2008 D e c i sion s O p inion s of the U nit e d S t at e s C our t of Appe al s for the Thir d C ir c uit 1-8-2008 

# U SA v . J ones P r e c e de nt i al or N on-P r e c e de nt i al : N on-P r e c e de nt i al D ocke t N o . 06-2472

F o llow thi s and a dd it ion al work s at : http://d i git alc ommon s .l a w . vi ll anova . e du/thir dc ir c uit_2008

Thi s de c i sion i s br ou ght t o you for f r e e and ope n a c c e s s b y the O p inion s of the U nit e d S t at e s C our t of Appe al s for the Thir d C ir c uit at V i ll anova U nive r sity S choo l of L a

w Di git al Reposit ory

. It h as be e n a c c ept e d for inclusion in 2008 D e c i sion s b y an author i z e d a dmini s tr at or of V i ll anova U nive r sity S choo l of L a

w Di git al Reposit ory

. F or mor e inform at ion, p le as e c ont a ct Be n j amin . C arl s on@l a

w . vi ll anova . e du . Re c omme nde d C it at ion " U SA v . J one s " (2008). 2008 D e cisio n s . P ape r 1788. http://d i git alc ommon s .l a

w . vi ll anova . e du/thir dc ir c uit_2008/1788NOT P RE CE DE NT I AL UN I TED STATES CO UR T OF A PP EALS F O R T H E T H IR D C IR C U IT

__________ N o. 06- 2472

__________ UNI TE D ST ATE S OF AM ERI CA

v. T Y R O N E D A L E JO N E S , II a/k/ a R oni T yron e D ale Jo n es, II , A ppel l ant

__________ A p p ea l from the U n it ed S tat es D istri ct C o u rt f o r th e M id d le D istric t o f P e n n sy lv a n ia ( D . C . C r i m i nal N o. 05- cr - 00278) D istric t Ju d g e : H o n o ra b le W ill iam W . C a ld w e ll

__________ Subm i t t ed U nderT hi r d C i r cui tL A R 34. 1( a)

D ece m ber10, 2007 B efore: R E N D E L L and S T A P L E T O N , C i rcui tJudg es,

and I R E N A S, * D i s t r i ctJ udge. ( Fi l ed J anuary8, 2008)

__________________ * H onor abl e J os eph E. I r enas , Seni orJ udge of the U ni t ed St at es D i s t r i ctC our tfor th e D is tr ic t o f N e w J e rs e y , s ittin g b y d e s ig n a tio n .S p e c if ica lly , Jo n e s p led g u iltyto d istrib u tio n a n d p o ss e ss io n w ith in ten t to d istrib u te 1 c ra c k c o c a in e a n d m a riju a n a , in v io latio n o f 2 1 U .S .C . § 8 4 1 , an d c o n tem p t o f c o u rt, i n vi ol at i on of 18 U . S. C . §§ 401, 2. 2 __________ OPI NI ON O F THE COURT

__________ R E N D E L L , C i r cui tJudge . A ppel l antT yr one J ones ( “J ones ”) m ade the mi s t ake of agr eei ng t o s el l cr ack co ca ine to a c o n fid en ti al i n fo rm an t fo r th e G o v ern m en t, b u t cam e to s u sp ec t, b ef o re m a k in g th e a c tu a l sa le, th a t h e w a s u n d e r su rv e ill a n c e . A s th e p o lice a p p ro a c h e d h is apart m entbui l di ng aft erhe l eftt he “meets i t e, ” theys aw J ones thr ow i ng bags of cr ack coca i ne, s cal es , and a ha ndgun fr om the r oof of hi s r es i dence . T he handgun l anded a few f e e t f ro m a D E A a g e n t. A f ter h is in iti a l ap p e a ra n c e , Jo n e s w a s d e tain e d , b u t p riso n o f f icia ls m ista k e n ly re lea se d h im to th e c u sto d yo f sta te p a ro le a g e n ts. Jo n e s c o n tac ted h is a tto rn e ya n d to ld hi m t hathe had mi s t akenl ybeen r el eas ed, butdeci ded thathe w oul d pr efe rt o vaca t i on r athert han s ur r ender . J ones eventual l ycomm uni cat ed thi s pr efe r ence t o the U ni t ed St at es M ar s hal ’ s O ffi ce a nd i ndi cat ed thathe w oul d s urr enderata l at erdat e. H e w as ther eaf t er a rr e s te d a n d re tu rn e d to c u s to d y . J ones pl ed gui l t yt o a drug offe ns e and a cont empt of courtoffe ns e, 1 acknow l edgi ng athi s gui l t ypl ea he ar i ng thathe had thr ow n coca i ne and a l oaded gun of f the roof of h i s hou se on the nightof h i s arres t . H e w as sent enced t o 2 46 m on t hs’H e w as al s o or der ed t o paya $1, 000 fi ne, $1, 000 i n r es t i tut i on, and a $110 s peci al 2 a ss e ss m e n t. 3 i mp r i s o n me n ta n d a t h r e e - y e a rt e r m o f s u p e r v i s e d r e l e a s e . I ti s th i s s e n t e n c e th a tf o r ms 2 th e b a s i s o f

