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

### INTHE UNI TED S TATESCOU RT OFAPPEALS

FORTHE FIFTH CIRCU IT

N o. 08- 50993

UN I TE D S TA TE S OF AM ERI CA P l ai n t i f f

- A pp el l ee

v. ERI C NAT HAN I VEY D efen d a n t- A p p ell a n t

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 W es t er n D i st r i c tof Texas U SD C N o. 6: 06- C R

- 30

B ef ore JO N E S , C h i ef

Ju dg e, an d G A R Z Aan d S T E W A R T , C i rcui tJu dg es. P E R C U R I A M: * Af t e ran ex pl o s i o n athi s hom e , E r i c I ve y ( “ I ve y” ) pl e d gui l t y t o a t t e m pt i ng t o man u fa c t u r e me t h a m p h e t a m i n e a n dwa s s e n t e n c e dt o 7 2 mo n t hs i m pr i s o nm e nt
. H e a ppe al s t he i m po s i t i o n of a 15

- l e ve ls e nt e nc i ng e nhan c e m e nt f or c reat i n g a sub st an t i alri sk of h arm to h u m an life. B ecau se the dis t ri ctcourt p r o p e r lya p p lie dth e e n h a n c e m e n t, w e a ffir m . United States Court of App eals Fifth Circuit 

### F I L E D September

8, 2009 Cha rl es R. F ulb ru g e II I ClerkN o. 08- 50993

One witness reported seeing anunidentified white male an dfemale flee the hou se. 1 Itis unclear whetherthis fe male was Meli ssa Ivey, butitdoe s not affect this appeal. The government has made no argument th at these unidentifie d in dividuals were innoc ent b y st an ders , an d inhisb rief , Iveyacknowle dgesth at theywereaccomplic es . 2 O n J u n e 3 , 2 0 0 5 , I v e ys e v e r e l yb u r n e dh i ms e l f i n a n e x p l o s i o n i n h i s h o me i n W aco, T exas, w h il e a t t e m pti ng t o m anuf ac t ur e m e t ham phet am i n e. W i t n esses o bs e r ve d M e l i ssa Iv e y, w ho a s s i s t e d he rhus ba nd wi t h m e t ham phe t am i ne m an u fact u ri n g, a n d tw o of Ivey’ s ot h er acc om pl i ces f l eei n g t h e hou se. 1 I nve s t i ga t i o n unc o ve r e d t hatm et h am phe t am i ne m anufac t ur i ng c aus e d t he
e xp l o s i o n, a nd I ve y w as a r r e s t e d. In M ay 20 08, I vey p l ed gu i l t y t o att em pti n g t o m an u fact u re m e t ham phe t am i ne i n v i o l at i o n o f 2 1 U
. S. C. § § 8 41 , 8 46. Bas e d o n t he dr ug qua nt i t y, I ve y’ s o f

fe ns e l e ve l w as 12 , but t he di s t r i c t c o ur t ap pl i e d as e nt e nc i ng en h an cem en tf

or c reat i n g a sub st an t i alri sk of ha rm t o hu m an l i fe, w h i ch rai sed t h e of fen se l evelt o 27. U S S G § 2D 1. 1(b) ( 10)( C ) (i i)

. A f t er a t w o- l evelreducti on f or acceptance of responsibi l i t y, t h e gu i del i n es ran ge w as 100 t o 1 2 5 m o n th s. T h e d i stri ct cou rt t rea ted the gu i d eli n es a s ad visoryan di m p ose da 7 2 -m on th sentence. Iv e ya p p e a ls th e 1 5 -le v e l “r is k o f h a r m ” e n h a n c e m e n t, a r g u in gth a t h is act i on s c reat ed a su bstanti alri sk of h arm on l y t o hi m sel f an d h i s acc om pl i ces, w h o w ere n ot the i n ten d ed be n efi ci a ri es o f th e en h a n cem en t. Thi s c o u r tr e v i e ws ad i s t r i c tc o u r t ’ s i n t e r p r e t a t i o n o f t h e s e n t e nc i ng gu i del i n es de no vo a n dits fa c tu a l fin d in g s fo rcle a r e r r o r . Uni t e d S t at e s v. C i sneros- G u t i errez , 517 F. 3d 751, 764 ( 5t h C i r . 2008)

. Am i xed ques t i on of l aw an d fact , such a s t h e exi st en ce of a ri sk of

ha rm t o hu m an l i fe, rec eives de no vo
r e v ie w . Un i t ed S t ate s v. D avidson , 4 09 F. 3d3 04 , 3 10 ( 6t h Ci r . 2 00 5)

