2006 D e c i sion s O p inion s of the U nit e d S t at e s C our t of Appe al s for the Thir d C ir c uit 5-31-2006 

# U SA v . M atthews P r e c e de nt i al or N on-P r e c e de nt i al : N on-P r e c e de nt i al D ocke t N o . 05-3388

F o llow thi s and a dd it ion al work s at : http://d i git alc ommon s .l a w . vi ll anova . e du/thir dc ir c uit_2006

Thi s de c i sion i s br ou ght t o you for f r e e and ope n a c c e s s b y the O p inion s of the U nit e d S t at e s C our t of Appe al s for the Thir d C ir c uit at V i ll anova U nive r sity S choo l of L a

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w . vi ll anova . e du . Re c omme nde d C it at ion " U SA v . M atthews " (2006). 2006 D e cisio n s . P ape r 1023. http://d i git alc ommon s .l a

w . vi ll anova . e du/thir dc ir c uit_2006/1023T he H onor abl e A . W al l ace T as hi m a, Seni orC i r cui tJ udge, U ni t ed St at es C our tof * A p p e a ls f

o r t h e N in th C ir c u it, s ittin g b yd e s ig n a tio n . NOT P RE CE DE NT I AL

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v. FER N A N D O G ER A LD M A TTH EW S, A ppel l ant APP EAL F ROM THE UNI TE D ST ATE S DI S TRI CT C OURT

FOR TH E DI STRI CT O F NEW J ERSEY D . C . C ri m . 0 4 -cr-00 8 8 9 -3 D i s t r i ctJ udge: T he H onor abl e St anl eyR . C hes l er Subm i t t ed U nderT hi r d C i r cui tL A R 34. 1( a)

M ay11, 2006 B efore: B A R R Y , S M ITH and T A S H IM A , C i rcui tJudg es * ( Fi l ed: M ay31, 2006 ) OP I NI ONM a th e w s ’s n a m e is in c o rr e c tly sp e lle d in th e c a p tio n a n d o n th e c o v e rs o f th e b ri e f s . 1 W e w ill , h o w e v e r, u se th e sp e lli n g o f h is n a m e th a t is c o n sis ten t w ith th e re c o rd in th is c a s e . 2 B A R R Y , C i r cui tJ udge F e rn a n d o G e ra ld M a th e w s a p p e a ls h is 8 7 -m o n th se n ten c e f o r c o n sp ira c yto 1 i m por tm or e than 100 gr ams of her oi n. H e cl ai m s thatthe D i s t r i ctC our tcomm i t t ed cl ear err orw hen i tfound thatal l 482 gr ams of her oi n i m por t ed bythe cons pi r acyw as attri b u table to h im , resu lt ing in a b ase o ff en se lev el of

2 8 . W e f

ind that the D istri ct C o u rt d id n o t e rr , a n d w ill a f

f ir m th e ju d g m e n t o f

s e n te n c e . I. O n J anuary26, 2004, U ni t ed St at es I m m i gr at i on and C us t om s E nfor cement (“ IC E ” ) sp e c ial a g e n ts a rre ste d L izb e th O rte g a -R o jas a n d R a f

a e l R iv a s a t N e w a rk L ib e rty I nt ernat i onal A i rpor taft ert heyarr i ved on a f l i ghtfr om Panama C i t y , Panama. R i vas w as carry i ng $2, 000 i n count er fei tU . S. curr ency , and 482 gr ams of her oi n w as found on O r t ega- R oj as . U pon herarr es t , O r t ega- R oj as agr eed t o cooper at e w i t h fede r al agent s and m ake a contr ol l ed del i veryof the drugs t o herN ew Y or k cont act . O r i gi nal l y , R i vas w as s uppos ed t o m eetw i t h O r t ega- R oj as aft erl andi ng t o payhera s m uggl i ng fee and arr ange fort he del i veryof the drugs i n t he U ni t ed St at es . T her efor e, w hen O r t ega- R oj as m ade r ecor ded phone c al l s t o herN ew Y or k cont act , named “Ful o, ” and t o herPanamani an c o n ta c t, n a m e d R o b e rt o K e lly, sh e to ld th e m th a t R iv a s h a d b e e n s to p p e d b yC u s to m s .T h e P rese n tenc e In v esti g ati o n R ep o rtli sts th is am o u n t as $ 6 , 0 0 0 , b u t th e re co rd 2 re f le c ts th a t M a th e w s p ic k e d u p e ith e r $ 5 ,0 0 0 o r $ 5 ,7 0 0 . “Ps eudo” he r oi n i s a s ubs t ance thatl ooks , t es t s , and s m el l s l i ke r eal her oi n. I tw as 3 u se d b yIC E in lieu o f

