FILED U.S. COURT OF AP P EALS E LEVEN T HC IRC UIT JANUARY 22, 2007 THOMAS K. KAH

N CLERK [ DO NO T P UB L I S H] I N THE UN I TE D STATE S C OU RT OF APPE ALS F O R T H E E L E V E N T H C IR C U IT

________________________ N o. 06- 12225 N on -A rgum entC al endar

________________________ D . C. D o c k e tN o . 0 5 - 0 0 3 4 3 - CR- T- 2 6 - TBM 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 J O S E P H W I L L I A M S , D e f e n d a n t- A p p e lla n t.

________________________ A pp ea l fr om the U ni t ed S t at es D i stri ctC ou rt f orthe M i ddl e D i s tr i c tof F l or i da

_________________________ ( Jan u ar y 22, 2007) B efo re B IR C H , C A RN E S an d K R A V IT C H , C i rcu i tJu d g es. P E R C U R I A M: J o s e p h W illia m s ap p e a ls h is 7 2 - m o n th s e n te n c e f o rc o n s p ir a c yto c o m m it2

w i re fr aud, ar gu i ng thatthe courti m prop er l y det erm i ned thathe pl ay ed an or ga ni z a t i ona l / l e a de r s hi p r ol e i n the of f e ns e . A f t e rathor ough r e vi e w of the r e c o r d , w e a f

f irm . W i l l i a m s pl e a de d gui l tyt o c ons pi r a c yt o c om m i tw i r e f r aud, i n vi ol a t i on of 1 8 U. S . C . § § 1 3 4 3 , 1 3 4 9 . I n h i s p l e ac o l l o q u y , Wi l l i a m s a d m i tt e dth a th e a n dtwo c o- c ons pi r a t or s , P aul R e nni e a nd C ha r l e s B a rt ol om e o, pr e pa r e d af r audul e nt bu si ness pl an for afi ct i t i ou s c om pany ca l l ed H ori zon G roup Int ernat i on al (“ H G I” ), w hi c h the yf

a l s e l yportr a y e d a s al a r ge , s uc c e s s f ul c ons truc t i on a nd de ve l opm e nt c om pa ny . T he purpos e of the s c he m e w a s t o e nt i c e i nve s t or s t o l oa n the c om pa ny m on ey , w hi ch the conspi ra t ors w ou l d k ee p for them se l ves by off er i ng as col l at er al ove r$15, 000, 000 i n he a vyc ons truc t i on e qui pm e nttha tthe c om pa nydi d not ac tual l y ow n. T he bu si ness pl an nam ed W i l l i am s a s pre si dentof H G I, R enni e a s vi c e pr e s i de nt , a nd B a rt ol om e o a s ac e rt i f i e d publ i c a c c ount a nt( “ C P A ” ) , w hi c h he w a s n o t. A l l th ree co -co n sp i rat o rs trav el ed th ro u g h o u tth e U n i t ed S t at es m ak i n g fal se re pres ent at i on s abo utthe fr audu l entbu si ness pl an. B art ol om eo m i sr epre se nt ed hi m s e l f a s aC P A t o pot e nt i a l i nve s t or s i n A r i z ona , vouc hi ng f orthe a s s e t s a nd f in a n c ia l h e a lth o f

H G I . W illia m s m e t a n e m p lo y e e o f av ic tim in v e s to ra t a c ons truc t i on y a r d i n F l or i da , w he r e he f a l s e l yr e pr e s e nt e d the e qui pm e nti n the3

y a r d a s be l ongi ng t o H G I . I n t ot a l , the c o- c ons pi r a t or s obt a i ne d $2, 450, 000 f r om th r e e in v e s to r s , w ith B a rto lo m e o r e c e iv in g $ 3 5 ,0 0 0 , a n dW illia m s a n dR e n n ie s p littin g th e r e s t. T h e p r o b a tio n o f

f ic e rp r e p a r e dap r e s e n te n c e in v e s tig a tio n r e p o rt ( “P S I ” ) , a s s i gni ng aba s e of