J o n e s ’ s a p p e a l . W e h a v e j u r i s d i c t i o n u n d e r2 8 U. S . C. § 1 2 9 1 a n d 1 8 U. S . C. § 3 7 4 2 (a). A ts ent enci ng, t he D i s t r i ctC our tcal cul at ed J ones ’ s s ent ence i n a w aythathe now c o n ten d s w a s e rro r, to w it: 1 . T wo l e v e l s we r e a d d e d t o h i s o f f e n s e l e v e l p u r s u a n tt o U. S . S . G. § 2 D1 . 1 ( b ) ( 1 ) f

o rp o s s e s s i o n o f

a f i r e a r m. 2. T w o l evel s w er e adde d t o hi s offe ns e l evel pur s uantt o U . S. S. G . § 3C 1. 1 for obs t ruct i on of j us t i ce ba s ed upon J ones ’ s fai l ur e t o i m m edi at el yr esurr end er t o the U nit ed S t at es M ars hals . 3. T he 

### Distri ct

Co urt i m pos ed s epar at e and c ons ecut i ve s ent ence s forgr ouped cou nts . 4. T he 

### Distri ct

Co urt t ook an off

ens e comm i t t ed pr i ort o t he age of ei ght een i nt o acc ounti n s ent enci ng J ones as a ca r eeroffe ndernotw i t hs t andi ng the fac tt hathe w as r el eas ed fr om i m pr i s onm entforthe off ens e more than fi ve y e a rs p ri o r t o th e c o m m is s io n o f th e in s ta n t o f

f e n s e . 5. T he D i s t r i ctC our ti ndi cat ed i t s bel i ef thati thad no di s cr et i on t o i m pos e a sent ence less t han cal l ed fo r under t he crack S entenci ng G uidel i nes.A ddi t i onal l y , t he D i s t r i ctC our thear d t es t i m onyatan O ct ober25, 2005 s uppr es s i on 3 h e a ri n g in w h ic h J o n e s ’s a c tio n s re la tiv e to th e g u n w e re d e s c ri b e d . A p p lica tio n N o te 7 o f

se c tio n 4 A 1 .2 f

u rth e r c lar if

ies th is p o in t, statin g in re lev a n t p a rt: 4 (c o n tin u e d ...) 4 W e h a v e littl e d if

f ic u lty d is p o s in g o f

J o n e s ’s o b

je c tio n s to p o in ts 1 th ro u g h 4 . W i th r es pectt o poi nt1, fac t s w er e cl ear l ys etfor t h atthe pl ea c ol l oquyw i t h r es pectt o t he pos s es s i on of a f

i r earm , and w e r ej ectJ ones ’ s cont ent i on thatthi s fi ndi ng s houl d have

3 b e e n m a d e b ya ju ry . T o th e c o n tra ry , this w a s a se n ten c in g e n h a n c e m e n t p ro p e rly d e te rm in e d b yth e D is tr ic t C o u rt u s in g a p re p o n d e ra n c e o f th e e v id e n c e s ta n d a rd . See U ni t ed Stat es v. G r i er , 4 7 5 F . 3 d 5 5 6 , 5 6 8 (3d C ir . 2 0 0 7 ). W i th r es pectt o poi nt2, w e fi nd no err ori n t he 

