FI LED U. S . COURT OF AP PE ALS E L E V E N T H C IR C U IT N ove m be r 30, 2005 T HOM AS K. KAHN CL E RK [ DO NO T P UB L I S H] I N THE UN I TE D STATE S C OU RT OF APPE ALS F O R T H E E L E V E N T H C IR C U IT

________________________ N o. 05- 12662 N on -A rgum entC al endar

________________________ D . C . D ocketN o. 05 -000 18 -C R -4 U N I T E D S T A T E S O F A M E R I C A , P la in tif f - A p p e lle e , v ersu s G L E N N M C C L O U D , D e f e n d a n t- A p p e lla n t.

________________________ A pp ea l fr om the U ni t ed S t at es D i stri ctC ou rt f o rth e S o u th e rn D is tr ic t o f G e o r g ia

_________________________ ( N ove m be r30, 2005) B efo re T JO F L A T , D U B IN A an d H U L L , C i rcu i tJu d g es. P E R C U R I A M: A ppe l l a ntG l e nn M c C l oud appe a l s hi s 240- m onth s e nt e nc e f ordi s tr i but i on2

of cocai ne, i n v i ol at i on of 21 U . S . C . § 8 41 (a )( 1). M cC l ou d app ea l s the di stri ct court ’ s use of j ud ge-f

ou nd fa ct s t o i ncre as e hi s s ent ence un der the U ni t ed S t at es S e nt e nc i ng G ui de l i ne s ( “ gui de l i ne s ” ) s y s t e m , pur s ua ntt o U ni ted Stat es v. B oo ke r , 5 4 3 U .S . ___ , 1 2 5 S . C t. 7 3 8 , 1 6 0 L . E d . 2 d 6 2 1 ( 2 0 0 5 ) . M c C lo u d a ls o c o n te s ts th e d i stri ctco u rt ’ s fi n d i n g th atfact s u sed t o i n crease h i s sen t en ce w ere p ro v en b y a prepon dera nce of the evi dence. M c C lo u d a r g u e s o n ap p e a l th a t th e d is tr ic t c o u r t e rr e d b y e n h a n c in g h is se nt ence base d o n fac t s thatw er e nei ther a dm i tt ed by hi m no r proven t o a j ury u n d er a m an d at o ry g u i d el i n es syst em . S p eci fi cal l y, M cC l o u d arg u es th ath i s b ase o f f e n s e l e v e l s h o u l d n o th a v e b e e n c a l c u l a t e d b a s e d o n c o c a i n e s e i z e d f r o m th e two apa r tm e nt s he r e nt e d f

orus e by hi m s e l f

a nd hi s c o- c ons pi r a t or s i n the i rdrug deal i ng op er at i on , and sho ul d n othave been enhanced b y the pres ence of a ha ndgun dur i ng the c ha r ge d of f e ns e , be c a us e he di d nota dm i tpos s e s s i on of the a d d itio n a l c o c a in e o rth e h a n d g u n , a n d th o s e f a c ts w e r e n o t p r o v e n to a ju ry . M cC l o u d al so co n t en d s th atth e d i stri ctco u rtap p l i ed th e g u i d el i n es as m an d at o ry, ra ther than adv i sory , because the courtdi d n otexpl i ci t l y s t at e thatthey w er e advi sory , or consi der other f ac t ors i n fas hi on i ng hi s s ent ence . W e r evi ew pres erved-err or B oo ke rc la im s o n ap p e a l de no vo , b u trev erse o n ly f o rh a rm f u l e rr o r . U

ni te d State s v . P az , 405 F . 3d 946, 948 ( 11th C i r . 2005)3

( c ita tio n o m itte d ) . T h e r e a r e tw o h a rm le s s e rr o rs ta n d a r d s ; o n e is ap p lic ab le to B oo ke rc ons t i tut i ona l e rr or s , a nd the othe rt o B oo ke rs ta tu to ry e rr o r s . U ni ted S ta te s v . M

a th e n ia , 4 0 9 F . 3 d 1 2 8 9 , 1 2 9 1 ( 1 1 th C i r . 2 0 0 5 ) . A B oo ke rconst i tut i on al e rr orvi ol a t e s a n i ndi vi dua l ’ s S i xth A m e ndm e ntr i ghtt o tr i a l by j ury , w he r e a j udge e nha nc e s a n i ndi vi dua l ’ s s e nt e nc e ba s e d s ol e l y on j udi c i a l l y f ound f a c t s pur s ua nt to a m a n d a to ry g u id e lin e s s y s te m . P az , 405 F . 3d a t948. H ow e ve r , “ the us e of e xtr a - ve r di c te nha nc e m e nt s i n a n a dvi s ory gui de l i ne s s y s t e m i s not un const i tut i on al . ” U

