Document ID: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-ca4-23-04624/USCOURTS-ca4-23-04624-0/pdf.json

Parties Involved:
Brian Thomas Bright
Appellant
United States of America
Appellee

Document Text:

PUBLISHED

UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS

FOR THE FOURTH CIRCUIT

No. 23-4624

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA,

 Plaintiff - Appellee,

v.

BRIAN THOMAS BRIGHT,

 Defendant - Appellant.

Appeal from the United States District Court for the Middle District of North Carolina, at 

Greensboro. Loretta C. Biggs, District Judge. (1:22-cr-00401-LCB-3)

Argued: September 10, 2024 Decided: January 3, 2025

Before DIAZ, Chief Judge, WYNN, and THACKER, Circuit Judges.

Vacated and remanded by published opinion. Judge Thacker wrote the opinion, in which 

Chief Judge Diaz and Judge Wynn concurred.

ARGUED: Aaron Bader Wellman, IVEY, MCCLELLAN, SIEGMUND, BRUMBAUGH 

& MCDONALD, LLP, Greensboro, North Carolina, for Appellant. Julie Carol Niemeier, 

OFFICE OF THE UNITED STATES ATTORNEY, Greensboro, North Carolina, for 

Appellee. ON BRIEF: Sandra J. Hairston, United States Attorney, OFFICE OF THE 

UNITED STATES ATTORNEY, Greensboro, North Carolina, for Appellee.

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THACKER, Circuit Judge:

Brian Thomas Bright (“Appellant”) pled guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent 

to distribute fentanyl and was sentenced to 97 months of imprisonment. The primary issue 

on appeal is the application of the United States Sentencing Guidelines (“Guidelines”) 

§ 3B1.1(b) enhancement for a managerial role.

Because the district court committed procedural error when it failed to make 

necessary findings as to this enhancement as required per United States v. Evans, 90 F.4th 

257, 262–63 (4th Cir. 2024), we vacate and remand.

I.

Between September 2021 and January 2022, agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, 

Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, in cooperation with local law enforcement agencies in 

the Sanford, North Carolina area, coordinated a series of controlled buys of narcotics using 

a confidential informant (“CI”). Over several months, the CI bought drugs from many 

different individuals, including Appellant. Most of the drug buys relevant to Appellant 

began with the CI meeting Keyonta McDougald. McDougald facilitated five drug buys

with Appellant for the CI. In four instances, McDougald bought heroin (that turned out to 

be fentanyl) from Appellant to give to the CI. In another instance, the CI went to 

McDougald’s house to buy fentanyl. According to McDougald, in another instance, 

Appellant sent Larry Bernard Brown to sell the CI and McDougald fentanyl because 

Appellant was not available.

After Appellant terminated his relationship with McDougald, the CI went to 

Appellant’s house alone to buy fentanyl. Appellant, with the assistance of William Samuel 

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Pergerson, sold the CI fentanyl. McDougald explained to agents that Pergerson served as 

Appellant’s lookout and middleman during transactions by retrieving and preparing for 

sale fentanyl that Appellant kept hidden on his property. Otherwise, McDougald did not 

tie Appellant to any other defendants. Appellant admitted that he directed Pergerson to act 

as his lookout and middleman.

During this window McDougald also facilitated the purchases of other drugs by the

CI from individuals other than Appellant. These purchases primarily concerned the 

purchase of methamphetamine from Rosa Raquel Diaz and Hugo Enrique Olvera Sanchez. 

Diaz also indicated to law enforcement that she had separately purchased heroin from 

Appellant.

Appellant and seven others -- McDougald, Brown, Pergerson, Robert Terrell Bush, 

Diaz, Sanchez, and Tyquan Jones -- were indicted on a single count of conspiracy to 

possess with intent to distribute fentanyl, methamphetamine, heroin, and cocaine, in 

violation of 21 U.S.C. §§ 846, 841(b)(1)(B), and 841(b)(1)(C). Each defendant was 

attributed specific quantities of controlled substances. Appellant’s involvement in the 

conspiracy related to fentanyl.

Appellant pled guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute 40 grams or 

more of fentanyl. The Presentence Investigation Report (“PSR”) calculated Appellant’s 

base offense level as 26, based on the quantity of fentanyl Appellant distributed. It also 

increased Appellant’s offense level by three points pursuant to Guidelines § 3B1.1(b),

concluding Appellant was a manager or supervisor of criminal activity involving five or 

more participants or that was “otherwise extensive.” The PSR then deducted three points 

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for acceptance of responsibility. This resulted in a total offense level of 26, and a 

sentencing guideline range of 78 to 97 months, given that Appellant’s criminal history 

category was III. At sentencing, Appellant objected to the three-level offense level increase 

as to his aggravating role in the conspiracy. Appellant contended that a two-level offense 

increase, resulting in a total offense level of 25, was appropriate because the criminal 

activity involved less than five participants.