th e re a l h e ro in , in th e e x a c t am o u n t ac tu a llysm u g g led , in o rd e r to pr eventthe r eal drug fr om acc i dent al l yent er i ng the mar ketpl ace i n t he eve nts om ethi ng w e n t w ro n g d u ri n g th e c o n tr o lle d d e liv e ry. 3 F u lo a n d K e llyb o th c a lled M a th e w s, w h o w a s d e sig n a ted a s R iv a s’s N e w Y o rk c o n tac t, and as ked hi m t o pi ck up O r t ega- R oj as fr om a hot el nearthe ai rpor t . Fora fe e of $700, M a th e w s a g re e d . T h e n ex t m o rnin g , Jan u ary2 7 , M athe w s m et w ith an asso ciate o f F u lo an d K ell y ’s i n B r ookl yn t o pi ck up appr oxi m at el y$6, 000

— $700 forhi s fee and the r es tt o pay 2 O rt eg a-R o

jas— an d p roc ee d ed to the N ew ark h o tel . M athe w s arrive d at O rt eg a-R o jas’s hot el r oom , w her e, i n a vi deot aped e ncount er , s he hande d hi m a pac kage of “ps eudo” h ero in. U p o n ac ce p ti n g the p ac k ag e, M athe w s said “v erytal en ted” in S p an ish (A . 8 4 . ),

3 and putthe pac kage i nt o t he w ai s tband of hi s pant s . A s the tw o att empt ed t o l eave the h o te l, M a th e w s w a s a rr e s te d b yIC E a g e n ts . M a th e w s p led g u iltyto c o n sp ira c yto im p o rt m o re th a n 1 0 0 g ra m s o f h e ro in , in v iolati o n o f 2 1 U . S . C . § § 9 5 2 (a), 9 6 0 (b)(2 )(A ), an d 9 6 3 . A t sen tenc ing , h e a rgu ed fo r a m i norr ol e adj us t m entunderU . S. Sent enci ng G ui del i nes M anual ( “G ui del i nes ”) s ect i on 3B 1. 2, and a ba s e off

ens e l evel of 26 underG ui del i nes s ect i on 2D 1. 1( c) ( 7)

— a l evel corr es pondi ng t o atl eas t100 butl es s than 400 gr ams of her oi n. H e cl ai m ed thathe sh o u ld o n lyb e se n ten c e d b a se d u p o n th e m in im u m a m o u n t o f d ru g s h e p led g u iltyto4

c o n sp irin g to im p o rt b e c a u se h e d id n o t k n o w h e w a s in v o lv e d in a d ru g c o n sp ira c yu n til th e m o m e n tO r t e g a - R o

j a s p u tt h e p a c k a g e o f

p s e u d o h e r o i n i n t o h i s h a n d s . A d d i t i o n a l l y, he ar gued thatt he contr ol l ed s al e w as a “r ever s e s t i ng” i n w hi ch the governm entw as re s p o n s ib le f

