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________________________ D. C . Do c k e tNo . 0 2 - 0 0 0 0 9 - C R - T - 2 3 - T GW 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 G A R R Y V I C T O R F R A S I E R , D e f e n d a n t- A p p e lla n t.

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_________________________ ( A u gu s t 20, 2004) B efo re T JO F L A T , A N D E R S O N an d W IL S O N , C i rcu i tJu d g es. P E R C U R I A M: I n J a nua ry 2002, appe l l a nta nd L onni e C ode w e r e i ndi c t e d f orha vi ng2

com m i tt ed the fol l ow i ng arm ed bank robb er i es i n F l ori da: C ou ntO ne, an O ct ob er 23, 2001 r obbe ry of

the S unc oa s tS c hool s F e de r a l C r e di tU ni on i n B r a de nt on; C o u n t F o u r , aN o v e m b e r8 , 2 0 0 1 r o b b e ry o f th e W a s h in g to n M u tu a l B a n kin O r la n d o ; C o u n t S ix , aN o v e m b e r1 3 , 2 0 0 1 r o b b e ry o f th e P r o s p e r ity B a n kin S t. A ugus t i ne . A ppe l l a ntw a s c ha r ge d i n C ount s T w o a nd S e ve n w i th us i ng or c a rry i ng af

i r e a rm dur i ng a nd i n r e l a t i on t o the r obbe r i e s c ha r ge d i n C ount s O ne a n d S ix . C ode pl e d gui l ty a s c ha r ge d; appe l l a nts t ood tr i a l be f or e aj ury . A f

t e rthe di stri ctcourtdeni ed hi s m ot i on for j ud gm entof ac qu i tt al , the j ury c on vi ct ed appel l anton al l coun t s. T he courtse nt ence d h i m t o p ri son o n al l coun t s f or a t ot al of 52 8 m on ths as fol l ow s: concurrentse nt ence s of 168 m on ths on C ou nt s O ne, F oura nd S i x, ac ons e c ut i ve s e nt e nc e of 60 m onths on C ountT w o, a nd a c o n s e c u tiv e s e n te n c e o f 3 0 0 m o n th s o n C o u n t S e v e n . A p p e lla n t n o w ap p e a ls h is co n v i ct i o n s o n C o u n t s T w o an d S ev en an d h i s sen t en ces. I. A ppe l l a ntc ont e nds tha tthe di s tr i c tc our ts houl d ha ve gr a nt e d hi s m ot i on f or j ud gm entof ac qu i tt al on C ou nt s T w o and S even on the grou nd thatthe evi dence w a s i ns uf

f i c i e ntt o s how tha the us e d a nd c a rr i e d aha ndgun dur i ng the r obbe r i e s of th e S u n c o a s t S c h o o ls F e d e r a l C r e d it U n io n a n d th e P r o s p e r ity B a n k . A c tu a lly , h is3

c ont e nt i on i s tha tthe t e s t i m ony of the w i tne s s e s w ho s a i d tha the w a s a rm e d w i th a h a n d g u n d u r in g th o s e r o b b e r ie s is u n w o r th y o f b e lie f . T he pr os e c ut orpr e s e nt e d the s e w i tne s s e s . I n s uppor tof C ountT w o, the prosec ut or ca l l ed a S un coas tse rvi ce ce nt erm anager. S he t es t i fi ed thattw o m en en t ered th e cred i tu n i o n an d ro b b ed i to f $ 1 5 , 5 0 0 . S h e i d en t i fi ed ap p el l an tas a m a n de pi c t e d i n aphot o t a ke n by as e c ur i ty c a m e r adur i ng the r obbe ry . A ppe l l a nt w as ho l di ng a f

i re arm . A S un coas tcust om erand a S un coas tt el l eral so i dent i fi ed appe l l a ntf

r om the s a m e phot o. I n s uppor tof C ountS e ve n, the pr os e c ut orc a l l e d a P r o s p e r i ty B a n k e m p l o y e e wh o m ap p e l l a n tc o n f r o n t e d d u r i n g th e r o b b e ry . He w as arm ed . S h e h ad n o tro u b l e i d en t i fyi n g h i m . T h e b ran ch m an ag er al so i dent i fi ed appel l antas on e of the robb er s. A pp el l antent er ed hi s off i ce , i nstruct ed h im to m o v e in to th e lo b b y , a n d p u lle d o u t ag u n . T he t e s t i m oni e s of

