# U ni te d S ta te s Co ur t of A pp ea ls For the Eig hth Circu it

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No. 1 2- 31 12

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Uni te d S ta te s o f Am eri ca

ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll l App el le e

v.

Kev in L. Lucas , als o k no wn as Noo k

ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll l App el la nt

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Uni te d S ta te s Di st ric t Co ur t fo r th e Dis tri ct of Ne br as ka

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Su bm it te d: May 13, 2 01 3 Fi le d: May 24, 2 01 3 [Un pu bl is he d]

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Befo re SHEPHERD, ARNOLD, and MELLOY, Circu it Ju dg es

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The di st ric t co ur t de ni ed Kev in Luc as 's m ot io n fo r a se nt en ce red uc ti on un de r 1
18 U.S.C. § 3 58 2( c)(2 ). Mr. Luc as ap pe al s an d we a ffi rm

.

The Hon or ab le Ly le E. St ro m , Uni te d St at es Dis tri ct Ju dg e fo r th e Dis tri ct of 1 Neb ras ka

.In 20 04
, Mr. Luc as p l e ad ed gu il ty to co ns pi rin g to di st rib ut e an d to po ss es s

wit h th e in te nt to di st rib ut e crac k co cai ne

. He en te red in to a pl ea ag reem en t wit h th e
go ve rn m en t in whi ch he ad m it te d resp on si bi li ty fo r at le as t 50 0 g ram s b ut les s t ha n 1.5 ki lo gr am s o f crac k, a qu an ti ty th at di rect ly co rres po nd ed to a b as e o ffen se lev el
of 36 un de r th e se nt en ci ng g u i d e li ne s th en in effe ct , se e U.S.S.G. § 2D1 .1 (2 00 4)

. Afte r de te rm in in g t ha t M r. Luca s h ad a se nt en ci ng ran ge of 23 5 t o 2 93 m on th s, t he
di st ric t co ur t s e n t e nc ed hi m to 23 5 m on th s' im pr is on m en t. Fo ur y ears la te r, th e Sen te nc in g Co m

m is si on am en de d § 2D1 .1 to de crea se th e ba se of fen se le ve ls fo r

crac k, and Mr. Lucas rel ie d on th e am en dm en t to ob ta in a se nt en ce redu ct io n un de r § 35 82 (c)( 2)
, whi ch pe rm it s a di st ric t co ur t to red uc e th e se nt en ce of a de fen da nt who se se nt en ce was ba se d on a gu id el in e ran ge th at th e Sen te nc in g Co m m is si on ha s lo wered

. As a res ul t of th e am en dm en t, Mr. Luc as 's se nt en ci ng ran ge fel l, a nd th e di st ric t co ur t red uc ed hi s pr is on se nt en ce t o 1 8 8 mo n t hs
, th e bo tt om of hi s ne w

se nt en ci ng ran ge

.

The Co m m is si on fu rth er am en de d th e crac k- of fen se pr ov is io ns of § 2D1 .1 in
20 11

. Se e U.S.S.G. Su pp

. ap p. C, am en d. 75 0. Und er th is am en dm en t, Mr. Luc as 's
ba se o f f en se le ve l an d, in tu rn , hi s se nt en ci ng ran ge de crea se d on ly if he was

res po ns ib le fo r le ss th an 84 0 gr am s of crac k. Bec au se ne it he r th e p a r t i e s ' p l e a
ag reem en t no r th e co ur t's fin di ng s at se nt en ci ng at tri bu te d a sp eci fic dr ug qu an ti ty to
Mr. Luc as , th e di st ric t co ur t rel ie d on th e or ig in al pr es en te nc e in ve st ig at io n rep or t to

m ak e a su pp le m en ta l fin di ng th at he was res po ns ib le fo r 1.2 5 ki lo gr am s of crac k, well

ov er t he 84 0- gr am

li m it

. The co ur t th en co nc lu de d th at Mr. Luc as was no t el ig ib le
fo r a se nt en ce red uc ti on be cau se th e am en dm en t di d no t lo wer hi s se nt en ci ng ran ge

.