. The gov er nm entbe ar s t he bur den t o pr ove by a pr epo nder ance of t he e vi denc e t hat
a s e n te n c i n ge n h a n c e m e n t a p p lie s . Un i t ed S t ate s v. R od rigu ez , 523 F. 3d 519,N o. 08- 50993

3 524 ( 5t h C i r . 2008) (c i t i ng Uni t e d St at e s v . He r r e r a- Solo rz ano , 114 F. 3d 48, 50 (5 th C ir. 1 9 9 7 )). T h e sentenci n g en h an cem en tapp l i ed byt h e di st ri ctcourtdi rect s: [ If ] t h e of

fen se i n v o lved t h e m an u fact u re of am ph et am i n e or m et h am ph et am i n e an d th e off en se c reat ed a su bstanti alri sk of har m t o ( I ) hum an l i fe . . . , i nc r e as e b y 3 l e ve l s. I f t he r e s ul t i ng o ffe n s e le v e l is le s s th a n le v e l 2 7 , in c r e a s e to le v e l 2 7
. U S S G § 2D 1
. 1 (b)( 1 0 )( C )(i i). T h e com m en ts pro vid e a d d i tio n a l g u i d a n ce on i ts ap pl i c at i o n: (A) F act ors t o C on si der.

— In determ i n i n g, f or purp oses of

subsect i on (b) ( 10)( C ) (i i) or ( D ) , w h et h er t h e of fen se creat ed a sub st an tia l r i sk o f har m t o hum an l i fe o r t he e nvir o nm e nt , t he c o ur t sha l li n cl ude c o n s id e r a tio n o f th e fo llo w in gfa c to r s : (i) T h e qu an t i t y of an y chem i cal s orha zardou s ort oxi c s u bstances f ou n d at t h e l aboratory, an d t h e m an n er i n w h i ch the chem i cal s or s ubs t anc e s w e r e s t o r e d. (i i) T h e m an n e r in w h i ch h azard ou s ort oxi c s u bstances w ere di sposed, an d the l i kelih ood of rel ease i n t o t h e env iro n m en tof h a z a r d o u s o rto x ic s u b s ta n c e s . (i i i) The dur at i o n o f t he o f fe ns e , a nd t he e xt e nto f t he m anufac t ur i ng o p e r a tio n . (iv) T h e lo c a tio n o f th e la b o r a to r y(e .g ., w h e th e rth e la b o r a t o r yis l o c at e d i n a r e s i de nt i alne i ghb o r ho o d o ra r e m o t e a r e a) a nd t he n u m b e ro f h u m a n liv e s p la c e da t s u b s ta n tia l ris k o f h a r m . U SS G § 2D 1. 1 c m t
. 20. Iti s und i s put e d t hat t he e xp l o s i o n and f i r e po s e d a s ubs t ant i al r i s k of har m t o M e l i s s a I ve y. I ve y ar gue s t hat“hum an l i fe” forp u r po s e s o f t he
en h a n cem en t do es n o t inclu d e a ccom p l i ces— h e d i dn ot place h i s w i fe at ri sk b e c a u s e s h e v o lu n ta r ilya c c e p t e d t h e s e d a n g e r s b yp a r tic ip a tin gin h is
m e t ham phe t am i ne m anufac t ur i ng o pe r at i o n. I ve y de s c r ibe s t hi s e nhan c e m e nt
as adopt ed t o pr ot ec tt he i nnoce ntf r om t he danger s of

m et ham phet am i ne l abs
a n da s s e r t s t h a tp a r t i c i p a n t s i n t h e o f fe n s e s h o u l dn o tr e c e iv e t h e s a meN o. 08- 50993

4 pro t ec t i on. The go ver nm entres ponds t hatt he pl ai n l anguage r ef er s t o “hum an l i fe, ” w i t h ou texcl u di n g co- conspir ator s. Ivey’ s di scussi on of

st atutor y pu rp o se an d C on gressi on ali n t en tcann ot
o v e rc o m e th e te x t. W h e re th e G u id e li n e s e x e m p t co -co n sp ira to rs fro m risk -ofh a r m a n a ly s is , t h e yd o s o e x p lic itly
. S ee U S S G § 2K 1. 4( a) ( 2) ( “

. . . i f t h e of fen se creat ed a su bstanti alri sk of death or seri ou s bod i l y i nj u ry to an y person other t han a pa r t i c i pa nti n t he o f fe ns e . . . ” ) ; U SSG § 3 C1. 2 c m t
. 4 ( “ ‘Anot he rpe r s o n’ in c lu d e s a n yp e r s o n , e x c e p t a p a r tic ip a n t in th e o ffe n s e w h o w illin g ly p a rticip a ted i n the f l i gh t. ”)

