# U ni te d S ta te s Co ur t of A pp ea ls

For the Eig hth Circu it

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No. 1 2- 15 57

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Uni te d S ta te s o f Am eri ca

ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll l Pla in ti

ff - App el le e

v.

Lou Val Owen s

ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll l Defe nd

an t - Ap pe ll an t

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App eal fro m

Uni te d S ta te s Di st ric t Co ur t fo r th e Eas te rn Dis tri ct of M is so ur i - St . Lou is

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Su bm it te d: Sep te m

be r 21 , 20 12
Fil ed : Oct ob er 1 2, 2 01 2 [Un pu bl is he d]

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Befo re BYE, GRUENDER, and SHEPHERD, Circ ui t J ud ge s.

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PER CURI AM.

Lo u Val Owens pl ed gu il ty to on e co un t of ag gr av at ed id en ti t y t h e f t i n
vi ol at io n of 18 U.S.C. § 10 28 A an d on e co un t of i d e n t i t y t h eft in vi ol at io n of 18U.S.C. § 10 28 (a)( 7)

. The di st ric t co ur t se nt en ced hi m to 24 m on th s’ im pr is on m en t 1

on each co un t, to be se rv ed co ns ecu ti ve ly. O w e n s arg ue s in th is ap pe al th at th e
di st ric t co ur t im

pr op erl y cal cu la te d hi s cri m in al hi st or y cat eg or y un de r th e U n it ed

St at es Sen te nc in g Gui de li ne s by us in g th e in co rrec t ti m e pe rio d fo r de te rm in in g
whi ch of hi s pa st co nv ic ti on s co un te d to ward hi s cri m in al hi st or y po in t to ta l. Fo r th e

reas on s d is cu ss ed be lo w, we affi rm

.

In Octo be r 20 10

, Owens so ug ht di sa bi li ty be ne fit s fro m th e So ci al S e cu rit y
Adm in is tra ti on fo r an in ab il it y to wor k ba se d on m en ta l di sa bi li ty. Dur in g an en su in g

in ve st ig at io n, in ve st ig at or s fo un d th at Owens ha d m ul ti pl e ar r e s t s un de r di ffer en t

id en ti ti es

. One of th e id en ti ti es Owens us ed w a s th at of D.L., a te n- y ear- ol d ch il d.

Owens us ed D.L’ s id en ti ty to ob ta in an Ill in oi s dr iv er’s li cen se in 20 02 –h is earl ie st

, bu t n o t l a s t

, us e of th is id en ti ty. Afte r be in g in di ct ed on on e co un t of ag gr av at ed

id en t i t y th eft an d on e co un t of id en ti ty th eft

, Owens vo lu nt ari ly su rren de red to th e

U.S. Mars ha l’s Se rv ic e o n Au gu st 29 , 20 11

.

Owens pl ed gu il ty to th e ch arg es in th e two -co un t i n d i c tm en t pu rs ua nt to a
writ te n pl ea ag reem en t. The p a r t i e s a gr eed on a to ta l of fen se le ve l of 10

. At

se nt en ci ng , ho w e v e r , th e pa rti es di sp ut ed Owens ’s cri m in al hi st or y cat eg or y

. The

Gov ern m en t arg ue d th at t h e rel ev an t co nd uc t in th e in st an t of fen se be ga n in 20 02

, whe n Owens us ed D.L.’ s id en ti ty to ob ta in an Ill in oi s dr iv er’s li cen se , res ul ti ng in a
cri m in al hi st or y cat e g o r y of V an d an ad vi so ry gu id el in es ran ge of 21 -2 7 m on th s’

im pr is on m en t. Owens arg ue d th at th e rel ev an t co nd uc t di d no t be gi n un ti l 20 06 whe n
he le arn ed th at D.L’ s id en ti ty be lo ng ed to an act ua l pe rs on

. Se e Flo re s- Fig ue ro a v.

Uni te d St at es , 55 6 U.S. 64 6, 65 7 (2 00 9) (h ol di ng th at w i t h res pe ct to ag gr av at ed

id en ti ty th eft th e go ve rn m en t m us t pr ov e th at th e de fen da nt kn ew th e id en ti ty at is su e
be lo ng ed to an act ua l pe rs on ). He co nt en de d th at us in g 20 06 as th e be gi nn in g of th e

The Hon or ab le Caro l E. Ja ck so n, Uni te d St at es Dis tri ct Ju dg e fo r th e East ern 1

Dis tri ct of M is so ur i.

