2005 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 4-14-2005 

# U SA v . B rews t e r 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 . 04-1945

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w . vi ll anova . e du . Re c omme nde d C it at ion " U SA v . B r ews t e r " (2005). 2005 D e cisio n s . P ape r 1360. http://d i git alc ommon s .l a

w . vi ll anova . e du/thir dc ir c uit_2005/1360NOT 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. 04- 1945 UNI TE D ST ATE S OF AM ERI CA

v. BI LL Y BREWST ER,

A ppel l ant O n 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. 02- cr - 00136 (H o n o rab le M alco lm M u ir ) Subm i tt ed Pur s uantt o T hi r d C i r cui tL A R 34. 1( a)

J anuary24, 2005 B e f o re : S C IR IC A , C hi ef

Judge , R E N D E L L a n d F IS H E R , C i r cui tJudges ( Fi l ed A pr i l 14, 2005) OPI NI ON O F THE COURT S C IR IC A , C hi ef

Judge . O n J une 13, 2002, B i l l yB r ew s t erw as i ndi ct ed bya fe der al gr and j ur yon ni net een count s of var i ous fi r earm s offe ns es . T hes e cha r ges ar os e fr om B r ew s t er ’ s pur chas e and s al e of f i r earm s i n Penns y l vani a and N ew Y or k, hi s fr audul entacqui s i t i on of aT he pr es ent ence r epor tcal cul at ed B r ew s t er ’ s t ot al offe ns e l evel at21, bas ed upon a 1 bas e off ens e l evel of 14, an i ncr eas e bys i x l evel s beca us e the off ens e i nvol ved 28 f ire a rm s, a n in c re a se o f

tw o lev e ls b e c a u se B re w ste r re c ru ited h is b ro th e r to p a rticip a te w i t h hi m , an i ncr eas e of tw o l evel s forobs t ruct i on of j us t i ce, and a de cr eas e byt hr ee l evel s due t o B r ew s t er ’ s acc ept ance of r es pons i bi l i t y . C oupl ed w i t h B r ew s t er ’ s cr i m i nal hi s t or ycat egoryI , t hi s offe ns e l evel of 21 r es ul t ed i n a G ui del i nes s ent enci ng r ange of 37- 46 m on t hs. 2 Penns y l vani a dr i ver ’ s l i cens e, hi s enl i s t m entof hi s br ot heri n t he i l l egal pur chas e of f ire a rm s in P e n n sy lv a n ia, p a ym e n ts m a d e to h is b ro th e r f o r th e se se rv ice s, a n d h is i ns t ruct i on t o hi s br ot hert hathe fi l e fa l s e pol i ce r epor t s r el at i ng t o t he al l eged theftof the f ire a rm s B re w ste r h a d so ld . O n A u g u st 2 0 , 2 0 0 3 , B re w ste r p lea d e d g u iltyto ill e g a lly e n g a g i n g i n t h e b u s i n e s s o f d e a l i n g i n f

i r e a r ms wi t h o u ta l i c e n s e , i n v i o l a t i o n o f 1 8 U. S . C. § 922( a) ( 1) ( A ) , and ca us i ng fal s e s t at ement s t o be made w i th r es pectt o t he pur chas e of tw o f ir e a rm s , in v io la tio n o f

1 8 U .S .C . § 9 2 2 (a )( 6 ). A pr es ent ence r epor tw as pr epar ed, r ecomm endi ng a G ui del i nes i m pr i s onm ent r ange of 37- 46 m ont hs . A ts ent enci ng, B r ew s t err ai s ed thr ee obj ect i ons t o t he 1 pr es ent ence r epor t . Fi r s t , he cl ai m ed the r epor ti m pr oper l ycount ed the fi r earm s i nvol ved i n hi s offe ns e. B r ew s t eral s o obj ect ed t o t he 2- l evel i ncr eas e r ecomm ended byt he pr es ent ence r epor tforhi s r ol e as an or gani zer , l eade r , m anage r , ors upervi s orof cr i m i nal a c tiv ity , w h ich w a s b a se d u p o n h is in stru c tio n to h is b ro th e r to p u rc h a se f ire a rm s f o r h im fol l ow i ng i s s uance of a N ew Y or k pr ot ect i on or derpr event i ng hi m fr om pur chas i ng t he fi r earm s hi m s el f. Fi nal l y , B r ew s t erobj ect ed t o t he 2- l evel enhanc ementforobs t ruct i on of j us t i ce. H e ar gued thatt he enha ncementw as i m pr operbeca us e ther e w as no evi dence3

t hathi s conductr egar di ng hi s br ot her ’ s fi l i ng of a f al s e pol i ce r epor thad anyeff ecton t he g o v e rn m e n t’ s in v e s tig a tio n . B r ew s t er ’ s obj ect i ons w er e overrul ed byor derdat ed M ar ch 18, 2004, and on M ar ch 30, 2004 he w as s ent ence d t o 46 m ont hs i m pr i s onm ent , t hr ee y ear s ’ s upervi s ed r el eas e, and a s peci al as s es s m entof $200. T he D i s t r i ctC our thad s ubj ectm at t er ju ri s d ic tio n u n d e r 1 8 U .S .C . § 3 2 3 1 , a n d w e h a v e a p p e lla te ju ri s d ic tio n u n d e r 2 8 U .S .C . § 1291. O n appea l , B r ew s t err ai s es t he s ame t hr ee i s s ues he r ai s ed ats ent enci ng, cl ai m i ng t hateac h of the thr ee e nhance m ent s w as bas ed on fa ct s found byt he j udge, r athert han a jury , ren d ering h is sen tenc e c o n sti tuti o n all yinf irm u n d er B l akel

y v. W as hi ngt on , 12 4 S. C t . 2531 ( J une 24, 2004) . Si nce s ubm i t t i ng hi s i ni t i al br i ef, B r ew s t erhas al s o chal l enged h is sen tenc e u n d er U

ni t ed Stat es v. B ooker , 5 4 3 U . S . - -, 1 2 5 S . C t. 7 3 8 (20 0 5 ). H avi ng det erm i ned thatt he s ent enci ng i s s ues appel l antr ai s es ar e bes tdet erm i ned byt he D i s t r i ctC our ti n t he fi r s ti ns t ance , w e w i l l vaca t e the s ent ence and r emand for r es ent enci ng i n acc or dance w i t h B ooker .