. S ection 2D 1
. 1 do es n ot restricti ts ap p l i ca ti on to
non- par t i c i pant s and ca n t hus appl y w her e part i c i pant s i n t he m anufac t uri ng, s u c h a s M e lis s a Iv e y , h a v e b e e n p la c e da t r is k
. T h e S e v e n th C ircu it h a s in c lu d e d c o -co n sp ira to rs inits § 2 D 1 .1 r isk -ofh a r m a n a ly s is : F i r s t , t h e r e w e r e s e v e r a lp e o p l e a ta r i s k o f s o me t y p e o f

h a r m, nam e l y Cham ne s s , t he po l i c e o f f i c e r s w ho a r r ive d o n t he s c e ne , t he s t af f o f t he l ab o r at o r y w ho c l e ane d up t he s i t e , t he o w ne ro f t he t r ai l e rw ho c al l e d p o l i c e , a nd Ch am n ess ’ s c oh o rts , w h i ch i n cl u d es t h ose w h o f

led an dt h ose w h o w ereapprehen d ed

. W e f u r t h e rf i nd th e s e liv e s w e r e p la c e d a t a s u b s ta n tia l r is k o f h a r m . . . . G iv e n th e ir c l os e pr oxi m i t y w i t hi n t he t r ai l erand t hei rpr oxi m i t y t o t he ac t ual gassi n g operati on , t h e i n di vi du al s w ere pl aced at a substanti alri sk of ha rm , na m el y seri ou s i nj u ri es f rom an expl osi on or a f i re. Un i t ed S t ate s v. Ch am n ess , 4 3 5 F .3d 7 2 4 , 7 2 9 (7 th C ir. 2 0 0 6 ) ( e m p h a sis a d d e d ). Thi s c o nc l us i o n i s c o ns i s t e ntw i t h t he Se c o nd Ci r c ui t ’ s de c i s i o n i n Un i t ed S t ate s v. T

h orn , 317 F
. 3d 107 ( 2d C i r. 200 3) , w h i ch ana l yzed a p ro v isi on e nhan c i ng t he s e nt e nc e f o raCl e an Ai rAc tv i o l at i o n i f t he of fe ns e re s ul t e d i n a s u b s ta n tia l lik e lih o o do f d e a t h o r s e r io u s b o d ilyinju r y . I d. at117. Li ke I vey , th e d e fe n d a n t a r g u e dth a t o n lyco -c o n s p ir a t o r s w e r e e n d a n g e r e d
. I d. at118. Rel yi ng o n t he a bs e nc e o f a t e xt uale xc e pt i o n, t he Se c o nd Ci r c ui the l d,

“ § 2Q 1. 2(b) ( 2) i s not l i m i t ed to si t u ati on s i n w h i ch the of fen se c on du ctcr eatedN o. 08- 50993

5 a subs t ant i al r i sk of deat h or se r i ous bodi l y i nj ury t o per so ns ot he r than p a rti ci p a n ts i n the off en se.” Id

. Fur t he r m o r e , un der ci rcum st an ces very si m i l ar t o t h ose at hand , d e fe n d a n ts h a v e b e e n co n v ic te do f e n d a n g e r in gh u m a n life w h ile ille g a lly
m a n u fa c tu r in ga co n tr o lle ds u b s ta n c e , 2 1 U .S .C . § 8 5 8 : “W h o e v e r , w h ile
m a n u factu ri n g a con troll ed su b stan ce . . . crea tes a su b stan ti a lri sk of h a rm to h u m a n life s h a ll b e fin e d
. . . , o rim p r is o n e dn o t m o r e t h a n 1 0 y e a r s , o rb o th .” See , e . g. , Uni t e d S t at e s v. G r aha m , 32 3 F. 3d6 03 , 6 06 ( 8t h Ci r . 2 00 3) (i nvo lvi ng a conv i ct i on un der 21 U
. S

. C

. § 858 f ol low in gth e death of a fel l ow m e th a m p h e ta m in e m a n u fa ctu re r in a n ex p los ion ). Fort he f

o r e go i ng r e as o ns , w e ho l d t hatt he § 2 D 1. 1(b ) ( 1 0 ) ( C) e nhan c e m e nt f or sub st an t i al ri sk of h arm t o h u m an l i fe ap pl i es w h ere t h e defen da n tcr eated a sub st an t i alri sk of

ha rm t o a fel l ow parti ci pa n t ’ s l i fe. A ccor di n gl y, t h e di st ri ct court properl y ap pl i ed the en h an cem en there. A F F I RMED.