# U n i t e d S t a t e s C o u r t o f A pp e a l s
For the Eig hth Circu it

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No . 1 8 -1 1 45

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Un i t ed St at es o f Am eri ca,

l l ll l l l l l l l l l l ll l l l l l Pl a i nt i

f f - Ap p el lee

,

v

.

An t h o n y Tarp eh Ku g m eh

,

l l ll l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l Def

en d a n t - Ap pel l an t

.

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Ap p eal fro m

Un i t ed St at es Di s t ri ct Co u rt fo r t h e Di s t ri ct o f M i n n es o t a - St . Pau l

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Su b m it t ed : Ap ri l 1 9, 2 0 1 9
Fi l ed : Au g u s t 8 , 2 0 1 9

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Befo re COLLOTON, GRUENDER, an d ERICKSON, Ci rcu i t J u d g es

.

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COLLOTON, Ci rcu i t J u d g e.

An t h o n y Ku gm eh p l ead ed g u i lt y t o co n sp i racy t o co m m i t b an k frau d

, s ee 1 8

U.S.C. § § 1 3 4 4 an d 13 4 9

, an d ai d i n g an d ab et t i n g ag g rav at ed i den ti t y t h eft

, s ee i d.
§ § 1 02 8 A an d 2

. T h e d is t ri ct co u rt 1 cal cu l at ed an ad v is o ry s en t en ci n g g u i d e l i n e

1 Th e Ho n o rab l e J o h n R. Tu n h ei m , Ch i ef J u d g e, U nite d St at es Di s t ri ct Co u rt fo r
t h e Di s t ri ct o f M i nn es o t a.ran g e o f 1 3 5 to 1 6 8 m o n t h s ’ i m p ri s o n m en t fo r t h e co ns p iracy o ffen s e. Ku g m eh

arg u es t hat t h e co u rt m ad e p ro ced u ral erro rs i n det erm in in g t he ran g e, b u t we reject

h i s co n t en t i o n s an d affi rm t h e ju d g m en t

.

Ku g m eh ’ s g u i l t y

p lea st em m ed fro m h i s in v o l v em en t i n a sch em e t o d efrau d

fi nan ci al i n s t i tu ti o n s b y cas hi n g co u n t erfei t ch eck s d rawn on acco u nt s o f b u s i n es s es

an d i n d i v i d u al s

. He p l ead ed g ui l t y i n Ap ri l 20 1 5

. In h is p l ea ag re e m e n t

, K u g m eh

s t ip u l at ed t o a b as e o ffen s e l ev el an d cert ai n ad ju s t m en ts t o t h e o ffen se lev el o n t h e

co n sp i racy co u n t. Am o n g t h es e s t ip u l at i o n s were a s i x t een -l ev el i n creas e fo r a l o ss

am ou n t of m o re t h an $ 1 ,0 0 0 ,0 0 0 b u t les s t han $ 2 ,5 0 0,0 0 0

, an d a two -l ev el i n creas e

fo r an o ffen s e i n v o l v i ng so p hi s ti cat ed m ean s

. S ee USSG § 2 B1 .1 (b )(1 )(I), (b )(1 0 )(C)
(2 0 1 4). Th e g ov ern m en t ag reed t o reco m m en d a t h ree-l ev el red u ct i o n fo r accep t an ce

o f res p o n s i bi li t y , s ee i d

. § 3E1 .1

, p ro v i d ed t h at cert ai n co nd i t i o n s w ere m et

, i n cl u d i n g

t h at Ku g m eh “ c o m m i t [] n o fu rt h er act s in co n s i st en t wi t h accep t an ce o f

res p o n s i b i l i t y .”