Because this appeal turns on the application of Guidelines § 3B1.1, we describe the 

events at sentencing in some detail. At the sentencing hearing, the district court heard 

argument from both Appellant and the Government as to whether a two-level or three-level 

increase should apply pursuant to Guidelines § 3B1.1. Appellant argued that, although the 

larger conspiracy involved more than five participants, “[Appellant’s] sort of corner of the 

conspiracy or his conspiratorial activities with Mr. McDougald and Mr. Pergerson did not 

encompass five or more participants and instead [was] really just the three of them.” J.A. 

58.1 The district court responded, “I’ve got Brown, Diaz, Pergerson, McDougald.” J.A. 

58. Appellant then argued that “how we assess jointly undertaken criminal activity under 

1B1.3, . . . establishes a limiting principle to [Appellant’s] criminal responsibility.” J.A. 

60. The Government countered that the three-level increase was appropriate because eight 

individuals had been indicted in the conspiracy, so “the criminal activity involved five or 

more participants.” J.A. 61 (quoting U.S.S.G. § 3B1.1).

After hearing from both parties, the district court stated:

1 Citations to the “J.A.” refer to the Joint Appendix filed by the parties in this appeal.

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I don’t think the law supports what [Appellant is] asking me to 

do. I think what we have here -- and this gentleman had a fairly 

significant role in this conspiracy. He may not have known 

everybody that touched these drugs or everybody that 

distributed them, but that is not a requirement. 

I do believe that the three points does, in fact, apply in this 

circumstance because of the amount of drugs that was 

involved, the manner in which -- he was almost the go-to 

person to get drugs to distribute to somebody else, and when 

they couldn’t get to him, they’d go to somebody else. So he 

was actively involved in this conspiracy. I do think that the 

three-level enhancement is appropriate . . . .

J.A. 62.

The district court thus found that the total offense level was 26 and Appellant’s 

criminal history category was III, which resulted in a sentencing range of 78 to 97 months. 

The district court then sentenced Appellant to 97 months of imprisonment.

Appellant timely appealed.

II.

“We evaluate the sentence imposed by a district court for abuse of discretion, ‘which 

translates to review for reasonableness.’” United States v. Evans, 90 F.4th 257, 261–62 

(4th Cir. 2024) (quoting United States v. Crawford, 734 F.3d 339, 341–42 (4th Cir. 2013)

(internal quotation marks omitted)). “A sentence is procedurally unreasonable if the 

district court committed a serious procedural error, such as improperly calculating the 

Guidelines range.” United States v. Morehouse, 34 F.4th 381, 387 (4th Cir. 2022) (quoting 

United States v. Gillespie, 27 F.4th 934, 944 (4th Cir. 2022) (internal quotation marks 

omitted)). “In determining whether a district court properly applied the advisory 

Guidelines, including application of any sentencing enhancements, we review the district 

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court’s legal conclusions de novo and its factual findings for clear error.” Id. (quoting 

United States v. Layton, 564 F.3d 330, 334 (4th Cir. 2009) (internal quotation marks 

omitted)). “But that [clear error] review can be undertaken only if a district court first 

makes the findings necessitated by the relevant legal standard.” Evans, 90 F.4th at 262

(citing United States v. Flores-Alvarado, 779 F.3d 250, 254–56 (4th Cir. 2015), as 

amended (Mar. 11, 2015)).

III.

On appeal, Appellant argues that the district court procedurally erred in imposing 

the three-level increase in Guidelines § 3B1.1(b) because his criminal activity did not 

involve five or more participants or was not otherwise extensive. The Government 

contends that the criminal activity includes the entire scope of the conspiracy that was 

charged, which includes all eight defendants. And, thus, in the Government’s view, there 

were more than five participants in this larger criminal activity.

A.

Guidelines § 3B1.1 provides for varying offense level increases based on a 

defendant’s role in the offense. Relevant here, it provides for a three-level increase if “the 

defendant was a manager or supervisor2 (but not an organizer or leader) and the criminal 

activity involved five or more participants or was otherwise extensive.” U.S.S.G. 

§ 3B1.1(b). It provides for a two-level increase if “the defendant was an organizer, leader, 

2 Appellant admits that he managed Pergerson: “We are not disputing the issue of 

whether [Appellant] was supervising or directing the activities of Mr. Pergerson.” J.A. 57. 

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manager, or supervisor in any criminal activity other than described in (a)3 or (b).” Id.

§ 3B1.1(c).

Therefore, the correct questions in order to determine whether a three-level increase 

or a two-level increase is applicable are: 1) “What was the criminal activity?”; and 2) “Was 

the criminal activity ‘otherwise extensive?’” See U.S.S.G. §§ 3B1.1(b)–(c). The 

commentary to Guidelines § 3B1.1 defines a “participant” as “a person who is criminally 

responsible for the commission of the offense[] but need not have been convicted.” Id. 