f e ns e l e ve l of

6, pur s ua ntt o U . S . S . G . § 2B 1. 1( a ) , w i th a16- l evel i ncre as e und er§ 2 B 1. 1(b)(1)(I ) bec ause the am ou ntof l oss w as betw ee n $1 , 00 0, 00 0 and $2 , 50 0, 00 0. T he P S I then app l i ed a tw o-l evel rol e i ncre as e, pu rs uantt o U . S . S . G . § 3 B 1. 1(c) , fi nd i ng thatW i l l i am s w as a m anager, organi ze r, a n d l e a d e ri n th e c r i mi n a l c o n d u c t . A c c o r d i n g t o th e p r o b a t i o n o f f i c e r , W i l l i a ms pai d an em pl oyee ’ s w i fe , w ho w as a bank t el l er , t o repres entfa l se l y t o i nv es t ors th at sh e w as H G I’s b an k eran d th at it s b u sin es s p lan ac cu ra tely re p re se n ted H G I’s fi nanci al st at e. W i l l i am s’ s t ot al offe nse l evel of 21 and cri m i nal hi st ory c at egory of I I I y i e l de d a n a dvi s orygui de l i ne s e nt e nc i ng r a nge of 46 t o 57 m onths im p r is o n m e n t. W illia m s o b je c te d to th e r o le e n h a n c e m e n t. A t th e s e n te n c in g h e a r in g , W illia m s a r g u e dth a t H G I w a s as m a ll or ga ni z a t i on, the m e m be r s of w hi c h s ha r e d e qua l c ul pabi l i tya nd l e a de r s hi p, a nd hi s t i t l e of

pr e s i de ntof

H G I di d nota c tua l l ym e a n tha the ha d de c i s i on- m a ki ng au th o r i ty . Th e d i s tr i c tc o u rto v e rru l e dW i l l i a ms ’ s o b j e c t i o n , n o t i n g th a tW i l l i a ms r e c e i ve d al a r ge port i on of the m one ya nd r e c rui t e d the ba nk t e l l e rt o a s s i s ti n theUnited States v. Booker, 543 U.S. 220, 125 S.Ct. 738, 160 L .Ed.2d 621 (2005). 1 4 fr aud. A ft erconsi deri ng the se nt enci ng fa ct ors s etforth i n 1 8 U . S . C . § 3 55 3(a) , th e co u rtsen t en ced W i l l i am s t o 7 2 m o n th s i m p ri so n m en t . W i l l i am s n o w ap p eal s, c ha l l e ngi ng the appl i c a t i on of the e nha nc e m e ntf

orhi s r ol e i n the of

f e ns e a nd a r g u in g th a t h is s e n te n c e is u n r e a s o n ab le . W e r ev iew a d istrict co u rt’s ap p li ca ti o n o f a n en h an ce m en t fo r a d ef en d an t’ s rol e a s al ea der or organi ze r und erU . S . S . G . § 3 B 1. 1 for cl ear e rr or. U ni t ed S t at es v. P hi l l i ps, 28 7 F . 3d 10 53 , 10 55 (11th C i r. 20 02 ). A ft erB oo ker, the di stri ctcourt 1 i s st i l l req u i red t o co rrect l y cal cu l at e th e g u i d el i n es ran g e an dth i s co u rtrev i ew s a de f e nda nt ’ s ul t i m a t e s e nt e nc e f orr e a s onabl e ne s s . U ni t e d S t a t e s v. L e e , 427 F . 3d 881, 892 ( 11th C i r . 2005) , c e rt . de ni e d, 126 S . C t . 1447 ( 2006) ; U ni t e d S t a t e s v. W i ni nge a r , 422 F . 3d 1241, 1244 ( 11th C i r . 2005) ; U ni t e d S t a t e s v. C r a w f or d, 4 0 7 F .3 d 1 1 7 4 , 1 1 7 9 ( 1 1 th C ir . 2 0 0 5 ) . T h e S en t en ci n g G u i d el i n es p ro v i d e fo r a tw o -l ev el i n crease in th e o ffen se l evel i f the defendant“ w as an organi ze r, l ea der, m anager, or supervi sor” i n an of f e ns e w i th m or e tha n one pa rt i c i pa nt . U . S . S . G . §3B 1. 1( c ) . I n de t e rm i ni ng the d e f e n d a n t’s r o le in th e o f