I n N o ve m b e r 2 015

, th e Sen t en ci n g Co m m i s si on p ro m

u l g at ed A m e ndm e nt 792,

wh i ch am en d ed t h e d efi n i t i o n o f “ i n t en d ed l o s s ” i n t h e co m m en t ary t o USSG § 2 B1

. 1

an d t h e “ s o p h i s t i cat ed m ean s” g u i d el i n e at USSG § 2 B1 .1 ( b ) ( 1 0 ) ( C). S ee USSG

Su p p

. t o Ap p

. C, Am en d

. 7 9 2 (2 0 1 5). In h i s fi rs t s en ten ci n g m em oran d u m , Ku g m eh

as s ert ed t h at u nd er t h e am en d ed g u i d el i n es , he wo u ld recei ve a twel v e-l ev el i n creas e

fo r t h e l o s s a m o u nt (i ns t ead o f t h e s t i p u l at ed si x t een ) an d wo u l d n o t q u al i fy fo r a

s o p h is t i cat ed m ean s en h an cem en t

. Bu t h e d id no t u rg e a d i fferen t g u i d el i n e
cal cu l at io n ; rat her, he as ked t h e co u rt “ t o co n s i d er t h e t o t al effect o f t h es e

am en d m en t s as reas o n fo r a v ari an ce u n d er 1 8 U.S.C. § 3 5 5 3 (a).”

Ku g m eh t h en ab s co n d ed fro m p res en t en ce rel eas e in Ap ri l 2 0 1 7 an d fai l ed to

ap p ear at a s e n t e n ci n g h eari n g i n J u n e 20 1 7

. Offi cers ev en tu al ly ap p reh en d ed h i m
d u ri n g a traffi c s t o p in Oct o b er 2 0 1 7

, al t h ou g h ev en t h en Ku g m eh p ro vi d ed a fal s e

n am e, an d p o l i ce h ad t o u s e a b io m et ri c s y s t em t o as cert ai n h i s i den t i t y

. Th is co n d u ct

-2

-l ed t h e p ro b at i o n o ffi ce t o reco m m en d a t wo -l ev el i n creas e u n d er USSG § 3C1 .1 fo r

o b s t ru ct i on o f ju s t i ce an d n o red u ct i o n u n der USSG § 3E1 .1 fo r accep t an ce o f

res p o n s i b i l i t y

.

A t s en ten ci n g, K

u g m eh co n ced ed t hat t h e t wo -l ev el in creas e fo r o b s t ru c t i o n

was ap p ro p ri at e, b u t h e arg ued fo r a two -l ev el red uct i o n fo r accep t an ce o f

r e sponsibility

. He al s o m ai n t ai n ed t h at Am en d m en t 7 9 2 warran ted d i f f e r e nt guide line

ad ju s t m en t s t h an t h os e to wh i ch h e h ad s ti p u l at e d i n h is pl ea ag reem en t

. H e u rg ed

t h e d i s t ri ct co u rt t o ap p l y a twel v e-l ev el in creas e fo r t h e l os s am o un t an d n o i n creas e

fo r s o p h i s t i cat ed m ean s

.

Th e di s t ri ct co u rt o v erru l ed t h e o b ject i o n s an d ap p l i ed a s i x teen -l ev el i n creas e

fo r t h e l o s s am o u nt

, a t wo -l ev el i n creas e fo r s o p h is ti cat ed m ean s, an d n o red u ct i o n

fo r accep t an ce o f res p o n s i b i l i t y

. Th e co u rt arri v ed at an ad v i s o ry ran g e o f 1 3 5 t o 1 6 8

m o nt h s , b u t v a r i e d d o wn ward t o a t erm o f 9 7 m o n t hs ’ i m pri s o n m en t o n t h e

co n sp i racy co n v i ct i o n

. Th e co u rt al s o i m p o sed a co n s ecu t i v e 2 4 -m o nt h p ri s o n t erm

o n t h e co n v ict i o n fo r ai d in g an d ab et t i n g ag g rav at ed i d en t i t y t h eft

. S ee 1 8 U.S.C.
§ 1 02 8 A(a)(1 ), (b )(2 ).

Ku g m eh arg u es o n ap p eal t h at t h e d i st ri ct co u rt erred i n ap p l y in g t h e s i x t een

l ev el i n creas e fo r th e l o s s am ou n t an d t h e t wo -l ev el i ncreas e fo r an offen s e i nv o l v i n g

s o p h i s t i cat ed m ean s

. W e co n cl ud e t h at Ku g m eh wai v ed t h es e arg u m en t s by

s t ip u l at i n g t o t h e ad

ju s tm en t s i n h i s p l ea ag reem en t

. “ A d efen d an t m ay n o t ch al l en g e

an ap p l icat i o n o f th e Gu i del i n es t o wh i ch h e ag reed i n a p l ea ag reem en t (u n l e s s h e

p ro v es t he ag reem en t i n v al id o r s u cceed s i n wi t h d rawi n g fro m it ).” Un i ted S t a t es v.

