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# U SA v . Al and a B r axt on 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 . 09-2575

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( M ar ch 24, 2010) B efore: R E N D E L L , A M B R O and F U E N T E S , C i rcui tJudg es.

( O pi ni on Fi l ed: M ar ch 31, 2010) OPI NI ON O F THE COURT FU E N T E S, C i r cui tJ udge: A l anda Bra xt on pl ed gui l t yt o fourcount s of w i r e fr aud. She appea l s the D i s t r i ct C our t ’ s i m pos i t i on of a tw o- l evel s ent enci ng enhanc ementpur s uantt o Sect i on2

2 B1 . 1 ( b ) ( 9 ) o f

t h e Un i t e d S t a t e s S e n t e n c i n g Gu i d e l i n e s ( “ U. S . S . G. ” ) . W e wi l l a f f i r m. I . B e c a u se w e w rite p rim a rilyf o r th e p a rties , w e d isc u ss o n lyth o se f a c ts re lev a n t to o u r c o n c lu sio n . B ra x to n a c q u ire d a p re p a id c re d it ca rd w ith a n in iti a l b a lan c e o f $ 3 0 in February2007. A ft erdes t r oy i ng t he magnet i c s t r i p on the bac k of the ca r d, B r axt on w as abl e t o us e the ca r d t o pur chas e $398, 449 i n gi ftcar ds atm ul t i pl e H om e D epots t or es b e tw e e n M a rc h 2 0 0 7 a n d A p ril 2 0 0 8 . B ra x to n p u rc h a se d th e g if t ca rd s, ra n g in g in amount fr om $4, 000 t o $8, 000, fr om overfi ftys t or es i n s i x s t at es – M ary l and, N ew J er s ey , N ew Y or k, N or t h C ar ol i na, Penns y l vani a, and V i r gi ni a. She ul t i m at el yus ed the cr edi tcar d on over90 occa s i ons , butm ade onl yone paym enton t he ca r d i n t he amountof $850. B eca us e B r axt on des t r oy ed the magnet i c s t r i p on the cr edi tcar d, eac h t i m e s he w o u ld m ak e a p u rch ase w ith it , the c red itca rd m ac h ine w o u ld f ail to rea d the c ard af

ter a cas hi ers w i ped i t , and the ca s hi erw oul d ent erthe ca r d num berm anual l y ; appar ent l yt he sy ste m w a s u n a b le to re c o g n ize th a t th e re w a s a n in su f f icie n t b a lan c e o n th e c a rd w h e n it w as ent er ed i n t hi s m anner . Sur vei l l ance phot ogr aphs fr om the var i ous H om e D epot lo c a tio n s in v o lv e d in th e s e tr a n s a c tio n s s h o w B ra x to n u s in g th e c a rd . B r axt on w as arr es t ed and c har ged w i t h havi ng comm i t t ed w i r e fr aud i n vi ol at i on of 18 U . S. C . § 1343. W i t h herat t or neypr es ent , B r axt on expl ai ned t o l aw enfor cement offi ci al s t hat , i n carr y i ng outt hi s s cheme, s he w as fol l ow i ng the i ns t ruct i ons of a man n a m e d “ M ik e ,” a H o m e D e p o t em p lo y e e w h o in stru c ted h e r a b o u t w h ich sto re s to v isit3

and how m uch t o s pend. She al s o s t at ed thats he gave eac h gi ftcar d t o “M i ke” a ft ers he o b ta in e d it, a n d th a t h e p a id h e r $ 1 ,0 0 0 p e r c a rd . B ra x to n h a s re f u s e d to id e n tif

y“ M ik e ,” ci t i ng a fe arforhers afe t y , and t o dat e “M i ke” ha s nei t herbeen i dent i fi ed nor a p p re h e n d e d . A gr and j ur yi n t he M i ddl e D i s t r i ctof Penns y l vani a i ndi ct ed B r axt on on J ul y2, 2 0 0 8 , c h a rg in g h e r w ith f o u r c o u n ts o f

