Pursuant to5 T H C IR . R. 47 .5, the court has determined that this opinion should not * be publishe d and is not precedent except under the limited circumstance s set forth in 5 T H C IR . R. 47.5 .4. 

### INTHE UNITED S TATESCOU RT OFAPPEALS

FORTHEFIFTH CIRCU IT

N o. 09- 10112 U N IT E D S T A T E S O F AM E R IC A , P l ai n t if f

- A pp el l ee v. W IL M IR E U . J O N E S , II I, D e fe nda nt - Appe l l ant

A pp ealf

rom t h e U n i t ed S t ates D i st ri ctC ou rt f ort he N or t her n D i st r i c tof Texas U S D C N o . 5 :08 -C R -0 0 0 1 3 -C -B G -2 B ef ore JO N E S , C h i ef

Ju dg e, an d B E N AV ID E S an d P RA D O , C i rcui tJu dg es. E D ITH H . JO N E S , C h i ef Ju dg e: * A p p ell a n t W i l m i re U . Jo n es, III, pledgu i l ty to f ra u d in con n ectionw i th ac c e s s dev i c e s and ai di ng andabe t t i ng an o pe r at i o n t hatus e d i de nt if i c at i o n a nd c r e d it in fo r m a t i o n o f o th e r s to o p e n s to r e ch a r g e a c c o u n ts . S ee1 8 U. S . C. § § 10 29 ( a) ( 2) and 2. Jo ne s c o nt e nds t hat t he di s t r i c t c o urterr ed i n t he c a l c u l a t i o n o f

t h e l o s s a mo u n tf

o rs e n t e n c i n gp u r p o s e s . We d i s a g r e e a n da f f i r m. Jon es w as p artof an organ i zati on operati n g i n H ou st on , T exas that used fr a u d u le n t d r iv e r s lic e n s e s a n did e n tify in gin fo r m a tio n to o p e n ch a r g e o rcr e d it United States Court of App eals

Fifth Circuit 

### F I LE D April7, 2010 Lyle W . Cayce Clerk Case: 09-10112 Document: 00511073671 Page: 1 Date Filed: 04/07/2010N o. 09- 10112

Jones a dmitted to b eing involved in four trips in addition to the Lubb oc ktrip. 1 However , the P SR only hol ds Jones respon sible for atotal of four trips, including the Lubbock trip . 2 accoun t s atv ari ou s stor es. Jon es an d M i cha elD avid F au t t , a n ot h er m em ber of t he orga n i z at i o n, t r av e l e d t o dif fe r e ntc i t i e s i n av e hi c l e pr o vi de d b y t he organ i zation . Jones an d Fa u t t u sed fal se i den t i t i es t o open accoun t s atst ores, m a d e s m a ll p u r c h a s e s a t s to r e s , a n dth e n p u r c h a s e dg ift c a r d s u p to th e cr e d it l i m i ton the ac c ount s. Faut t , w ho e nt er ed the s t or es t o o pen t he ac c ount s, w as pa i d $ 3, 00 0 pe rt r i p. J o ne s , w ho dr o vet hev e hi c l e a nd was a w ar e o f t he unl awf ulpur po s e o f

t he t r i ps , w as pa i d $ 50 0 pe rt r i p. In O ct ober an d N ovem ber of 200 7, Jon es andF au t ttravel ed tw i ce t o N ew O r l e ans , Lo ui s i ana , t w i c e t o O kl aho m a Ci t y, O kl ahom a, a nd o nc e t o Lubb o c k, T e x a s . In L u b b o c k , J o n e s a n dF a u ttu s e dth e s to le n id e n tific a tio n a n dcr e d it i n f orm ati on t o charge over $23 , 000 at vari ou s s t ores. A f t er he w as caug h t , Jon e s p l ed gu i l t y pu rsuan tt o a w rit t en pl ea agreem en t . Th e P resentence R eport (“ P S R ” ) assi gn ed Jon es a base of fen se l evel o f s ix . S eeU . S. S. G . § § 2 B1. 1( a)

- (b) ( 1) ( E ) . The pr o ba t i o n o f f i c e rc al c ul at e d the i nt e nde d l o s s a m o untb y e xt rapo l at i ng t he a c t uall o s s i nf l i c t e d d ur i ng t he Lu bboc k t r i p t o thre e a ddi t i onalt r i ps. The ac t uall os se s f r om t he addit i onal 1 t r i ps a r e unkn o w n. The c al c ul at i o n r e s ul t e d i n a n i nt e nde d l o s s a m o unto f a bo ut $9 2, 00 0. J o ne s ’ s b as e o f fe ns e l e ve lw as i nc r e as e d b y e i ghtl e ve l s b ecau s e t he a m ou n t of l oss ex cee d ed $ 7 0 , 0 0 0 . A t sen ten ci n g, as on ap p ea l , Jo n es o bj ectedto t hi s l o s s c al c ul at i o n, a r gui ng t hatno e vi de nc e s upp o r t e d af i ndi ng t hatt he L u bbock l oss a m ou n tw as representat ive of t h e l oss am ou n t s f

rom ot h er t ri ps. T h e di st ri ctcourtoverrul ed the obj ect i on an d sen t en ced Jon es t o 41 m on t h s of i m p ri son m en t. Case: 09-10112 Document: 00511073671 Page: 2 Date Filed: 04/07/2010N o. 09- 10112

