# 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 3- 16 87

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

ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll l Pla in ti

ff - App el le e

v.

Lee D. Sm it h

ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll l Defe nd

an t - Ap pe ll an t

__ __ __ __ __ __ App eal fro m

Uni te d S ta te s Di st ric t Co ur t fo r th e Weste rn Dis tri ct of M is so ur i - Kan sa s C it y

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Su bm it te d: Feb ru ary 14 , 20 14 Fil ed : J un e 1 9, 2 01 4

__ __ __ __ __ __ Befo re RI LEY, Chi ef J ud ge , LOKE N and BYE, Circ ui t J ud ge s.

__ __ __ __ __ __ BYE, Cir cu it Ju dg e.

Lee Sm it h ap pe al s th e se nt en ce he rece iv ed fo r b e i n g co nv ic te d of us e of in te rs ta te faci li ti es in t h e c o m m is si on of m

ur de r-fo r-h ire
, ch al le ng in g th e di st ric tco ur t’s ap pl ic at io n of th e ba se of fen se lev el ass oc ia te d wi th so li ci ta ti on to co m m it 1

m ur de r whe n c al cu la ti ng th e ad vi so ry gu id el in es ran ge . W e aff irm.

I

On May 4, 20 12
, Sm it h, se ek in g so m eo ne to ki ll hi s wife
, m ad e an un so li ci te d ph on e cal l to an in di vi du al who , un be kn own st to Sm it h, was wor ki ng as a cri m in al in fo rm an t wit h th e Bu reau of Alc o h o l
, To b acco , an d Fi rear m s. The in fo rm an t

reco un te d th e cal l to la w en fo rcem en t of fic ia ls
, who in st ru ct ed th e in fo rm an t to
pr et en d t o c oo pe rat e wit h S m it h.

On May 9, 20 12
, Sm it h met t h e i nf or m an t at a bu s st at io n in Kan sa s Ci ty, Mi ss ou ri. Sm it h dr ov e th e in fo rm an t to hi s wife ’s pl ace of bu si ne ss in Ove rla nd Park
, Kan sa s, whe re Sm it h pr ov id ed th e in fo rm an t wit h in fo rm at io n ab ou t hi s wife

. Sm it h th en of fere d th e in fo rm an t m on ey to ki ll hi s wife

. Afte r so m e ne go ti at io n, Sm it h an d th e in fo rm an t ag reed to a pr ic e of $1 50 0 fo r th e act

. Sm it h th en dr ov e th e in fo rm an t ba ck to th e b us st at io n i n Kan sa s C it y , Mis so ur i.

Two da y s la te r, th e in f

o r mant cal le d Sm it h to fal se ly rep or t he ha d ki ll ed S mi t h ’s w i fe. Sm it h wen t to th e lo cal po li ce to rep or t hi s wife m is si ng

. W hi l e in te rv ie wi ng Sm it h, th e po li ce to ld hi m th ey were aware of Sm it h’s pl an s to hi re

so m eo ne to ki ll hi s wi fe. Sm it h e ve nt ua ll y co nf es se d t o h iri ng th e in fo rm an t.

The go ve rn m en t ch arg ed Sm it h wit h on e co un t of us in g a faci li ty in in te rs ta te

co m m erce in th e co m

m is si on of m

ur de r-fo r-h ire in vi ol at io n of 18 U.S.C. § 19 58 (a). Sm it h pl ead ed gu il ty pu rs ua nt to a pl ea ag reem en t in whi ch th e pa rti es co nt em pl at ed

a se nt en ci ng ran ge of 87 to 10 8 m on th s. The pa rti es cal cu la te d th ei r co nt em pl at ed

The Hon or ab le Bet h Ph il li ps , Uni te d St at es Dis tri ct Ju dg e f o r th e W es te rn 1 Dis tri ct of M is so ur i.

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-ran ge us in g a ba se of fen se le v e l o f 3 2 un de r Uni te d St at es Sen te nc in g Gui de li ne s (U.S.S.G.) § 2 E1.4 (a)( 1)

.

The pr es en te nc e in ve st ig at io n rep or t (PSR ), ho wev er, reco m m en de d a
gu id el in es ran ge of 15 1 to 18 8 m on th s. In arri vi n g a t t he reco m m en de d ran ge , th e PSR ap pl ie d U.S.S.G. § 2E1 .4(a )(2 ). Sect io n 2E1 .4(a )(2 ) di rect s a co ur t im po si ng a

se nt en ce fo r a co nv ic ti on of 18 U.S.C. § 19 58 (a) to ap pl y th e hi gh er of th e ba se le ve l

un de r U.S.S.G. § 2E1 .4(a )(1 ) o r t h e ba se le ve l as so ci at ed wit h al l of th e pr ov en

un de rlyin g un la wfu l c o n d uc t. U.S.S.G. § 2E1 .4(a )(2 ). The pr ov en un de rlyin g

un la w f u l co nd uc t in th is cas e in cl ud ed Sm it h so li ci ti ng th e in fo rm an t to co m m it

m ur de r, cau si ng th e in fo rm an t to tra ve l in in te rs ta te co m m er c e w i t h t he in te nt a

m ur de r be co m

m it te d in ex ch an ge fo r mo n e y , an d act ua ll y of feri ng m on ey to th e in fo rm an t. Cro ss -ref

eren ci ng to U.S.S.G. § 2A1 .5(b )(1 ), whi ch is as so ci at ed wit h

su ch co nd uc t, th e PSR cal cu la te d Sm it h’s ba se of fen se le ve l as 37
, whi ch res ul te d in th e h ig he r rec om m en de d g ui de li ne s ra ng e.