w ir e f ra u d in v io la tio n o f

1 8 U .S .C . § 1 3 4 3 . Pur s uantt o a w r i t t en pl ea a gr eement , B r axt on pl ed gui l t yt o al l fourcount s on J anuary23, 2009. T he pr e- s ent ence r epor t( “PSR ”) r ecomm ended a tw o- l evel s ent enci ng enhanc ementpur s uantt o U . S. S. G . § 2B 1. 1( b) ( 9) ( A ) . B r axt on obj ect ed t o t he enhanc ement . O n M ay22, 2009, t he D i s t r i ctC our tconduct ed a s ent enci ng hear i ng and, o v e r B ra x to n ’s o b

jec tio n , im p o se d th e tw o -le v e l en h a n c e m e n t. B ra x to n w a s s e n ten c e d to 27 m ont hs ’ i m pr i s onm entand or der ed t o payr es t i tut i on i n t he amountof $356, 235 as w e ll as a sp e c ial a ss e ss m e n t o f $ 4 0 0 . B ra x to n f

iled th is tim e lyn o tice o f a p p e a l. I I . W hi l e thi s C our texer ci s es pl enaryr evi ew overthe D i s t r i ctC our t ’ s l egal i nt erpr et at i on of the Sent enci ng G ui del i nes , U ni t ed St at es v. M onos t r a, 125 F. 3d 183, 188 ( 3d C i r . 1997) , w e r evi ew t he D i s t r i ctC our t ’ s fac tual fi ndi ngs forcl earerr or . U ni t ed S ta te s v . C o g g in s , 9 8 6 F .2 d 6 5 1 , 6 5 4 (3 d C ir . 1 9 9 3 ). III . U n ited S tate s S e n ten c in g G u id e lin e S e c tio n 2 B 1 .1 (b )(9 )(A ) p ro v id e s th a t a4

se n ten c e m a yb e in c re a se d b ytw o lev e ls if “ th e d e f e n d a n t re lo c a ted , o r p a rticip a ted in r el ocat i ng, a fr audul ents cheme t o anotherj ur i s di ct i on t o evade l aw enfor cementor r egul at or yoffi ci al s . ” I n or derfort he enha ncementt o appl y , ther efor e, the def endant( 1) m usthav e rel ocated a fraudu l ent s chem e from on e j uri sdi ct i on t o an other , and (2) m ust h av e d o n e so to ev ad e e n fo rce m en t of ficials. S ee U . S . S . G . 2 B 1 . 1 (b)(9 )(A ). T he fi r s tof thes e pr ongs i s noti n ques t i on her e. C l ear l y , B r axt on r el ocat ed fr om o n e ju risd ictio n to a n o th e r a n d sh e b ro u g h t th e f ra u d u len t sc h e m e w ith h e r, as is evi dence d byherfr audul entpur chas e of gi ftcar ds i n s i x di ffe r ents t at es . B r axt on does notappea rt o cont es tt hats he r el ocat ed the s cheme acr os s j ur i s di ct i ons . T he onl yi s s ue forus t o cons i deri n det erm i ni ng w hetherB r axt on w as corr ect l ys ubj ect ed t o t he tw ol evel s ent enci ng enhanc ement , t her efor e, i s w hetherB r axt on’ s conductw as under t aken w ith th e in te n t o f

e v a d in g la w e n f

o rc e m e n t. W e con cl ud e t hat the D i stri ctC ou rtproperl yfou nd that B raxt on carr i ed these fr audul ents chemes acr os s j ur i s di ct i onal l i nes i n or dert o evade the det ect i on of l aw enfor cement . Fi r s t , w e agr ee w i t h the G overnm entthatthe r el ocat i on need notbe m ot i vat ed bya s peci fi c thr eatof arr es tforU . S. S. G . 2B 1. 1( b) ( 9) ( A ) t o appl y . See U ni t ed St at es v. V ega- I tur r i no, 565 F. 3d 430, 433 ( 8th C i r . 2009) . T hus , the fa ctthatB r axt on had notbeen l i t er al l yfor ced t o r el ocat e t o anotherj ur i s di ct i on on acc ountof the det ect i on of herfr audul ents cheme byl aw enfor cementi n anyr es pect i ve j ur i s di ct i on does notl end w ei ghtt o an ar gum entt hats he l acke d t he r equi s i t e i nt entt o evade l aw enfor cement . L aw5