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-rel ev an t co nd uc t wou ld res ul t in a cri m in al cat eg or y of IV an d a se nt en ci ng

gu id el in es ran ge of 15 -2 1 m on th s. Thi s is be cau se , as Owens arg ue s, hi s 19 93

do m es ti c v io le nc e co nv ic ti on wou ld ha ve fal le n ou ts id e th e te n- y ear t im e fra m e fo r

as se ss in g cri m in al hi st or y po in ts fo r pr io r co nv ic ti on s. Se e U.S.S.G. § 4A1 .1,
App li cat io n Not e 3 (ex pl ai ni ng th at un de r § 4A1 .1(c ), “ [a] se nt en ce im po se d mo r e

th an te n y ears pr io r to th e de fen d a n t ’s co m m en cem en t of th e in st an t of fen se is no t

co un te d” ). Thu s, Owens arg ue s, ha d th e di st ric t co ur t us ed hi s pr op o se d st art in g

po in t fo r cal cu la ti ng hi s cri m in al hi st or y , he wou ld ha ve ha d in su ffi ci en t cri m in al

hi st or y po in ts fo r a cri m in al hi st or y cat eg or y of V. The di st ric t co ur t ag reed wit h th e

G o v e r n m en t, de te rm in ed th at Owens ha d a cri m in al hi st or y cat eg or y of V, an d

se nt en ced hi m to 24 m on th s’ im pris on m en t on each co un t, to be se rv ed co ns ecu ti ve ly.

Se e 18 U.S.C. § 10 28 A (req ui rin g a co ns ecu ti ve 24 -m on th se nt en ce). On a p p e a l

, Owens ren ews hi s arg um en t th at th e di st ric t co ur t im pr op erl y cal cu la te d hi s cri m in al

hi st or y cat eg or y by us in g 20 02

, rat he r th an 20 06

, as th e b e g i n n i ng po in t of th e
rel ev an t co nd uc t fo r th e in st an t o ffen se

.

Nor m al ly, “ [w]hen rev ie win g th e di st ric t co ur t’s im po si ti on of a se nt en ce, we

rev ie w ‘ de no vo th e di st ric t co ur t’s in te rp ret at io n an d a pp li cat io n o f th e se nt en ci ng

gu id el in es an d st at ut es , an d it s fact -fi nd in gs fo r cl ear erro r.’” Uni te d St at es v.

Bar ri en to s , 67 0 F.3 d 87 0, 87 3 (8 th Ci r. 20 12 ) (q uo ti ng Uni te d St at es v. Resi no s , 63 1

F.3 d 88 6, 88 7 (8 th Cir . 20 11 ) (en ba nc ) (p er cu ria m )). Howe ve r, “ [w]e h av e st at ed

that ‘[w] he n th e gu id el in es are in co rrec tl y ap pl ie d, we rem an d fo r res en te nc in g un le ss

t h e erro r was ha rm le ss .’ ” Uni te d St at es v. Bah

, 43 9 F.3 d 42 3, 43 1 (8 t h C i r

. 2 0 0 6 )
(q uo ti ng Uni te d St at es v. Id ri ss , 43 6 F.3 d 94 6, 95 1 (8 th Ci r. 20 06 )). Bec au se Owens

ob jecte d to th e cal cu la ti on of hi s cri m in a l h i s t or y po in ts

, “ an ex am in at io n fo r

ha rm le ss ne ss is ap pr op ria te .” Uni te d St at es v. Sp ik es , 54 3 F.3 d 10 21

, 10 25 (8 th Ci r.

20 08 ). “ Si gn ifi can t to ou r an al y si s is th at th e Gov ern m en t be ars th e bu rd en of

pe rs ua si on to de m on st rat e th at th e erro r was ha rm le ss , t ha t is , t ha t th e erro r di d no t

affe ct [Owen s’s] su bs ta nt ia l rig ht s.” Id

. (ci ti ng Uni te d St at es v. Gia na ko s , 41 5 F.3 d

91 2, 9 23 n.6 (8t h C ir. 2 00 5) ).