o r t h e a m o u n t o f

d ru g s in v o lv e d in th e tr a n s a c tio n . T he governm entcount er ed bypr es ent i ng t es t i m onyfr om an I C E s peci al agent i nvol ved i n t he i nves t i gat i on t hat , aft erhi s arr es t , M athew s admi t t ed he kne w he w as goi ng t o the hot el t o pi ck up drugs fr om O r t ega- R oj as , and thatR i vas t ol d t he age nt s aft er hi s arr es tthatM athew s w as t o be hi s N ew Y or k cont actupon arr i vi ng i n N ew ark. T he D i s t r i ctC our tcr edi t ed the age nt ’ s t es t i m onyand adopt ed the Pr obat i on O ffi ce’ s r ecomm endat i ons , deny i ng the mi norr ol e adj us t m entand att r i but i ng the ful l 482 gr ams of her oi n t o M athew s . W i t h r egar d t o t he drug amount , the C our ts t at ed: “U nder [ th e se ] c irc u m sta n c e s th e C o u rt h a s a b so lu telyn o q u a lm s w h a tso e v e r w ith re g a rd to at tr i but i ng t o M r . M athew s t he quant i t yof drugs w hi ch hi s co- cons pi r at or s i n fac t endea vor ed t o br i ng i nt o t he U ni t ed St at es and the amountof drugs w hi ch w as the obj ect of the cons pi r acyw hi ch he j oi ned. ” ( A . 182- 83. ) A s a r es ul t , hi s bas e off ens e l evel w as 28 un der G uidel i nes sect i on 2D 1. 1(c) (6)

— a l evel corr espon ding t o at l east40 0 b ut l ess th a n 7 0 0 g r a m s o f

h e r o i n . A f

t e ra d o w n w a r d a d

j u s t m e n tf

o ra c c e p t a n c e o f

r e s p o n s i b i l i ty, M athew s ’ s t ot al offe ns e l evel w as s etat25, w hi ch, w hen combi ned w i t h hi s cr i m i nal h ist o ryca tego ryo f IV , resu lt ed in a G u idelines ran g e o f 8 4 to 1 0 5 m o n ths. T h e C o u rt s e n te n c e d M a th e w s to 8 7 m o n th s ’ i m p ri s o n m e n t a n d f iv e y e a rs ’ s u p e rv is e d re le a s e .M a th e w s d o e s n o t ap p e a l th e D istric t C o u rt’s r e f u sa l to g ra n t h im a m in o r ro le 4 a d ju stm e n t. “[ J]oin tl yu n d ertak en crim inal ac ti v ity ” inc lud es “ a c ri m inal p lan, sch em e, en d ea v o r, 5 orent erpr i s e undert aken byt he def endanti n conce r tw i t h other s , w hetherornotchar ged a s a c o n s p ir a c y .” U .S .S .G . § 1 B 1 .3 (a )( 1 )( B ). 5 M athew s now appea l s hi s s ent ence and, i n par t i cul ar , the att r i but i on t o hi m of the e n tir e 4 8 2 g ra m s o f

h e ro in . T h e D is tr ic t C o u rt h a d ju ri s d ic tio n u n d e r 1 8 U .S .C . § 3 2 3 1 .

4 We h a v e a p p e l l a t e j u r i s d i c t i o n u n d e r2 8 U . S . C . § 1 2 9 1 a n d 1 8 U . S . C . § 3 7 4 2 ( a ) . We re v iew th e D istric t C o u rt’s f in d in g s o f

f a c t re g a rd in g th e a m o u n t o f h e ro in a ttribu tab le to M athew s forcl earerr or . See U ni t ed Stat es v. P er ez , 2 8 0 F .3 d 3 1 8 , 3 5 2 (3 d C ir . 2 0 0 2 ).

II. C al cul at i on of the bas e off ens e l evel fora cons pi r acyt o i m por tm or e than 100 g ra m s o f h e ro in re q u ir e s a d e te rm in a tio n u n d e r t h e G u id e lin e s ’ D ru g Q u a n tity T a b le , § 2 D 1 .1 (c ), o f

th e a m o u n t o f

h e ro in a ttr ib u ta b le to th e d e f e n d a n t. See U

ni t ed Stat es v. C ol lado , 975 F. 2d 985, 990 ( 3d C i r . 1992) . T her e ar e tw o w ay s byw hi ch a s ent enci ng cour tcan de t erm i ne the amount . Fi r s t , “the def endanti s acc ount abl e foral l quant i t i es of c o n tra b a n d w ith w h ich h e w a s d ire c tlyin v o lv e d .” U .S .S .G . § 1 B 1 .3 c m t. n.2 . “[ A ]ll ac ts and omi s s i ons comm i t t ed, ai ded, abett ed, couns el ed, comm anded, i nduced, pr ocur ed, or w illf u lly c a u s e d b yth e d e f