the C ountT w o a nd S e ve n w i tne s s e s , a l ong w i th the p h o to s m a d e d u r in g th e c o u r s e o f th e s e r o b b e r ie s , w e r e m o r e th a n a d e q u a te to e s tab lis h th e o f

f e n s e s c h a r g e d in C o u n ts T w o a n d S e v e n o f th e in d ic tm e n t. W e th e r e f o r e a f f irm ap p e lla n t’s c o n v ic tio n s o n th o s e c o u n ts II . A p p e lla n t a s k s th a t w e s e t a s id e h is s e n te n c e s o n C o u n ts O n e , F o u r , a n d S ix a n d r e m a n d th e c a s e f

o rr e s e n te n c in g o n th e g r o u n d th a t th e d is tr ic t c o u r t, in4

d et erm i n i n g th e ap p ro p ri at e sen t en ci n g ran g es u n d er th e G u i d el i n es fo r th o se c o u n ts , c le a r ly e rr e d in a d ju s tin g h is b a s e o f

f e n s e le v e ls u p w a r d b y tw o le v e ls pu rs uantt o U . S . S . G . § 3 C 1. 1. W e f i nd no cl ea r e rr or and there fore af fi rm ap p el l an t ’ s sen t en ces. A tw o- l e ve l , obs truc t i on- of - j us t i c e e nha nc e m e nti s appr opr i a t e unde rs e c t i on 3C 1. 1 i f ( 1) ade f e nda ntw i l l f

ul l y obs truc t e d ori m pe de d “ the c our s e of the i nve s t i ga t i on, pr os e c ut i on, ors e nt e nc i ng of the i ns t a ntof

f e ns e of c onvi c t i on, ” a nd ( 2) the obs truc t i ve c onduc tr e l a t e d t o e i the rthe of f e ns e of c onvi c t i on ora ny r e le v a n t c o n d u c t. U .S .S .G . § 3 C 1 .1 . A tte m p tin g to e s c ap e f r o m c u s to d y p r io rto tr i a l c ons t i tut e s obs truc t i on of j us t i c e unde r§ 3C 1. 1. U . S . S . G . § 3C 1. 1, c om m e nt ( n .4 ( e ) ) . T he c our tappl i e d s e c t i on 3C 1. 1 i n thi s c a s e be c a us e i tf ound tha tappe l l a nt att em pt ed t o esc ape f

rom the O ra ng e C ou nty, F l ori da j ai l t o avo i d federa l prosec ut i on . A pp el l antw as bei ng hel d i n the O ra ng e C ou nty j ai l as a pre tri al de t a i ne e , ha vi ng be e n c ha r ge d by the S t a t e of F l or i daf

orc om m i tt i ng the ba nk robb er i es ati ss ue here. A n F B I a gentca m e t o the j ai l and i nform ed appel l antthat the f e de r a l gove rnm e ntw a s i nve s t i ga t i ng the r obbe r i e s a nd tha the w a s at a r ge tof the i nve s t i ga t i on. T he a ge nthope d tha tappe l l a nt , onc e i ndi c t e d by af e de r a l gr a nd ju ry , w o u ld c o o p e r a te a n d a s s is t th e g o v e rn m e n t in r e c o v e r in g th e s to le n m o n e y .5

