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

__ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ _
No. 1 7- 15 45

__ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ _ 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.

Ahm ad Jas ir R as ha d, al so kn own as Di am on d L. Co le m an

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

__ __ __ __ __ __
Su bm it te d: Jan ua ry

8, 2 01 8 Fil ed : Ap ril 26 , 20 18 [Pu bl is he d]

__ __ __ __ __ __ Befo re LOKEN, BEAM, and KELLY , Cir cu it Ju dg es

.

__ __ __ __ __ __
PER CURI AM.

Ahm ad Ras ha d ap pe al s th e di st ric t co ur t’s de ni al of an 18 U.S.C. § 35 82 (c)( 2)

se nt en ce red uc ti on ba se d up on Sen te nc in g Gui de li ne s Am en dm en t 78 2, whi ch in

m os t cas es ret ro act iv el y red uc ed th e dr ug qu an ti ty de te rm in at io n by two ba se of fen se le ve ls

. In 19 93
, a jury co nv ic te d Ras ha d of c o n s p i r a cy to di st rib ut e co cai ne an d

co cai ne ba se an d co ns pi racy to co m m it m on ey la un de rin g. The di st ric t co ur tde te rm in ed th at Ras ha d’s ba se o f f e ns e le ve l was 42 ba se d on th e co cai ne ba se fo r whi ch he was res po ns ib le an d sen te nc ed hi m to li fe i n p ris on on th e dr ug co un t and

a co nc ur ren t 6 0 m on th s o n t he m on ey lau nd eri ng co un t.

In 19 9 7
, b a se d on an earl ie r ret ro act iv e am en dm en t to th e dr ug qu an ti ty
gu id el in es , Ras ha d’s ba se of fen se le ve l was red uc ed to 38
, th e hi gh es t le ve l fo r 15 to 50 ki lo gr am s of co cai ne ba se , an d hi s se nt en ce was red uc ed to 38 1 m on th s. In 20 09
, th e di st ric t co ur t den ie d Ras ha d’s § 35 82 (c)( 2) m ot io n to red uc e hi s se nt en ce un de r Am en dm en t 70 6, co nc lu di ng th at th e am en dm en t di d no t lo wer hi s ba se of fen se le ve l.
W e su m m ari ly affi rm ed

. In 20 13
, th e co ur t de ni ed Ras ha d’s § 35 82 (c)( 2) m ot io n to red uc e hi s se nt en ce un de r Am en dm en t 75 0, ag ai n co nc lu di ng th at hi s dr ug qu an ti ty

was ab ov e th e le ve l fo r rev is ed ba se of fen se le ve l 38

. Aga in
, we su m m ari ly affi rm ed

.

The di st ric t co ur t de ni ed th e pr es en t m ot io n, fin di ng t h a t R a sh ad do es no t
qu al ify fo r a § 35 82 (c)( 2) red uc ti on be cau se he “ was acco un t a b l e f o r 40 ki lo gr am s of co cai ne ba se .” Ras ha d arg ue s th e co ur t erre d be cau se hi s or ig in al se nt en ci ng

reco rd di d no t es ta bl is h th at he was res po ns ib l e f o r m or e th an 25 .2 ki lo gr am s of

co cai ne ba se , th e m in im

um qu an ti ty fo r ba se of

fen se le ve l 38 un de r Am en dm en t 78 2.
W e di sa gr ee. The or i g i n a l s en te nc in g pr oc eed in gs were ex te ns iv e, wit h m ul ti pl e ad de nd um s to th e Pres en te nc e In ve st ig at io n Re p or t (PSR ) an d two se nt en ci ng he ari ng s. Mu ch of th e de la y was du e to a co m pl ex in qu ir y i n t o t h e dr ug qu an ti ti es
at t r i b u t a bl e to a far- flu ng co ns pi racy an d to Ras ha d’s ro le in th at co ns pi racy. Para gr ap h 40 of th e in it ia l PSR ex pl ai ne d th at Ras ha d sh ou ld be he ld res po ns ib le fo r

“ a co ns erv at iv e es ti m at e of 40 ki lo gr am s of crac k [co cai ne ]. ” Ras ha d ob jecte d to th at de te rm in at io n. The go ve rn m en t cri ti ci zed th e PSR’s ex pl an at io n bu t s u b mi t te d it s

own ta bu la ti on at tri bu ti ng 42 .4 ki lo g r a ms of co cai ne ba se to Ras ha d. At th e

co nc lu si on of t he fin al he ari ng , th e d is tri ct co ur t ru le d:

I be li ev e th e co nc lu si on s in pa rag rap h 40 are fu ll y su pp or te d by cred ib le

ev id en ce [at tri al ].

. . . I be li ev e

. . . ba se d on th e reco rd th at it is en ti rel y

-2

-jus ti fie d

. . . at pa ge 12 of th e [PSR ] th at th e am ou nt of 40 ki lo gr am s of

co cai ne ba se is co ns erv at iv e, m or e th an 40 is co ns erv at iv e.

. . . [T]he ch al le ng e to pa rag rap h 4 0 i s d en ie d.

Bas ed on th is reco rd
, we ag ree wit h th e di st ric t co u r t t h at Ras ha d was he ld

acco un ta bl e fo r 40 ki lo gr am s of co cai ne ba se at hi s in it ia l se nt en ci ng

. A di st ric t co ur t

m ay m ak e su pp le m en ta l fin di n g s in a § 35 82 (c)( 2) pr oc eed in g “ if th e fin di ng s are

ne ces sa ry to de ci di ng th e m ot io n an d do n o t c on tr ad ic t an y fi nd in gs mad e at

se nt en ci ng .” Uni te d St at es v. Mo or e, 70 6 F.3 d 92 6, 92 8 (8 th Ci r.) (em ph as is ad de d)
, cert

. de ni ed
, 13 4 S. Ct

. 29 9 (2 01 3)

. Here, ha vi ng fo un d th at a fin di ng of 40 ki lo gr am s

was m ad e at Ras ha d’s in it ia l se nt en c i n g , t h e di st ric t co ur t pr op erl y de cl in ed hi s in vi ta ti on to rev is it th at fin di ng an d co nc lu de d th at Am en dm en t 78 2 di d no t affe ct hi s ba se off en se lev el of 3 8.

The Orde r of

th e d is tri ct co ur t d at ed Feb ru ary 22 , 20 17 , is affi rm ed

.

__ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __

-3

-