§ 3B1.1 cmt. n.1.

The Government argues that reference to Guideline § 3B1.1 is the end of the inquiry. 

The Government is wrong. The “Relevant Conduct” section of the Guidelines, § 1B1.3, 

counsels that “adjustments in Chapter Three, shall be determined on the basis of the 

following”:

(1) (A) all acts and omissions committed, aided, abetted, 

counseled, commanded, induced, procured, or willfully caused 

by the defendant; and

(B) in the case of a jointly undertaken criminal activity (a 

criminal plan, scheme, endeavor, or enterprise undertaken 

by the defendant in concert with others, whether or not 

charged as a conspiracy), all acts and omissions of others 

that were --

(i) within the scope of the jointly undertaken criminal 

activity,

(ii) in furtherance of that criminal activity, and 

(iii) reasonably foreseeable in connection with that 

criminal activity;

3 Guidelines § 3B1.1(a) provides, “If the defendant was an organizer or leader of a 

criminal activity that involved five or more participants or was otherwise extensive, 

increase by 4 levels.” U.S.S.G. § 3B1.1. 

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that occurred during the commission of the offense of 

conviction, in preparation for that offense, or in the course 

of attempting to avoid detection or responsibility for that 

offense[.] 

U.S.S.G. § 1B1.3(a)(1)(A)–(B).

The Guidelines’ commentary4 elaborates: “In order to determine the defendant’s 

accountability for the conduct of others under subsection (a)(1)(B), the court must first 

determine the scope of the criminal activity the particular defendant agreed to jointly 

undertake (i.e., the scope of the specific conduct and objectives embraced by the 

defendant’s agreement).” U.S.S.G. § 1B1.3 cmt. n.3(B). This commentary -- requiring the 

court to determine the “scope of the criminal activity the particular defendant agreed to 

jointly undertake” -- echoes the language in Guidelines § 3B1.1. See id. § 3B1.1(b) (using 

the phrase “criminal activity”).

The Government argues that no authority supports reading Guidelines § 1B1.3 to 

require that only “jointly undertaken” criminal activity by co-conspirators be construed as 

relevant conduct. Government’s Resp. Br. at 16–17. But Guidelines § 1B1.3 clearly

applies when interpreting Guidelines § 3B1.1. Indeed, the introductory language of 

4 Neither party briefed the applicability of our holding in United States v. Campbell, 

22 F.4th 438, 445 (4th Cir. 2022). There, we held that the Supreme Court’s decision in 

Kisor v. Wilkie, 588 U.S. 558 (2019) governs our treatment of the commentary to the 

sentencing guidelines. Campbell, 22 F.4th at 445; see also United States v. Mitchell, 120 

F.4th 1233, 1239 (4th Cir. 2024) (“Campbell alternatively held that Kisor applies to the 

Guidelines.”) (emphasis in original). We may consider the commentary here because 

resolution of this case requires us to interpret the ambiguous phrases “criminal activity” in 

Guidelines § 3B1.1 and “jointly undertaken criminal activity” in Guidelines § 1B1.3.

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Guidelines § 1B1.3 provides that it applies when courts determine “adjustments in Chapter 

Three” -- and Guidelines § 3B1.1 is in Chapter Three of the Guidelines. U.S.S.G. § 1B1.3.

Moreover, we have recognized that, for sentencing purposes, courts must address 

relevant conduct per Guidelines § 1B1.3. See United States v. Flores-Alvarado, 779 F.3d 

250, 255–56 (4th Cir. 2015), as amended (Mar. 11, 2015) (“‘[I]n order to attribute to a 

defendant for sentencing purposes the acts of others in jointly-undertaken criminal activity’

. . . we require sentencing courts to ‘make particularized findings with respect to both the 

scope of the defendant’s agreement and the foreseeability of [the conduct at issue].’” 

(emphases in original) (first quoting United States v. Gilliam, 987 F.2d 1009, 1012–13 (4th 

Cir. 1993); and then quoting United States v. Bolden, 325 F.3d 471, 499 (4th Cir. 2003) 

(“[A] sentencing court, in order to hold a defendant accountable for the conduct of his 

coconspirators, should make particularized findings with respect to . . . 

§ 1B1.3(a)(1)(B).”))).

Notably, we have recently differentiated between substantive Pinkerton5 liability 

and Guidelines accountability for conspiracy offenses pursuant to Guidelines 

§ 1B1.3(a)(1)(B). See United States v. Evans, 90 F.4th 257, 262–64 (4th Cir. 2024). In 

Evans, the district court used the Pinkerton liability standard instead of the Guidelines 

§ 1B1.3 standard to determine a defendant’s accountable drug weight for sentencing 

purposes. Id. at 260. But we explained that “for purposes of sentencing, the Guidelines 

5 Pinkerton v. United States, 328 U.S. 640, 647 (1946) (holding that a defendant 

may be held vicariously liable for the acts of his co-conspirators so long as those acts are 

within the scope of the conspiracy as a whole and reasonably foreseeable to the defendant). 