F o llo w in g th e a g e n t’s v is it, ap p e lla n t a tte m p te d to e s c ap e f r o m th e ja il. A pp el l antcont ends thatse ct i on 3C 1. 1 i s i napp l i cabl e i n thi s c as e bec ause no fe dera l char ges w er e pendi ng atthe t i m e of hi s e sc ape a tt em pt . A bsentfe dera l c h a r g e s , h e c o u ld n o t h a v e k n o w n th a t h e w a s o b s tru c tin g af e d e r a l in v e s tig a tio n . H e c ite s U n ite d S ta te s v . R u d is ill, 1 8 7 F .3 d 1 2 6 0 ( 1 1 th C ir . 1 9 9 9 ) , to s u p p o r t h is th eo ry th att o recei v e an o b stru ct i o n -o f-j u st i ce en h an cem en t , th e d efen d an tm u st h a v e k n o w n th a t h e w a s b e in g d e ta in e d f o raf e d e r a l p r o c e e d in g . In R ud i si l l , w e hel d thata def endant ’ s e ncou ra gem entof a w i tness t o fl ee , r a the rtha n c om pl y w i th af e de r a l gr a nd j ury s ubpoe na , c ons t i tut e d obs truc t i on of j us t i c e . R udi s i l l , 187 F . 3d a t1264. A l though w e ha ve notpa s s e d on the s i tua t i on appe l l a nt ’ s c a s e pr e s e nt s , othe rc i r c ui t s e xpr e s s l y ha ve f ound tha ta n obs truc t i onof - j us t i c e e nha nc e m e nti s appl i c abl e w he r e the de f e nda nt ’ s c onduc tobs truc t e d a st at e i nv es t i gat i on , w hi ch l at erturned i nt o a fe dera l i nv es t i gat i on . S ee U ni t ed S ta te s v . I m e n e c , 1 9 3 F .3 d 2 0 6 , 2 0 9 ( 3 r d C ir . 1 9 9 9 ) ( c o n c lu d in g th a t “a§ 3 C 1 .1 e nha nc e m e nti s appr opr i a t e w he r e the de f e nda ntha s obs truc t e d apr os e c ut i on base d o n the sa m e c ri m i nal cond uctun derl yi ng the offens e of c on vi ct i on even though tha tpr os e c ut i on [ w a s ] goi ng f orw a r d i n as t a t e c our t ” ) ; U ni t e d S t a t e s v. E m e ry , 991 F . 2d 907, 911 ( 1s tC i r . 1993) ( f i ndi ng tha tade f

e nda nts houl d notbe re w ar ded “ m er el y bec ause he m anaged t o eng i neerhi s a tt em pt ed es cape j ustbefore6

the f e de r a l i nve s t i ga t i on f

orm a l l y be ga n” ) ; U ni t e d S t a t e s v. R obe r t s , 243 F . 3d 235, 240 ( 6th C i r . 2001) ( f

i ndi ng tha te s c ape , w hi c h pr e c e de d f e de r a l i nvol ve m e nti n a c a s e , c oul d be gr ounds f ora n obs truc t i on- of

- j us t i c e e nha nc e m e nt ) ; U ni t e d S t a t e s v. A dedi ra n, 26 F . 3d 61 , 65 (8th C i r. 19 94 ) ( st at i ng thatob struct i on -of- j ust i ce e nha nc e m e ntw a s notba rr e d be c a us e s t a t e e nt i t i e s w e r e i nvol ve d) ; U ni t e d S t a t e s v. L a to , 9 3 4 F .2 d 1 0 8 0 , 1 0 8 3 ( 9 th C ir . 1 9 9 1 ) ( ru lin g th a t th e o b s tru c tio n o f as ta te i nv es t i gat i on w as suff

i ci entfor a n o bstruct i on -of- j ust i ce enhancem ent ). In c o n tr a s t, o n ly th e S e v e n th C ir c u it h a s f o u n d th a t th e o b s tru c tio n o f as ta te in v e s tig a tio n w a s in s u f

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th e s e c tio n 3 C 1 .1 e nha nc e m e nt . S e e U ni t e d S t a t e s v. P e r e z , 50 F . 3d 396, 400 ( 7th C i r . 1995) ( f i ndi ng thatdefe nd ant ’ s a ctof fl ee i ng a s t at e drug charge di d n oti m pede a l at erfe dera l drug conspi ra cychar ge). B ec ause an F B I a genthad i nform ed appel l antpri or t o h i s a tt em pt ed es cape tha tthe f e de r a l gove rnm e ntw a s goi ng t o pr os e c ut e hi m , w e c onc l ude tha tthe d is tr ic t c o u r t w a s ju s tif

ie d in im p o s in g th e o b s tru c tio n - o f - ju s tic e e n h a n c e m e n t. A F F I R M E D .