e n d a n t” a re in c lu d e d . Id . § 1B 1. 3( a) ( 1) ( A ) . Second, i n cas es in v o lv in g “

jo in tlyu n d e rta k e n c rim in a l ac tiv ity ,” th e d e f e n d a n t is a c c o u n tab le f

o r “ a ll 5 r eas onabl yfor es eea bl e quant i t i es of contr aband thatw er e w i t hi n t he s cope” of that a c tiv ity. Id . § 1B 1. 3 cmt . n. 2. I ncl uded i n t hi s ar e “a l l r eas onabl yfor es eea bl e ac t s and6

om i s s i ons of other s i n fur t her ance of the j oi nt l yundert aken c r i m i nal act i vi t y . ” Id . § 1 B 1 .3 (a )( 1 )( B ). A. M athew s ar gues , fi r s t , t hatt he D i s t r i ctC our tfai l ed t o m ake a n expl i ci tfac tual f in d in g a s to w h yth e 4 8 2 g ra m s o f h e ro in w a s a ttr ib u ta b le to h im . W e d is a g re e . T h e C o u rt re

jec ted M a th e w s’s c o n ten tio n th a t h e d id n o t k n o w h e w a s e n g a g in g in a cons pi r acyt o i m por ther oi n unt i l O r t ega- R oj as handed hi m the pac kage of ps eudo her oi n. I tci t ed the $6, 000 M athew s br oughtt o t he hot el , hi s pr i ornar cot i cs convi ct i on, hi s behavi oraft eracc ept i ng the drugs , and the t es t i m onyof the I C E agentas evi dence of h is kn o w ledg e. T h ese fin d ing s su ff ici en tl yarti cu lat ed the b asis fo r th e C o u rt ’s concl us i on, di s cus s ed furtherbel ow , thatM athew s s houl d be dee m ed r es pons i bl e fort he 4 8 2 g ra m s o f

h e ro in im p o rt e d b yth e c o n s p ir a c y . B. M a t h e ws c o n t e n d s , n e x t , t h a tth e Di s t r i c tCo u r te r r e d b ya t t r i b u t i n g th e 4 8 2 g r a ms of her oi n t o hi m beca us e he w as nei t herdi r ect l yi nvol ved i n t he i m por t at i on of that amount , norw as i tr eas onabl yfor es eea bl e t o hi m thatthe cons pi r acyi nvol ved that amount . H e ar gues t hathe “pl ay ed a l i m i t ed r ol e” i n t he cons pi r acyand di d noteven become a mem berof the cons pi r acyunt i l aft erthe her oi n had bee n s m uggl ed i nt o t he country . M or eover , he cont ends t hatbeca us e fa ke her oi n w as us ed, he neve rpos s es s edB e c a u se “ th e q u a n tityo f d ru g s a ttribu ted to th e d e f e n d a n t u su a llyw ill b e th e sin g le 6 m os ti m por t antdet erm i nantof hi s orhers ent ence , ” U ni t ed Stat es v. C ol l ado , 975 F. 2d 9 8 5 , 9 9 5 (3 d C ir. 1 9 9 2 ), w e e x e rc ise “ p a rticu lar sc ru tin yo f f a c tu a l f in d in g s re latin g to amount s of drugs i nvol ved i n i l l egal oper at i ons , ” U nited S tates v. B rothers , 75 F. 3d 845, 8 4 9 (3 d C ir . 1 9 9 6 ). 7 anydrugs and, i n anyevent , di d notr ai s e the moneyt o buythe drugs . H i s t ot al i nvol vement , he cl ai m s , w as l i m i t ed t o pi cki ng up t he $6, 000 i n B r ookl yn and del i ver i ng i tt o O rt ega-R ojas i n ex chan ge fo r a packag e he d i d n ot know w ou l d co ntai n d rugs. T o ac ce p t M athe w s’s co n tention s w o u ld req u ir e u s to f ind that the D istri ct C o u rt ’s fac tual fi ndi ngs w er e cl ear l yerr oneous . T hi s w e w i l l notdo. T he D i s t r i ctC our tfound 6 th a t M a th e w s k n e w h e w a s d e liv e rin g $ 6 ,0 0 0 to p a yO rte g a -R o jas f o r im p o rtin g h e ro in into the U n it ed S tat es a n d k n ew h e w as a cc ep ti n g d eli v eryo f th at he roin . T h e re co rd ful l ys uppor t s t hes e fi ndi ngs . M athew s admi t t ed thathe w as t o del i ver$6, 000 t o O r t egaR oj as att he hot el , and w as t o r ece i ve $700 forhi s tr oubl es . A ft err ece i vi ng the pac kage of ps eudo her oi n fr om O r t ega- R oj as , M athew s s ai d “veryt al ent ed” i n Spani s h, w hi ch the arr es t i ng I C E agenti nt erpr et ed as m eani ng s om ethi ng t o t he ef fec tof “ni ce j ob. ” ( A . 84, 155. ) I ns t ead of