ni ted Stat es v. R odri

gu ez , 3 9 8 F .3 d 1 2 9 1 , 1 3 0 1 ( 1 1 th C ir .) , c e r t. deni ed , 1 2 5 S . C t. 2 9 3 5 , 1 6 2 L . E d . 2 d 8 6 6 ( 2 0 0 5 ) . B oo ke rs t a tut ory e rr or occurs w hen the di stri ctcourtappl i es the gu i del i nes a s m andat ory, ra ther than a d v is o ry . U

ni te d State s v . She l ton , 40 0 F . 3d 13 25 , 13 29 -30 (11 th C i r. 20 05 ). A f t e rr e vi e w i ng the r e c or d, w e c onc l ude tha tthe di s tr i c tc our tdi d not c o m m it B oo ke rconst i tut i on al or st atut ory e rr or because i tappl i ed the gu i del i nes a s ad v iso ry , rath erth an m an d ato ry . T h e r ec o rd d em o n stra tes th at d u rin g M cC lo u d ’s R ul e 11 h ea ri ng pri or t o sent enci ng , the di stri ctcourtexpl i ci t l y a ckno w l edged that the gu i del i nes w er e a dv i sory , bu tul t i m at el y c ho se t o sent ence hi m t o the st atut ory m a xi m um w i thi n the gui de l i ne s , obs e rvi ng tha tM c C l oud c oul d e a s i l y ha ve r e c e iv e d a m u c h h a r s h e rs e n te n c e if n o t f o rth e b e n e f

it o f h is p le a a g r e e m e n t. M cC l ou d al so ar gu es on appeal thatthe go vernm entdi d n otm ee ti t s burden4

o f p r o v in g b y a p r e p o n d e r a n c e o f th e e v id e n c e th a t h e s h o u ld b e h e ld a c c o u n tab le f orthe a ddi t i ona l c oc a i ne s e i z e d f r om hi s apa r tm e nt s a nd i nc l ude d i n hi s r e l e va nt cond uct , or for the hand gu n thatw as pres entdu ri ng the charged offe nse a nd used to e n h a n c e h is s e n te n c e . M c C lo u d c o n te n d s th a t th e e v id e n c e c o n n e c tin g h im w ith the apa r tm e nt s w he r e the c oc a i ne w a s s e i z e d w a s i ns uf f i c i e nt , i n the abs e nc e of a ny p h y s ic a l e v id e n c e d ir e c tly lin k in g h im to th e c o c a in e . H e a ls o a r g u e s th a t h is s e nt e nc e s houl d notha ve be e n e nha nc e d f orpos s e s s i on of

a f i r e a rm be c a us e he n e v e ra d m itte d to th a t c o n d u c t. A l though B oo ke rh as ren d ered th e sen t en ci n g g u i d el i n es m erel y ad v i so ry, th e s ta n d a r d s u s e dto r e v ie w th e ap p lic a tio n o f th e g u id e lin e s r e m a in th e s a m e . U n i ted S ta tes v. Cra w

f o rd , 407 F . 3d 1174, 1178 ( 11th C i r . 2005) . W e r e vi e w the di stri ctcourt ’ s f

ac tual fi nd i ng s f

or cl ea r e rr or and i t s app l i ca t i on of the gu i del i nes t o th o se fact s de no vo . U n ite d S ta te s v . T

r u jillo , 14 6 F . 3d 83 8, 84 7 (11 th C i r. 1998) . “ W he n a de f

e nda ntobj e c t s t o a f

a c tua l f i ndi ng tha ti s us e d i n c a l c ul a t i ng hi s gui de l i ne s e nt e nc e , s uc h a s drug a m ount , the gove rnm e ntbe a r s the bur de n of es t abl i shi ng the di sput ed fa ctby a pre po nd er ance of the evi dence. ” R odri gu ez , 398 F .3 d a t 1 2 9 6 ( c ita tio n o m itte d ) . W i th res pectt o o ff

ense s i nv ol vi ng contraband (i ncl ud i ng control l ed s ubs t a nc e s ) , the de f

