# U n i t e d S t a t e s C o u r t o f A pp e a l s

For the Eig hth Circu it

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No . 1 8 -3 1 59

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Un i t ed St at es o f Am eri ca

l ll l l l l l l l l l l l ll l l l l l Pl a i n t i

f f - Ap pel l ee

v

.

Do u g l as Tro n g Tran

l ll l l l l l l l l l l l ll l l l l l Def

en da n t - Ap pel l an t

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Ap p eal fro m

Un i t ed St at es Di s t ri ct Co u rt

fo r t h e So u t h ern Di s t ri ct o f Io wa - Dav en p o rt

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Su bm i t t ed : Sep tem

ber 2 7, 2 0 19

Fi l ed : No v em

b er 1 2 , 2 01 9

[Un pu b l is h ed ]

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Befo re SM ITH, Ch i ef J u d g e, W OLLM AN an d ERICKSON, Ci rcu i t J u dg es

.

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PER CURIAM

.

Do u gl as T ro ng Tran pl ead ed g u i l t y to o ne co u n t o f co ns p i racy t o m an u fact u re

an d di s t ri b u t e at leas t 1 0 0 ki l o g ram s o f a m i x t u re an d s u bs t an ce co n t ai ni n g m ari ju an a

an d at leas t 1 0 0 m ari

ju an a p l an t s

, i n v i o l at i o n o f 2 1 U.S.C. § § 8 4 1 (a)(1 ),8 4 1 (b )(1 )(B), 8 4 6

, an d 8 5 1

. T h e d i s t r i c t co u rt 1 s en t en ced Tran t o t h e st at u t o ry

m an d at o ry m i n i m

u m s en t en ce o f 1 2 0 m o n t hs ’ i m p ri s o n m en t

. See 2 1 U.S.C.

§ 84 1 (b )(1 )(B). Tran ap p eal s h i s s en t en ce, arg u i n g t h at t h e d i s t ri ct co u rt erred in

d en y i n g h i m

s afet y -v al v e rel i ef an d i n cal cu lat i n g h i s o ffen se l ev el . W e affi rm

.

Tran es t ab l i s hed a s u cces s fu l m ari ju an a g ro w o perat i o n in Co l o rad o Sp ri n g s

,

Co l orad o. He ren t ed o r p u rch as ed s ev eral res i d en ces

, wh ere h e cu l t i vat ed m ari ju an a

p l an t s i n do o rs

. Tran en l i s t ed t h e h el p o f hi s s on s an d o t h ers to m ai n t ai n t he Co l o rad o

o p erat i o n

.

Th y Ho an g co n t act ed T ran i n 2 01 6 ab o u t a s t ru gg l i n g m a r i j u an a g ro w

o p erat i o n i n A s b u ry

, Io w a. In d i v i d ual s i n v o l v ed i n t h e Io wa op erat i o n t rav el ed to

Co l orad o t o s ee Tran ’ s o perat i o n t h ere an d t o sam p l e h i s m ari

ju an a. Tran l at er ag reed

t o cu l t iv at e m ari

ju an a in Io wa, an d h e freq u en t l y t rav el ed b et ween Co l o rad o Sp ri ng s

an d As b u ry t o ten d t o t he g ro w op erat i o n s

. T ran al s o t rav el ed t o H en d ers o n, Nev ad a,

wh ere h i s w i fe l i v ed

. W h en Tran was away fro m t h e Io w a o p e r a t i o n

, Ho an g cared

fo r t h e m ari

ju an a p l an t s, rel y i ng o n t h e det ai l ed i n s t ru ct i o n s t h at T ran h ad l eft fo r h er.

In J u l y 2 01 7

, law en fo rcem en t o ffi cers s earch ed t h e res i d en ces as s o ci at ed wi th

Tran i n al l t h ree s t at es

. Th ey d i s co v ered m ari ju an a at each l o cat i o n

, m

u l t ip l e fi rearm s

i n Nev ad a, an d g ro w o perat i o n s i n Co l o rad o an d Io wa.