### Distri ct Co urt ’s a d d iti o n o f

p o in ts forw i l l ful obs t ruct i on of j us t i ce w her e J ones m ade the choi ce of nots urr ender i ng w hen he s houl d have a ft erhi s r el eas e. W ith re sp e c t to p o in t 3 , Jo n e s f o c u se s o n th e c a lcu latio n o f h is o f f e n se lev e l in a r g u i n g t h a tt h e Di s t r i c tCo u r tmi s a p p l i e d th e g r o u p i n g Gu i d e l i n e s b yi mp o s i n g two s epar at e cons ecut i ve s ent ence s forgr ouped count s . I n s o doi ng, he i gnor es the i m pactof s ect i on 5G 1. 2( d) of the G ui del i nes , w hi ch appl i es her e and w hi ch ca l l s fora cons ecut i ve s ent ence fort he tw o count s of convi ct i on, gi vi ng r i s e t o a 246- m ont h s ent ence . W i th r es pectt o poi nt4, J ones negl ect s t o r ecogni ze thatthe appl i cabl e Sent enci ng G ui del i ne, U . S. S. G . § 4A 1. 2( d) , i s s t at ed i n t he di s j unct i ve w i t h r es pectt o count i ng o f f e n se s c o m m itt e d p rio r to th e a g e o f e ig h tee n . T h u s, th e o f f e n se in q u e stio n c o u n ts 4( . . . cont i nued) 4 Sect i on 4A 1. 2( d) cover s offe ns es comm i t t ed pr i ort o age e i ght een. . . . [F] or o f f e n se s c o m m itt e d p rio r to a g e e ig h tee n , o n lyth o se th a t re su lted in a d u lt s e n te n c e s o f

im p ri s o n m e n t e x c e e d in g o n e y e a r a n d o n e m o n th , orr es ul t ed i n i m pos i t i on of an a dul torj uveni l e s ent ence orr el eas e fr om confi nement on t hats ent ence w i t hi n fi ve y ear s of the def endant ’ s comm ence m entof the i ns t antoffe ns e ar e count ed. U .S .S .G . § 4 .A 1 .2 c m t. n .7 (e m p h a s is a d d e d ). 5 t ow ar d car eeroffe nders t atus , not w i t hs t andi ng the fa ctthatJ ones had bee n r el eas ed fr om pr i s on m or e than fi ve y ear s befor e the i ns t antoffe ns e, beca us e i ts at i s fi es the al t ernat i ve bas i s — namel y , i tr es ul t ed i n an adul ts ent ence of i m pr i s onm entexce edi ng one y earand one mont h. W i th r es pectt o poi nt5, t hi s as pectof the D i s t r i ctC our t ’ s s ent enci ng does gi ve us paus e, i n thatt he C our tbel i eved i tw as r es t r i ct ed bythe Sent enci ng G ui del i nes forcr ack coca i ne. J ones ’ s couns el ar gued thatthe di s par i t yforcr ack c ocai ne w oul d r es ul ti n a s ent ence t hatw as gr eat ert han nec es s aryt o achi eve the goal s of s ent enci ng under18 U . S. C . § 3553( a) . T he 

### Distri ct Co urt deni ed couns el ’ s obj ect i on, i ndi cat i ng thati tw as no t“rel evan t , ” and t hat “i ti s a m at t er that has t o b e han dled byC on gress i n the fi rs t i ns t ance t o change t hat . ” ( A pp. 23. ) T he 

### Distri ct Co urt s ent ence d J ones t o t he combi ned s ta tu to ry m a x im u m f

o r t h e tw o o f

f e n s e s , i . e. , 2 4 6 m o n th s’ im p riso n m e n t. T he Supr eme C our thas r ece nt l yi ns t ruct ed thata s ent enci ng courtcan c ons i dert he d is p a ri ty in th e s e n te n c e s f o r c ra c k c o c a in e a s p a rt o f its a n a lysis u n d e r § 3 5 5 3 (a ). U ni t ed Stat es v. K i m br ough , N o . 0 6 -6 3 3 0 , 2 0 0 7 W L 4 2 9 2 0 4 0 (U .S . 2 0 0 7 ). A c c o rd in g ly , w e w ill6

V A C A T E Jo n e s’s se n ten c e a n d R E M A N D f o r re -se n ten c in g in a c c o rd a n c e w ith K i m br ough , s o t hatt he 

### Distri ct Co urt can gi ve cons i der at i on t o t hi s fac t ori n s ent enci ng J o n e s .

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