openi ng t he pac kage t o s ee w hatw as i ns i de, M athew s puti ti n t he w ai s tband of hi s pant s and att empt ed t o l eave the hot el w i t h O r t ega- R oj as . W hen he ent er ed hi s gui l t ypl ea, M athew s s t at ed underoath t hathe knew he w as del i ver i ng the $ 6 , 0 0 0 to O rt eg a-R o

jas i n ex ch an g e f

o r th e h ero in. Fu rth erm o re, th e IC E ag en t’ s tes tim o n yin d ica ted th a t M a th e w s k n e w a s e a rlya s th e d a yb e f o re th e f lig h t lan d e d inWe n o t e , p a r e n t h e t i c a l l y , t h a ti ti s i r r e l e v a n ti n th i s c o n s p i r a c yc a s e th a tM a t h e ws 7 n e v e r, i n f

a c t, p o s s e s s e d th e re a l h e ro in . See , e. g. , U nited S tates v. Sa nd ers , 979 F. 2d 87, 93 ( 7th C i r . 1992) ( r ej ect i ng defe ndant ’ s ar gum entthathe coul d notbe s ent ence d bas ed o n q u an ti tyo f f

ak e c o ca ine re ce ived b ec au se h e w as c o n v ict ed fo r cons pi r acy , not p o s s e s s io n o r d is tr ib u tio n , “ m a k in g th e p ro p s u b s ta n c e c o m p le te ly im m a te ri a l” ). 8 N ew ark thatR i vas and O r t ega- R oj as w oul d be arr i vi ng and thathe w oul d s erve as R iv a s ’s c o n ta c t p e rs o n a n d m ig h t h a v e to p ic k R iv a s u p f ro m th e a irp o rt . W h a t M a th e w s k n e w a n d w h a t h e d id w e re m o re th a n e n o u g h to su p p o rt a co n clus ion that h e w as “ d ir ec tl yinv o lved ” in th e im p o rt ati o n o f 4 8 2 g ram s o f h ero in. I n U nited S tates v. L ockh art , 37 F. 3d 1451, 1452- 54 ( 10t h C i r . 1994) , the def endantdr ove hi s co- cons pi r at ort o a r es t aur anti n or dert o pur chas e coc ai ne, know i ng thatthi s w as t he p u rp o s e o f

th e tr ip . A f

te r h is c o -c o n s p ir a to r p u rc h a s e d th e d ru g s , b o th m e n w e re a rr e s te d . T he def endantpl ed gui l t yt o cons pi r acyt o pos s es s w i t h i nt entt o di s t r i but e coc ai ne. T he defe ndantobj ect ed t o bei ng s ent ence d on the bas i s of the ful l quant i t yof drugs the cocons pi r at orpur chas ed bec aus e he c l ai m ed the amountw as unfor es eea bl e t o hi m . T he C ou rtof A pp eal s for the T enth C i rcui trul ed thatforeseeabi l i t yw as i rr el evan tbecau se underG ui del i nes s ect i on 1B 1. 3( a) ( 1) ( A ) , the def endantw as di r ect l yi nvol ved i n t he cons pi r acygi ven thathe know i ngl yai ded and a bet t ed the tr ans act i on. So, t oo, her e. T he D i s tr i ctC our t ’ s fi ndi ng t hatal l 482 gr ams of her oi n w as at t r i but abl e t o M athew s w as not cl earl yerr on eou s. 7 III . T he j udgm entof s ent ence w i l l be af fi r m ed.