Aft er Tran p l ead ed g u il t y

, h e s o u g h t r e l i ef fro m t h e s t at ut o ry m an d at o ry

m i n i m u m s en t en ce un d er t h e s afet y -v al v e p ro v i s i o ns o f 1 8 U.S.C. § 3 55 3 (f) an d U.S.

Sen ten ci n g Gu i d el i n es § 5C1 .2 (a). Tran refu s ed t o d i s cu s s th e Co l o r a d o o p e rat i o n

d u ri n g h i s p ro ffer, h o wev er, cl ai m i ng t h at i t was no t rel ev an t t o t h e Io wa co n s p i racy

.

Th e di s t ri ct co u rt fo u n d t h at Tran di d n o t q u al ify fo r s afet y -v al v e rel i ef b ecau s e,

1 Th e Ho n orab l e J o h n A. J arv ey

, Ch ief Ju d g e, Un i t ed St at es Di s t ri ct Co u rt fo r

t h e So ut h ern Di st ri ct o f Io wa.

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-am on g o t h er t hi ng s

, h e had n o t “ t ru t h fu l ly p ro vi d ed t o t h e Go v ern m en t al l

i n fo rm at i o n an d ev i d en ce [h e h ad ] co n cern i n g th e o ffen s e o r o ffen ses t h at were p art

o f t h e s am e co u rs e o f co n d uct o r o f a co m m o n s ch em e o r p l a n

. ” S e e 1 8 U.S.C.

§ 3 55 3 (f)(5 ); U.S.S.G. § 5 C1 .2 (a)(5 ).

Tran arg u es th at t he d i s t ri ct co u rt cl earl y erred i n d en y i n g s afet y -v al v e rel i ef.

See U n i t ed St at es v

. Val q u i er, 9 3 4 F.3 d 7 8 0, 7 8 3 (8 t h Ci r. 2 0 1 9 ) (s t an d ard o f rev i ew).

He as s ert s t h at th e Io wa co n s p i rat o rs em p l o y ed h i m as a m ere co n t ract o r, h i re d to

ad d res s pro b l em s wi t h t h e Io wa g ro w o p erat io n

. He co n t ras t s h i s l im i t ed ro l e i n t h e

s t ru g g l i n g Io wa o perat i o n wi t h h i s l ead ers h i p ro l e i n h i s o w n s u cces s fu l Co l o rad o

o p erat i o n

, wh i ch h e es t ab l i s h ed an d m ai n t ai n ed wi t h o ut t h e h el p o f an y m em b ers o f

t h e Io w a co n s p i racy

. He t hu s cl ai m s t h at h e w as i nv o lv ed i n at l eas t t wo co n s p i raci es

an d t h at h e p ro v i d ed a t ru t h fu l an d co m p l et e p ro ffer i n th i s cas e, b ecau s e h e d i v u l g ed

al l i n fo rm at i o n h e h ad ab o u t t h e Io wa o ffen s e.

A d efen d an t i s n o t en t i t l ed t o s afet y -v al v e rel ief w h e n h e co n v ey s o n l y t h e

b as i c fact s o f h i s cri m e. U n it ed St at es v

. So t o

, 4 4 8 F.3 d 9 9 3

, 9 9 6 (8 th Ci r. 20 0 6 ). He

m u st pro vi d e al l i nfo rm at i o n an d ev i d e n c e h e h as ab o u t o ffen s es t h at were “ p art o f

t h e s am e co u rs e o f co n d u ct ” or “ co m m o n s ch em e o r p l an .” 1 8 U.S.C. § 35 5 3 (f)(5 );

U.S.S.G. § 5C1 .2 (a)(5 ). Th e reco rd here am p l y s u p p o rt s t h e fi n di n g t h at t h e Co l o rad o

g ro w o p erat i o n was “ p art o f t he s am e co urs e o f co n d u ct ” o r “ co m m o n s ch em e o r

p l an ” as t h e Io wa o p erat i o n

, ev en i f t h ere were m u lt ip l e co n s p i raci es

. T ran ’ s co n d u ct

wi t h res p ect t o b o t h o perat i o n s was s i m i l ar i n n at u re an d o v erl ap ped i n t i m e. See

Un i ted St at es v

. W es t, 6 1 2 F.3 d 9 9 3

, 9 9 7 (8 t h Ci r. 2 01 0 ) (ex p l ai n i n g th at th e d i s t ri ct

co u rt “ s h o u l d co n s i d er t h e si m i l ari t y

, reg u l ari ty

, an d t e m p o r a l p ro x i m i t y o f t h e

co n du ct ” t o d et erm in e wh et h er i t i s p art o f t h e s am e co urs e o f co n d u c t o r c o m m o n

s ch em e o r p lan (q u ot in g Un i ted St at es v

. Geral d s

, 15 8 F.3 d 9 77

, 9 7 9 (8 t h Ci r.