f e n s e , th e d is tr ic t c o u rt s h o u ldc o n s id e r : the e xe r c i s e of

de c i s i on m a ki ng author i ty , the na tur e of pa rt i c i pa t i on i n the c om m i s s i on of

the of f e ns e , the r e c rui tm e ntof a c c om pl i c e s , the c l a i m e d r i ghtt o al a r ge rs ha r e of the f rui t s of the c r i m e , the de gr e e of pa rt i c i pa t i on i n pl a nni ng oror ga ni z i ng the of f e ns e , the na tur e a nd5

s c o p e o f th e ille g a l a c tiv ity , a n dth e d e g r e e o f c o n tr o l a n dau th o r ity e x e r c is e d o v e ro th e r s . U . S . S . G . § 3B 1. 1 c om m e nt . ( n. 4) . T hi s c ourtha s he l d tha t“ the a s s e rt i on of c ontr ol or i nfl uence over onlyon e i nd i vi du al i s e no ug h t o sup po rta § 3B 1. 1(c) enhancem ent . ” U ni t ed S t at es v. Ji m i nez, 22 4 F . 3d 12 43 , 12 51 (11th C i r. 20 00 ); s e e a l s o U ni t e d S t a t e s v. M a ndha i , 375 F . 3d 1243, 1248 ( 11th C i r . 2004) ( appl y i ng enhancem entt o d ef

endantw ho re crui t ed a s i ng l e per son). In th i s case, w e co n cl u d e th atW i l l i am s’ s arg u m en ti s w i th o u tm eri tb ecau se the e vi de nc e w a s s uf

f i c i e ntt o s upportaf

i ndi ng tha the s e rve d a s a n or ga ni z e ra nd le a d e r . W illia m s a n d o n e c o - c o n s p ir a to rr e c e iv e dth e b u lko f th e f r au d u le n tly a tt a i n e d m o n e y , l e a v i n g as m a l l f r a c t i o n f o rth e o th e rc o - c o n s p i r a t o r . U. S . S . G. § 3 B 1 .1 c o m m e n t. ( n .4 ) . M o r e o v e r , W illia m s a d m itte dr e c ru itin g th e b a n kte lle rin f u rth e r a n c e o f

th e f r au d , s u p p o rtin g af

in d in g th a t h e a c te din ale a d e r s h ip r o le . I d . W i l l i a m s a r gue s tha tthe s c ope of hi s i l l e ga l a c t i vi tyw a s e qua l e d or s urpa s s e d bythe i l l e ga l a c t i vi tyof c o- c ons pi r a t orB a rt ol om e o, a nd the r e f or e , he coul d n othave been foun d t o b e al ea der or organi ze r. A s the com m ent ary m akes c l e a r , how e ve r , the r e c a n be m or e tha n one pe r s on i n aof f e ns e oc c upy i ng o r g a n iz a tio n a l a n d le a d e r s h ip r o le s . S e e U .S .S .G . § 3 B 1 .1 c o m m e n t. ( n .4 ) . R e ga r dl e s s of

hi s c o- c ons pi r a t or s ’ c onduc t , W i l l i a m s ’ s r e c rui tm e ntof the ba nk t el l eri nt o the offens e and hi s di re ct i ng her t o m ake f raud ul entre pres ent at i on s w as6

s u f f ic ie n t to s u p p o rt th e e n h a n c e m e n t. S e e J im in e z , 2 2 4 F .3 da t 1 2 5 1 . T he r e f or e , w e c onc l ude tha tthe di s tr i c tc ourtpr ope r l yappl i e d the e n h a n c e m e n ta n d th a tth e s e n t e n c e i m p o s e dwa s r e a s o n ab l e . Ac c o r d i n g l y , we A F F I R M.