-3

-Here, ev en if we as su m e th e co ur t erre d in us in g 20 02 as th e be gi nn in g of th e

rel ev an t co nd uc t fo r th e in st an t of fen se , th e erro r is ha rm le ss be cau s e Owens st il l

ul ti m at el y wou ld ha ve a cri m in al hi st or y cat eg or y of V an d hi s se nt en ci ng gu id el in es

ran ge wou ld rem ai n th e sa m e. Sect io n 4A1 .1 pr ov id es th e fo rm ul a fo r cal cu la ti ng an

of fen de r’s cri m in al hi st or y

cat eg or y . The rel ev an t p or ti on of t ha t fo rm ul a st at es :

(a) Add 3 po in ts fo r each pr io r se nt en ce of im pr is on m en t ex ceed in g on e

y ear a nd on e m on th

. (b ) Add 2 po in ts fo r each pr io r se nt en ce of im pr is on m en t of at le as t si xt y da y s n ot co un te d i n (a ). (c) Add 1 po in t f

o r e a c h pr io r se nt en ce no t co un te d in (a) or (b ), up to

a t ot al of fo ur po in ts fo r t hi s s ub se ct io n.

U.S.S.G. § 4 A1.1 (a)- (c) (e m ph as is ad de d) . In t hi s ca se , th e d is tri ct co ur t i de nt ifi ed

co nv ic ti on s su ffi ci en t fo r fiv e cri m in al hi st or y po in ts un de r § 4 A 1

. 1 ( c). It is

un di sp ut ed th at Owens ha d si x cri m in al hi st or y po in ts res ul ti ng fro m two co nv ic ti on s
wit h se nt en ces qu al ifyin g un de r § 4A1 .1(a ). If th e fo ur -p oi nt cap fro m § 4A1 .1(c ) di d

no t ap pl y , Owens wou ld ha ve a to ta l o f el ev en cri m in al hi st or y po in ts . Ins te ad , th e
di st ric t co ur t pr op erl y ap pl ie d th e cap , res ul ti ng in a to ta l of te n po in ts an d a cri m in al

hi st or y cat eg or y of V.

Had th e di st ric t co ur t co nc lu de d th at th e rel ev an t co nd uc t in th is cas e be ga n in

20 06

, as Owens as se rts an d we as su m e to be co rrec t

, O w e ns ’s 19 93 co nv ic ti on fo r
d o mes t i c ba tt ery, whi ch pr ev io us ly qu al ifi ed fo r on e po in t un de r § 4A1 .1(c ), no w

wou ld fal l ou ts id e th e ti me p e r i od us ed in th e cri m in al hi st or y cal cu la ti on

. Se e

U

. S

. S

. G

. § 4A1 .1(c ), App li cat io n Not e 3. Howev er, th e un ch al le ng ed co nv ic ti o n

res ul ti ng in a fif

th po in t th at pr ev io us ly ha d be en ex cl ud ed du e to th e § 4A1 .1(c ) fo ur

po in t cap no w wou ld be in cl ud ed as th e fo ur th po in t, ag ai n res ul ti ng in a to ta l of te n
cri m in al hi st or y po in ts an d a cri m in al hi st o r y cat eg or y of V. Bec au se Owens ’s

cri m in al hi st or y cat eg or y an d se nt en ci ng gu id el in es ran ge wou ld b e th e sa m e

reg ard le ss of whi ch ti m e pe rio d th e di st ric t co ur t us ed

, th e al le ge d erro r di d no t affe ct

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-h i s s ub st an ti al rig ht s. The refo re, ev en if we as su m e th at th ere was erro r, it w a s

ha rm le ss

. 2

Fo r th e rea so ns st at ed ab ov e, we affi rm

.

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Owens do es no t ch al le ng e th e su bs ta nt iv e reas on ab le ne ss of hi s se nt en ce, so 2

we ne ed no t ad dr es s t he is su e h ere. Se e Uni te d S ta te s v. Ha ge n , 64 1 F .3d 26 8, 2 72
n.2 (8t h C ir. 2 01 1)

.

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