1 9 9 8 ))). M em

b ers o f t he Io w a co n s p i racy ap p ro ach ed Tran b ecau se t h ey k n ew o f h i s

s u cces s fu l g ro w o perat i o n an d h i s ex p ert i s e in cu l ti v at i n g m ari ju an a. Aft er v i s i t i n g

t h e Co l o rad o o p erat i o n an d s am p l i n g t h e m ari

ju an a g ro wn t here, t h ey en t ered i n t o an

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-ag reem en t wi t h Tran

, i n wh i ch h e ag reed t o h el p t h e fl o u n deri n g o p erat i o n i n Io wa.

Tran es sen t i al l y u sed hi s s u cces s i n Co l o rad o t o s h ow t h at h e co u l d es t ab l i sh a s i m i l ar

o p erat i o n i n Io wa, an d h e t hereaft er m ai nt ai ned t h e g ro w op erat i on s i n b o th s t a t e s

,

t rav el ed freq u en t l y b et ween t h e t wo

, an d i n s t ru ct ed o t h ers h o w t o care fo r t h e p l an t s

i n hi s ab s en ce. W e t h u s fi n d n o cl ear erro r i n t h e d i s t ri ct co u rt ’ s det erm in at i o n t h at

Tran ’ s refu s al t o di s cu s s h i s Co l o rad o o p erat i o n ren d ered h i m i n el i g i bl e fo r s afet y

v al v e rel i ef b ecau s e h e fai led t o p ro v i d e a co m p l et e an d t ru t h fu l p ro ffer. See Un i t ed

St at es v

. Ro

jas -Co ri a, 4 0 1 F.3 d 8 7 1, 8 7 3 -7 4 (8 t h Ci r. 2 00 5 ) (h o l d i n g th at th e d i s t ri ct

co u rt d i d n o t cl earl y err i n fi n d i n g t h at t h e d efen d an t ’ s p ro ffer was i n co m p let e wh en

t h e defen d an t refu s ed t o d i s c u s s h i s “ i n vo l v em en t i n ot h er d ru g act i v i t y

, o ccu rri n g

d u ri n g t h e s am e t i m e p eri o d ” as h i s o ffen se o f co nv i ct i o n).

W e d ecl i n e to ad d res s Tra n ’s a r g u m en ts t h at t h e d i s tri ct co u rt erred in

cal cu l at in g h i s o ffen s e l ev el u n d er t h e U .S. Sen t en ci n g Gu i del i n es

. Becau s e t h e

d i s t ri ct co urt co rrect l y i m po s ed t h e m an d at o ry m in i m um sen t en ce, an y erro r in

cal cu l at in g t he o ffen s e l ev el wo u l d b e h arm l es s

. See Un i t ed St at es v

. M o ral es , 8 1 3

F.3 d 1 05 8

, 1 0 6 9 (8 t h Ci r. 2 0 16 ) (h o l d i n g t h at an y m i s cal cu l at i o n o f t h e d efen d an t ’ s

o ffen s e l ev el was h arm l es s

, i n l i g h t o f t h e ap p l i cat i o n o f a s t a t u t o ry m an d at o ry

m i n i m u m s en t en ce); U.S.S.G. § 5 G1 .1 (b ) (“ W h ere a s t at u t o ri l y req u i red m i n i m u m

s en t en ce i s g reat er t han t he m ax i m um of the ap p l i cab l e g u id el i n e ran ge, t h e s t at u t o ri l y

req u i red m i n i m

u m s en ten ce s h al l b e t h e g u i d el i ne s en t en ce.”).

Th e s en t en ce i s affi rm ed

.

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