Source: http://openjurist.org/388/f3d/66
Timestamp: 2013-12-07 02:00:30
Document Index: 585308799

Matched Legal Cases: ['§ 5', '§ 846', '§ 2', '§ 812', '§ 5', '§ 3553', '§ 2', '§ 3', '§ 3']

388 F3d 66 United States v. Borrego | OpenJurist
388 F. 3d 66 - United States v. Borrego	Home388 f3d 66 united states v. borrego
388 F3d 66 United States v. Borrego 388 F.3d 66
UNITED STATES of America, Appellee,v.Walter BORREGO; Dina Maldonado; Juan Jose Bouret; Miguel Anders Pena; Lydia Colon; Angel Luis Font, Defendants,Juan Figuerate, Defendant-Appellant.
Docket No. 03-1473.
Decided: October 29, 2004.
Robin W. Morey, Assistant United States Attorney (David N. Kelley, United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Mark A. Racanelli, Assistant United States Attorney, on the brief), New York, NY, for Appellee.
Catherine M. Foti & Andrew M. St. Laurent (Morvillo, Abramowitz, Grand, Iason & Silberberg, P.C.), New York, NY, for Defendant-Appellant.
Juan Figuerate appeals from the judgment of the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York (Victor Marrero, J.), rendered on July 31, 2003, sentencing him primarily to 240 months incarceration. Figuerate pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute more than one kilogram of heroin. The district court granted Figuerate a downward departure pursuant to § 5K1.1 of the United States Sentencing Guidelines ("U.S.S.G.") for his cooperation with the government. The court declined to resolve several disputed sentencing issues after determining that the resolution of those issues would not affect the ultimate sentence. On appeal, Figuerate argues that we must remand to compel resolution of the unresolved issues. We reject the defendant's argument and affirm the judgment.
Juan Figuerate was indicted on June 7, 1990, for conspiracy to distribute more than one kilogram of heroin, in violation of 21 U.S.C. § 846, and possession with intent to distribute heroin, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2 and 21 U.S.C. §§ 812, 841(a)(1), and (b)(1)(C). Figuerate entered into a cooperation agreement with the government, and on August 3, 1990, pleaded guilty to the conspiracy count. Shortly after the cooperation agreement was made, he was released on bail to assist the government in its investigations. Figuerate worked as a confidential informant and rendered valuable assistance. However, he developed an alcohol problem, which rendered further cooperation useless.
Sentencing was scheduled for November 22, 1991. On November 19, 1991, the government submitted a motion under U.S.S.G. § 5K1.1 and 18 U.S.C. § 3553(e) asking the district court to depart downward from the otherwise applicable guideline range in light of Figuerate's cooperation. Prior to the imposition of sentence, however, Figuerate fled, and he remained a fugitive for almost eight years. He was rearrested in Pennsylvania on November 12, 1999, on new narcotics and weapons charges.
Figuerate was then returned to the Southern District of New York for further proceedings in this case. Judge Marrero directed the United States Probation Office to prepare an updated Presentence Investigation Report ("PSR"). The PSR proposed that Figuerate be found responsible for the distribution of more than eight, but less than ten, kilograms of heroin, resulting in a base offense level of 34. The PSR went on to suggest a two-level enhancement pursuant to U.S.S.G. § 2D1.1(b)(1) because of the defendant's awareness of his organization's use of firearms, a three-level enhancement pursuant to § 3B1.1(b) because the defendant was a supervisor of criminal activity involving five or more participants, a two-level enhancement pursuant to § 3C1.1 for obstruction of justice because of the defendant's prolonged flight, an