Ba r ret t

, 17 3 F.3 d 6 8 2

, 6 8 4 (8 t h Ci r. 1 99 9 ). K u g m eh n ev er at t em

p t e d t o p r o v e t h e

p l ea ag reem en t i n val i d o r t o wi t hd raw fro m i t

. Th erefo re, t h e s t i p u lat i o n s are
b i n d i n g , an d h e can n o t ch al l en g e t h e t wo ad ju s t m en t s o n ap p eal

.

-3

-Ku g m eh ’ s n ex t arg u m en t i s t h at t h e d i st ri ct co urt erred i n d en y in g a two -l ev el

red u ct i o n u n der USSG § 3 E1 .1 (a) fo r accep t an ce o f res p o n s i b i li t y

. Th e d i s t ri ct co u rt

fo u n d t hat Ku gm eh o b s t ru ct ed ju s t i ce, an d ap p l i ed a t wo -l ev el in creas e u n d er t h e

g u i d el i n es

. Th e g u id el i n es p ro vi d e t h at o b st ru c t i v e co n d u ct un d er § 3 C1

. 1

“ o rd i n ari l y i n d i cat es t h at t h e d efen d an t has n o t accep t ed res p o n s ib i l i t y f o r h i s
cri m i n al co n du ct ,” b u t t h at t h ere m ay b e “ e x t rao rd i n ary cas es ” i n wh i ch b o th

ad ju s t m en t s ap p ly

. USSG § 3 E1 .1

, co m m en t

. (n .4 ). Th e d is t ri ct co u rt ru l ed t h at t h i s

was n ot s u ch a cas e, an d we rev i ew t h e co u rt ’ s ru l i n g fo r cl ear erro r. Un i t ed S t a t es

v. S mi t h , 6 6 5 F.3 d 9 5 1 , 9 57 (8 t h Ci r. 2 0 1 1).

Ku g m eh arg u es t h at th i s i s an “ ex t rao rd i n ary ” cas e b ecau s e h e ab s co n d ed o ut

o f fear t h at h e wo u l d be k i l l ed f o r p o l i t i cal reas o n s if d ep o rt ed t o Li b eri a. In

re s o l v i n g t h i s i s s ue, we u s u al l y ex am i n e w h et her t h e d efen d an t h as do n e an y t h i n g

“ m o re t h an o rd i n ary ” o r “ b ey o n d w h at i s u s u al

, reg ul ar, co m m o n , o r cu s t o m ary ” t o

earn a r ed u ct i o n fo r accep tan ce o f res p o n s i b i l i t y

. See i d

. at 9 58 ; Un i t ed S t a t es v.

Ho n ken

, 1 8 4 F.3 d 9 6 1

, 9 7 0, 9 7 3 (8 t h Ci r. 1 9 9 9 ). Bu t ev en as s u m in g th at t h e n at u re

o f a defen d an t ’ s o b st ru ct i o n co u l d m ak e a cas e “ ex trao rd i nary ,” t h e d i s t ri ct co u rt d id

n o t err i n d ecl i n i n g t o reach th at co n cl u s i o n here. In s o far as rem o v al t o Li beri a was

an o th er co n seq u en ce o f Ku g m eh ’ s cri m i n al co n d u ct

, h i s reco u rs e was t o s eek

wh at ev er rel i ef i s av ai l ab l e u n d er t h e i m m i grat i o n l aws

. Fl i g ht fro m p ro s ecu t i o n,

co m p o u n d e d b y p ro vi s io n o f a fal se n am e wh en ev en t u al ly ap p reh en ded

, s i m p l y
d em o n s t rat ed hi s u n wi l l in g n es s t o accep t res po n si b i l i t y

. Th ere was n o cl ear erro r in

d ecl i ni n g t o d ee m t h i s an “ ex t rao rd i n ary ” cas e t h at warran t ed an ad j u s t m en t fo r

accep t an ce o f res p o n s i b i l it y

.

Th e ju d g m en t o f t h e d i s t ri ct co u rt i s affi rm ed

.

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