Mr. Luc as m ai nt ai ns th at th e co ur t sh ou ld ha ve r el ie d on th e ru le of le ni ty t o fin d hi m res po ns ib le fo r 50 0 gr am s of crac k, th e lo w en d of th e or ig in al ag reed -u po n
qu an ti ty, in st ead of m ak in g an ad di ti on al fin di ng

. Bu t we ha ve rece nt ly reject ed th is

arg um en t an d pe r mitt ed di st ric t co ur ts to m ak e ad di ti on al fin di ng s ne ces sa ry to de ci di ng a § 35 82 (c)( 2) m ot io n, so lo ng as th e fin di ng s "ar e co ns is te nt wit h th e

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-or ig in al se nt e n c i ng de te rm in at io n an d su pp or te d by th e reco rd ." Uni te d St at es v.

And er so n , 70 7 F.3 d 97 3, 97 4- 75 (8 th C i r

. 2 0 1 3) (in te rn al qu ot at io n m ark s an d
ci ta ti on s om it te d) (p er cu ria m ); s e e Uni te d St at es v. Moo re , 70 6 F.3 d 92 6, 92 8- 29 (8 th Cir . 20 13 ).

Mr. Lucas co nt en ds
, in th e al te rn at iv e, th at th e co ur t's su pp le m en ta l fin di ng is

no t su pp or te d by th e reco rd

. In m ak in g th e fin di ng , whi ch we rev ie w fo r cl ear erro r,

se e Uni te d St at es v. Y

ou ng , 68 9 F.3 d 94 1, 94 5 (8 th Ci r. 20 12 ), th e co ur t pr op erl y rel ie d on fact s s et ou t i n t he PSR b ecau se Mr. Luc as fil ed no ob jecti on s t o t he m an d

co n f i r med t h a t he ha d no ob jecti on s to th e PSR whe n qu es ti on ed by th e co ur t at

se nt en ci ng

. Se e Uni te d St at es v. Oak s , 60 6 F.3 d 53 0, 54 1 (8 th Ci r.20 10 ). W e be li ev e th at th e fact s in th e PSR su ffi ci en tl y su pp or t th e co ur t's dr ug -q ua nt it y de te rm in at io n. Mr. Luc as pl ead ed gu il ty to pa rti ci pa ti ng in a n in e-m on th crac k co ns pi racy, an d he
rei te rat ed to th e pr ob at io n of fic er th at he was se ll in g dr ug s du rin g th is ti m e. W he n th e
po li ce cam e to hi s h om e at th e en d of th e co ns pi racy, th ey fo un d 9 ou nc es

-- 25 5 gr am s -- of crac k in a he a t i n g ve nt

. Mr. Luc as ad m it te d th at he ha d ob ta in ed
9 ou nc es of crac k an d an eq ua l am ou nt of po wde r co cai ne th r e e d a ys earl ie r, ha d

co nv ert ed th e po wde r to crac k, an d ha d so ld 9 o u n c e s o f crac k. Mr. Luc as al so ack no wled ge d th at he ha d "p ur ch as ed ap pr ox im at el y 1.5 ki lo s of crac k an d po wde r" "[o ]ver th e la st se ve ral m on th s." A po li ce of fic er in vo lv ed in th e c a s e op in ed th at
Mr. Luc as "m ay be res po ns ib le f o r a p pr ox im at el y two ki lo gr am s of co cai ne ba se ."
Tho ug h Mr. Luc as m en ti on ed po wde r as well as crac k co c a i n e , he ad m it te d to

co nv ert in g po wde r c o c a i n e t o crac k, to se ll in g crac k, an d to pa rti ci pa ti ng in a ni ne

m on th co ns pi racy to di st rib ut e crac k. We c o n c l u d e th at th e di st ric t co ur t di d no t cl earl y err i n fi nd in g t ha t M r. Luca s was res po ns ib le for 1.2 5 k il og ram s o f cra ck

.

Affi rm ed

.

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