FILED U.S. COURT OF AP P EALS E LEVEN T HC IRC U IT SEPT 15 , 2006 THOMAS K. KAH

N CLERK [ 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. 06- 10619 N on -A rgum entC al endar

________________________ D . C . D ocketN o. 05 -000 05 -C R -F T M -33-S P C -0 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 L U I S H A T U E Y P E N A L V E R , 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 orthe M i ddl e D i s tr i c tof F l or i da

_________________________ ( S e p t e m b e r 15, 2006) B efo re B L A C K , M A R C U S an d W IL S O N , C i rcu i tJu d g es. P E R C U R I A M:2

L ui s H atuey P enal ver app ea l s hi s 135 -m on th sent ence , i m po se d aft erhe pl ed gui l ty t o c ons pi r a c y t o pos s e s s w i th i nt e ntt o di s tr i but e m or e tha n 1000 m a r i j ua na p la n ts , 2 1 U .S .C . § § 8 4 6 , 8 4 1 ( a ) ( 1 ) , ( b ) ( 1 ) ( A ) ( v ii) , a n d p o s s e s s io n w ith in te n t to d is tr ib u te m o r e th a n 1 0 0 0 m a r iju a n ap la n ts , 2 1 U .S .C . § 8 4 1 ( a ) ( 1 ) , ( b ) ( 1 ) ( A ) ( v ii) . O n app ea l , P enal ver a rgues thatthe di stri ctcourterre d i n app l yi ng a f ou r- l evel aggravat i ng -r ol e e nh ance m ent , pu rs uantt o U . S . S . G . § 3 B 1. 1(a) , because he w as n o tan o rg an i zer o r l ead er o f th e co n sp i racy. T he pa r t i e s a r e f

a m i l i a rw i th the ba c kgr ound f a c t s , a nd w e do notr e c ount them here . “ A di stri ctcourt ’ s upw ar d adj ustm entof a def endant ’ s G ui del i nes o ffen se l ev el d u e t o h i s st atu s as a l ead er o r o rg an i zer u n d er U . S . S . G . § 3 B 1 . 1 i s a fi nd i ng of fa ctre vi ew ed on l y f or cl ea r e rr or. ” U

ni te d State s v . P hi l l i

ps , 287 F . 3d 1 0 5 3 , 1 0 5 5 (1 1 th C i r. 2 0 0 2 ). “ T h e g o v ern m en tb ears th e b u rd en o f p ro v i n g b y a pr e ponde r a nc e of

the e vi de nc e tha tthe de f e nda ntha d a n a ggr a va t i ng r ol e i n the offe nse. ” U

ni ted Stat es v. Y

eager , 3 3 1 F .3 d 1 2 1 6 , 1 2 2 6 ( 1 1 th C ir . 2 0 0 3 ) . U n d erth e G u id elin es , a fo u r- lev el in cr ea se is ap p li ed to th e d ef en d an t’ s offe nse l evel i f he or s he “ w as an organi ze r or l ea der of acr i m i nal ac t i vi ty that i n v o l v e d f

i v e o rm o r e p a r t i c i p a n t s o rwa s o th e rwi s e e x t e n s i v e . ” U. S . S . G. § 3 B 1 .1 ( a ) . I n m a k in g th e a g g r a v a tin g - r o le d e te rm in a tio n , th e d is tr ic t c o u r t s h o u ld c ons i de rs e ve r a l f

a c t or s , i nc l udi ng “ the e xe r c i s e of de c i s i on m a ki ng author i ty , the3

na tur e of pa r t i c i pa t i on i n the c om m i s s i on of the of f e ns e , the r e c rui tm e ntof a c c om pl i c e s , the c l a i m e d r i ghtt o al a r ge rs ha r e of the f rui t s of the c r i m e , the de gr e e of pa r t i c i pa t i on i n pl a nni ng oror ga ni z i ng the of f e ns e , the na tur e a nd s c ope of the i l l egal ac t i vi ty, and the degree of c on trol and autho ri ty e xerc i se d o ver othe r s . ” U . S . S . G . § 3B 1. 1 c m t . n. 4. “ T he r e c a n, of c our s e , be m or e tha n one pe r s on w ho qua l i f

i e s a s al e a de roror ga ni z e rof ac r i m i na l a s s oc i a t i on or conspi ra cy . ” I

d. A n e n h a n c e me n tu n d e r§ 3 B1 . 1 “ r e q u i r e s th e e x e r c i s e o f s o me author i ty i n the or ga ni z a t i on, the e xe r t i on of s om e de gr e e of

c ontr ol , i nf

l ue nc e , or l ea ders hi p. ” U

ni ted Stat es v. Y

at es , 99 0 F . 2d 11 79 , 11 82 (11th C i r. 19 93 ). A f t e rc a r e f ul l y r e vi e w i ng the r e c or d, the s e nt e nc i ng tr a ns c r i pt , a nd the p a r tie s ’ b r ie f

s , w e c o n c lu d e th e d is tr ic t c o u r t h a d a m p le e v id e n c e to s u p p o r t its f i ndi ng tha tP e na l ve rw a s a n or ga ni z e rorl e a de rof ac r i m i na l a c t i vi ty i nvol vi ng fi ve or m ore part i ci pant s. W e a cc ordi ng l y hol d the di stri ctcourtdi d n otcl ea rl y e rr i n appl y i ng af

our - l e ve l a ggr a va t i ng- r ol e e nha nc e m e nt , pur s ua ntt o § 3B 1. 1( a ) , a nd w e a ff i rm P enal ver’ s 135 -m on th sent ence . AF F I RME D.