3 W e r evi ew f

orc l earer r ort he t r i alc our t ’ s f i ndi ngs of

fac tc onc er ni ng a g u id e lin e s s e n te n c e . Un itedS ta tes v. Klein , 5 4 3 F .3d 2 0 6 , 2 1 3 (5 th C ir. 2 0 0 8 ). Ad e te r m in a tio n o f th e lo s s a m o u n t is afa c tu a l fin d in g . Uni t e d St at e sv . Jo hn , 59 7 F. 3d2 63 , 2 79 ( 5th Ci r . 2 01 0) . U nde rt hi s stand ard, “‘ as l o ng as t he determ i n ati on is p l au sibl e i n li gh tof t h e rec ord as a w h ol e, cl ear err or does not ex i st. ’” I

d. ( quot i ng Un itedS ta tes v. Ism o ila , 1 0 0 F .3d3 8 0 , 3 9 6 (5t h C ir.19 9 6 )). F u rt h er, i n deter m i n i n g t h e am ou n tof l oss, “ [t] h e courtneedonl y m ak e a reasona bl e est i m ate. ” U . S . S . G . § 2B 1. 1 cm t . n. 3( C ) . Th e di st ri ct courts ha ve a “w id e la tit u d e ” in th is re g a r d . Jo hn , 59 7 F . 3 da t 2 7 9 . “T h e m eth odu sedto c al c ul at e t he a m o untof l o s s , howev e r , m us tb e ars o m e r e as o nab l e r e l at i o n t o t he a ctu a lor i n ten d edh a rm of th e offen se.” I d. (cita tion om itted ). R el evan tt o t h i s c ase, t h e gu i del i n es s u ggest severa l dif ferent fact ors courts m ay consi der w h en est i m ati n g l oss, i n cl u di n g t h e “ ap proxi m ate nu m ber o f v i c t i m s m ul t i pli e d b y t he a ve r ag e l o s s t o e ac h v i c t i m , ” a n d the “ s c o pe a nd d u r a tio n o f th e o ffe n s e a n dre v e n u e s g e n e r a te db ys i m i la ro p e r a tio n s .” § 2 B1. 1 cm t . n . 3 ( C) . The PSR’ s e xt r ap o l at i o n o f t he a c t uall o s s f

r o m t he Lu bboc k t r i p t o e ach o f th e thr eeothert r i ps i n w hi c h Jones par t i c i pat ed w as basedon these pri n ci pl es. Jon es argu es t h at becau se t h ere w as n o evi den ce as t o h ow m an yfal se i de nt i t i e s w e r e us e d o n t he o t he rt r i ps , o rhow m anyc har ge s w e r e m ad e , t he am ou n tof

l oss shou l d be l i m i t ed to t h e act u all oss f rom t h e L u bbock t ri p. Jones al s o a r gue d thate xt r ap o l at i ng t he t o t ala m o unto f l o s s f r om one t r i p a s t he a ve ra ge w a s u n rea son a b l e. O n th e facts of th i s ca se, th e d i stri ct cou rt’ s estim a te o f th e a m o u n t o f lo s s w a s r e a s o n a b le a n dt h e d is tr ic t c o u r t d idn o t c le a r lye r rin u si n g t h e P S R ’ s es t i m ate of l oss. Case: 09-10112 Document: 00511073671 Page: 3 Date Filed: 04/07/2010N o. 09- 10112

4 Jon es adm i t t ed to com pl et i n g t h ese t ri ps w i t h F au t t . H e al so adm it t ed t h at h e an d Fa u t t cha rged up t o t h e f u l l l i m i t of t h e accoun t s t h ey open ed. Th ey w ere f ou n d w i t h i den t if

i cat i on docum en t s andcr edi tcards n oti n t h ei r nam es. T h e reg u l a ri ty of th eir t ri p s esta b l i sh es ap a ttern . E a ch ti m e, J on es a n dF a u tt us e d ac arpr o vi de d b y t he o r ga ni z at i o n a nd wer e pa i d g e ne r o us ly f o rt he i rw o r k, s u g g e s tin gth a t t h e o r g a n iz a tio n re a p e dco n s id e r a b le r e w a r dfr o m th e ir act ivi t i es. M oreover, al t h ou gh Jon es adm i t t ed to t ak i n g f ou r t ri ps i n add i t i on to th e L u b b o c ktr ip , th eP S R o n lyh e ldh im a c c o u n ta b le fo r o n e lo s s , so it is lik e ly t hatt he P SR ’ s es t i m at e i s c ons ervat ive. G iven t hes e cir c um st ance s, i tw oul d be u n r e a s o n a b le to lim it t h e a m o u n t o f lo s s to th e a c tu a l lo s s fr o m th e L u b b o c ktr ip al on e. Th e di st ri ctcourt ’ s l oss cal cul ati on w as not c l early erroneou s. F o rth e fo r e g o in gre a s o n s , th e s e n te n c e is A F F I RMED. Case: 09-10112 Document: 00511073671 Page: 4 Date Filed: 04/07/2010