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have adopted a different and narrow principle of accountability” compared to Pinkerton. 

Id. at 262–63 (citing U.S.S.G. § 1B1.3 cmt. n.1). Thus, we held that “before, say, drugs 

seized from a co-conspirator may be attributed to a defendant at sentencing, a district court 

must make ‘particularized findings’ as to the scope of the defendant’s agreement to jointly 

undertake criminal activity as well as to foreseeability.” Id. at 263 (quoting FloresAlvarado, 779 F.3d at 256) (quoting Bolden, 325 F.3d at 499) (emphasis in original).

The district court in Evans did not apply the Guidelines § 1B1.3 standard for 

relevant conduct or consider the scope of the defendant’s agreement to jointly undertake 

criminal activity. Instead, it asked only whether the drugs seized from a co-conspirator 

were “within the scope of ‘the entire conspiracy,’ [and concluded] that they could be 

attributed” to the defendant because they met the Pinkerton liability standard. Evans, 90 

F.4th at 263. We remanded for the district court to make the necessary factual findings 

pursuant to the proper Guidelines § 1B1.3(a)(1)(B) standard. Id. at 263, 265. However, at 

the time of sentencing in this case, the district court was without the benefit of Evans.

B.

Here, the district court did not make particularized findings regarding the scope of 

the criminal activity before imposing the three-level enhancement pursuant to Guidelines 

§ 3B1.1(b). Nor did the district court determine that the criminal activity was “otherwise 

extensive.” U.S.S.G. § 3B1.1(b). The district court simply stated during Appellant’s 

sentencing argument, “I’ve got Brown, Diaz, Pergerson, McDougald.” J.A. 59. The 

district court also noted that Appellant “had a fairly significant role in this conspiracy” and 

even though he “may not have known everybody that touched these drugs or everybody 

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that distributed them . . . that is not a requirement.” J.A. 62. However, because 

Guidelines § 1B1.3 applies when determining adjustments in Chapter Three, including 

Guidelines § 3B1.1, the district court should have made the “particularized findings” 

required by Guidelines § 1B1.3(a)(1)(B) as to the scope of the jointly undertaken criminal 

activity, whether the acts and omissions of others were in furtherance of that criminal 

activity, and whether the acts and omissions were reasonably foreseeable to Appellant. 

U.S.S.G. § 1B1.3(a)(1)(B)(i)- (iii). When the district court makes its particularized 

findings regarding Guidelines § 1B1.3(a)(1)(B)(i)-(iii), the district court has defined the 

“jointly undertaken criminal activity” that it can consider as relevant conduct when 

applying Guidelines § 3B1.1 adjustments. Id. § 1B1.3(a)(1)(B).

To warrant the three-level enhancement, Appellant did not need to know everyone 

who touched the drugs, but he did have to agree to jointly undertake the criminal activity. 

After determining the scope of the criminal activity (for example, conspiracy to possess 

and distribute fentanyl), the district court should then determine the number of participants 

in that criminal activity. Additionally, Appellant argued below that his criminal activity 

was not “otherwise extensive,” but the district court made no findings on this issue. 

U.S.S.G. § 3B1.1(b).

In sum, the district court conflated the standard for substantive Pinkerton liability 

with the standard for sentencing accountability pursuant to Guidelines § 1B1.3, which was 

significant procedural error. Because the district court did not make the requisite

Guidelines § 1B1.3 findings that we required in Bolden and Flores-Alvarado and reemphasized in Evans, it is unclear what the district court thought the criminal activity 

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encompassed or how many participants the district court found were involved in such 

criminal activity. 325 F.3d at 499; 779 F.3d at 256; 90 F.4th at 263. And “we are not 

permitted to guess at the district court’s rationale by ‘searching the record for statements . 

. . that might explain a sentence.’” United States v. Provance, 944 F.3d 213, 219 (4th Cir. 

2019) (quoting United States v. Blue, 877 F.3d 513, 521 (4th Cir. 2017)). 

Therefore, although we express no view as to the ultimate resolution of Appellant’s 

challenge to the enhancement in this case, we vacate Appellant’s sentence and remand for 

resentencing in order for the district court to make the requisite particularized findings 

required pursuant to Guidelines § 1B1.1, or to find that the criminal activity was “otherwise 

extensive.” U.S.S.G. § 3B1.1(b). 

IV.

Based on the foregoing, we vacate Appellant’s sentence and remand for 

resentencing proceedings consistent with this opinion. 

VACATED AND REMANDED

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