The di st ric t co ur t se nt en ced Sm it h us in g th e gu id el in es cal cu la ti on s

reco m m en de d by th e PSR, bu t va rie d do wnwar d, ul ti m at el y se nt en ci ng Sm it h to 96

m on th s of in carc erat io n. Sm it h no w ap pe al s, ch al le ng in g th e ap pl ic at io n of U.S.S.G. §§ 2E1 .4(a )(2 ) an d 2 A1.5 (b )(1 ) in cal cu la ti ng hi s s en te nc e.

II

O n ap pe al
, Sm it h arg ue s th e di st ric t co ur t erre d in ap pl y in g U.S.S.G

. §§ 2E1 .4(a )(2 ) to cro ss refe ren ce to U.S.S.G. § 2A1 .5(b )(1 ) to cal cu l a t e t h e ba se of fen se l e v e l fo r hi s se nt en ce. W e rev ie w th e di st ric t co ur t’s in te rp ret at io n an d
ap pl ic at io n of th e se nt en ci ng gu id el in es de no vo . Un it ed St at es v. Mat hi jss en , 4 06 F.3 d 4 96 , 49 8 (8 th Cir . 20 05 ).

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-Sm it h fi rs t co nt en ds hi s cr im e, us e o f an in te rs ta te faci li ty in t he co m m is si on of m ur de r-fo r-h ire in vi ol at io n of 18 U.S.C. § 19 58 (a), wil l al way s in vo lv e so li ci ti ng

so m eo ne to co m

m it m ur de r fo r pe cu ni ary ga in
, whi ch wil l always tri gg er the us e of

a hi gh er ba se of

fen se le ve l pu rs ua nt to U.S.S.G. §§ 2E1 .4(a )(2 ) an d 2A1 .5(b )(1 ). He
arg ue s th at , as su ch
, no on e co nv ic te d fo r vi ol at in g 18 U.S.C. § 19 58 (a) wil l ev er be

se nt en ced acco rd in g to th e ba se of fen se le ve l se t fo rth in U.S.S.G. § 2E1 .4(a )(1 ), th us

ren de rin g U.S.S.G. § 2E1 .4 (a)( 1) su pe rfl uo us

. See Ch ic ka sa w Nati on v. Uni te d St at es , 53 4 U.S. 84
, 85 (2 00 1) (ref erri ng to th e c a n o n of co ns tru ct io n in fav or of gi vi ng effe ct to ev ery wor d o f a s ta tu te ). W e d is ag ree.

To be co nv ic te d of vi ol at in g 18 U.S.C. § 19 58 (a) an in di vi du al ne ed on ly tra ve l

or us e a faci li ty of in te rs ta te co m m erce , or cau se an ot he r to do so , in te nd in g a m ur de r be co m m it te d fo r hi re. Alt ho ug h an of fer of so m et hi ng of va lu e in ex ch an ge fo r th e

co m m is si on of m

ur de r wil l be m ad e at so m e po in t, 18 U.S.C. § 19 58 (a) d o e s n o t
req ui re th at th e of

fer ha ve be en m ad e o r acc ep te d b efo re t he st at ut e is vi ol at ed

. As

a vi ol at io n of 18 U.S.C. § 19 58 (a) do es no t req ui re th e un la wfu l co nd uc t in vo lv e an of fer or rece ip t of so m et hi ng of pe cu ni ary va lu e pe r se , U.S.S.G. § 2E1 .4(a )(1 ) is no t

su pe rfl uo us

.

Sm it h ne xt co nt en ds th at , in or de r to ap pl y U.S.S.G. § 2E1 .4(a )(2 ), a co ur t m us t ba se th e cro ss -ref

eren ce on co nd uc t be y on d th at fo rm in g th e ba si s of th e co nv ic ti on

un de r 18 U.S.C. § 19 58 (a). We h a v e pr ev io us ly co ns id ered an d reject ed th is
arg um en t. See Uni te d St at es v. Dot so n, 57 0 F.3 d 1 0 67
, 10 69 (8 th Ci r. 20 09 ) (rejec ti ng th e “ a d d i t io na l req ui red co nd uc t” arg um en t as co nt rary to th e pl ai n

m ean in g o f th e te xt of t he st at ut e).

III

The jud gm en t o f th e d is tri ct co ur t i s af fir m ed

.

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