America, *

*

Appellee, *

* Appeal from the United States

v. * District Court for the 

* Northern District of Iowa.

Todd Eugene Stockwell, *

* [UNPUBLISHED]

Appellant. *

___________

Submitted: January 5, 2007

Filed: January 12, 2007

___________

Before RILEY, COLLOTON, and GRUENDER, Circuit Judges.

___________

PER CURIAM.

Todd Stockwell pleaded guilty to conspiring with unnamed others to

manufacture and distribute 50 grams or more of actual methamphetamine within 1,000

feet of an elementary school after having been convicted of a drug offense. See 21

U.S.C. §§ 841(a)(1), 841(b)(1)(A), 846, 851, and 860(a). At sentencing, the district

court1

 applied a four-level leader/organizer enhancement and increased the

presentence report’s recommended criminal history category, which resulted in a

Guidelines imprisonment range of 360 months to life. The court then granted the

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government’s substantial-assistance motions and--finding Stockwell eligible for a

much greater departure than the 15% the government had requested--sentenced him

to 190 months in prison (with an additional departure of 16 months for time served on

a state-court conviction, see U.S.S.G. § 5K2.23) and 10 years of supervised release.

Stockwell’s sole argument on appeal is that the role enhancement was erroneous. 

We conclude that the district court did not clearly err in applying the four-level

role enhancement in this case. See U.S.S.G. § 3B1.1(a) (enhancement is warranted

if defendant was “an organizer or leader of a criminal activity that involved five or

more participants or was otherwise extensive”); United States v. Mickle, 464 F.3d

804, 807-08 (8th Cir. 2006) (district court’s finding regarding role in offense is

reviewed for clear error); United States v. Lashley, 251 F.3d 706, 712 (8th Cir. 2001)

(this court broadly interprets terms “organizer” and “leader” for purposes of

§ 3B1.1(a)). According to the undisputed sentencing-hearing testimony of four of

Stockwell’s co-conspirators, there were at least five people involved in the conspiracy.

One co-conspirator, Wesley Erb, testified that Stockwell was the leader in their

relationship and that he made the rules and the plans with respect to manufacturing the

methamphetamine. Specifically, Stockwell determined when a “cook” was to occur,

what ingredients they needed to obtain and where they would get them, and which

ingredients Erb needed to procure for Stockwell. Stockwell also paid Erb in

methamphetamine, the amount of which Stockwell determined, and Erb sold drugs for

Stockwell. Other co-conspirators also gave testimony reflecting Stockwell’s

organization of and centrality to the conspiracy. See U.S.S.G. § 3B1.1, comment.

(n.4) (factors to consider in determining whether defendant was leader or organizer);

United States v. Morin, 437 F.3d 777, 781 (8th Cir. 2006) (for enhancement to apply,

at least five people must have been involved in operation, but only one person

involved needs to have been under defendant’s direction); see also United States v.

Carpenter, 422 F.3d 738, 748 (8th Cir. 2005) (defendant who did not directly control

other conspirators may still receive leader/organizer enhancement; upholding

§ 3B1.1(a) enhancement where evidence showed defendant directed “cooks” and

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directed others to get precursors or bury sludge in backyard), cert. denied, 126 S. Ct.

1115 (2006).

Accordingly, we affirm.

______________________________

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