enfor cementoffi cer s need notbe i n hotpur s ui tof an i ndi vi dual i n or derforthat i ndi vi dual ’ s carr y i ng a cr i m i nal pl otacr os s s t at e l i nes t o cons t i tut e i nt entt o evade d e te c tio n . S e e id . B r axt on al s o cont ends t hats he w as notr es pons i bl e forthe r el ocat i ons beca us e s he w as act i ng att he behe s tof “M i ke” w hen s he tr avel ed ac r os s s t at e l i nes t o fur t herthe sc h e m e . E v e n a ss u m in g th a t “M ik e ” h a d in stru c ted B ra x to n to re lo c a te th e sc h e m e , this i s nots uffi ci entt o avoi d appl i cat i on of the s ent enci ng enhanc ement . “Sect i on 2B 1. 1( b) ( 9) ( A ) r equi r es onl yt hatt he def endantpart i ci pat ed i n r el ocat i ng the s cheme; [ s]h e d id n o t h a v e to b e th e ‘d riv in g f o rc e ’ b e h in d th e re lo c a tio n f o r th e e n h a n c e m e n t to appl y . ” U ni t ed St at es v. Par edes , 461 F. 3d 1190, 1193 ( 10th C i r . 2006) . So l ong as B ra x to n p a rticip a ted in m o v in g th e f ra u d u len t sc h e m e to a n o th e r ju risd ictio n , w h ich in t hi s cas e s he obvi ous l ydi d, i ti s notnece s s aryfora courtt o fi nd thats he di d s o w i t hout assistan ce to en h an ce h er se n tenc e u n d er 2 B 1 . 1 (b)(9 )(A ). W e furt herconcl ude thatt he D i s t r i ctC our tdi d notcl ear l yerri n fi ndi ng that B r axt on and “M i ke” c ons pi r ed t o r el ocat e the s cheme t o avoi d det ect i on. T he D i s t r i ct C our tr eas onabl yi nferr ed the exi s t ence of s uch an a gr eementbetw een Bra xt on and “M ike” fro m the P S R , see F ed . R . C ri m . P . 3 2 (i )(3)(A ), sinc e B rax ton d id n o t con tr o v ert t he exi s t ence of the cons pi r acyi n herobj ect i on t o t he PSR . See U ni t ed St at es v. G r aj eda, 5 8 1 F .3 d 1 1 8 6 , 1 1 8 8 (9 th C ir. 2 0 0 9 ). In d e e d , a p u rp o se to a v o id d e tec tio n is th e o n ly r eas onabl e i nfer ence t he D i s t r i ctC our tcoul d have dr aw n fr om the fa ct s s urr oundi ng6

B r axt on’ s conduct

— as hercouns el hi m s el f s t at ed ats ent enci ng, “y ou can’ tus e the ca r d at th e sa m e p lac e a ll th e tim e o r y o u ’re g o in g to g e t ca u g h t.” (A p p . 5 8 .) W e a g re e w ith th is s t at ement , and w e conc l ude thatt he D i s t r i ctC our tdi d noterri n fi ndi ng thatB r axt on rel ocated her schem e across j uri sdi ct i on s t o ev ade d et ect i on byl aw enfo rcem ent offi ci al s. I V. Fort he for egoi ng r eas ons , w e fi nd thatthe D i s t r i ctC our tdi d noterri n enhanc i ng B r a x t o n ’ s s e n t e n c e u n d e rS e c t i o n 2 B 1 . 1 ( b ) ( 9 ) o f th e S e n t e n c i n g G u i d e l i n e s . A c c o r d i n g l y, w e a f f ir m th e D is tr ic t C o u rt ’s s e n te n c e .