e nda nti s a c c ount abl e f

ora l l qua nt i t i e s of contraband w i th w hi ch he w as di re ct l y i nv ol ved and , i n the ca se of a j oi nt l y unde r t a ke n c r i m i na l a c t i vi ty , a l l r e a s onabl y f or e s e e abl e qua nt i t i e s of5

c o n tr ab a n d th a t w e r e w ith in th e s c o p e o f th e c r im in a l a c tiv ity th a t h e jo in tly unde r t ook. U .S .S .G . § 1 B 1 .3 , c o m m e n t. ( n .2 ) . S e c t i on 2D 1. 1( b) ( 1) pr ovi de s a tw o- l e ve l e nha nc e m e nt“ [ i ] f a da nge r ous w e apon ( i nc l udi ng a f

i r e a rm ) w a s pos s e s s e d. ” U . S . S . G . § 2D 1. 1( b) ( 1) . “ T he a d ju s tm e n t s h o u ld b e ap p lie d if th e w e ap o n w a s p r e s e n t, u n le s s it is c le a r ly i m pr obabl e tha tthe w e apon w a s c onne c t e d w i th the of f e ns e . ” U . S . S . G . § 2D 1. 1, c om m e nt . ( n. 3) . “ O nc e the pr os e c ut i on ha s s how n by a pr e ponde r a nc e of the e vi de nc e tha tthe f

i r e a rm w a s pr e s e nta tthe s i t e of the c ha r ge d c onduc t , the e vi de nt i a ry bur de n s hi f

t s t o the de f

e nda ntt o s how tha ta c onne c t i on be tw e e n the fi re arm and the offens e i s c l ea rl y i m prob abl e. ” U n ite d S ta te s v . H

a ll , 46 F . 3d 62, 63 (11th C i r. 19 95 ). A f te rr e v ie w in g th e r e c o r d , w e c o n c lu d e th a t th e d is tr ic t c o u r t d id n o t c le a r ly er r b y f in d in g th at a p re p o n d er an ce o f th e e v id en ce su p p o rted b as in g M cC lo u d ’s o f f e n s e le v e l o n a d d itio n a l c o c a in e s e iz e d f r o m h is ap a r tm e n ts , o rb y e n h a n c in g h is s e nt e nc e ba s e d on the pr e s e nc e of a ha ndgun dur i ng the of f e ns e c onduc t . T he gove rnm e nte s t abl i s he d M c C l oud’ s l e ga l pos s e s s i on of the tw o apa r tm e nt s thr ough p ap e rw o rk , in te r c e p te d p h o n e c o n v e r s a tio n s , h is p o s s e s s io n o f k e y s to b o th ap a r tm e n ts a t th e tim e o f h is a rr e s t, a n d p o lic e o b s e rv a tio n o f M c C lo u d o rh is ve hi c l e a te a c h apa r tm e nton the da y of hi s a rr e s t , pr i ort o the s e a r c he s . M c C l oud6

d i d n o tp resen tan y ev i d en ce th ath e w as n o ti n l eg al p o ssessi o n o f th e ap artm en t s, bu ti nst ea d est abl i shed on l y thatno ph ys i ca l evi dence s ei ze d d uri ng the se ar ches l i nk ed hi m t o the part i cul ardrug s thatw er e f ou nd i n the apartm ent s. T he di stri ct c our tdi d notne e d e vi de nc e l i nki ng M c C l oud t o the pa r t i c ul a rdrugs s e i z e d f r om hi s apa r tm e nt s i n or de rt o hol d hi m a c c ount abl e f orthos e drugs a ts e nt e nc i ng be c a us e the y w e r e r e a s onabl y f or e s e e abl e drug qua nt i t i e s w i thi n the s c ope of M c C l oud’ s j oi ntc r i m i na l unde r t a ki ng. A pr e ponde r a nc e of

the e vi de nc e e s t abl i s he d tha tM c C l oud’ s c o- c ons pi r a t or po ss es se d a fi re arm du ri ng the charged offe nse drug sal e, and ano ther f i re arm w as f ound dur i ng the s e a r c h of one of M c C l oud’ s apa r tm e nt s . M c C l oud di d not pr e s e nta ny e vi de nc e tha tthe f i r e a rm s w e r e notc onne c t e d t o the c ha r ge d of f e ns e or h is r e le v a n t c o n d u c t, s o th e d is tr ic t c o u r t d id n o t c le a r ly e rrb y e n h a n c in g h is se nt ence base d o n thei r pre se nce. F or the foregoi ng re as on s, w e a ff i rm M cC l ou d’ s s ent ence . AF F I RME D.