Source: http://www.justice.gov/atr/cases/f218900/218905.htm
Timestamp: 2015-03-02 16:50:23
Document Index: 749786428

Matched Legal Cases: ['§ 1', '§ 1', '§ 3571', '§ 3553', '§ 3553', '§ 1', '§ 6', '§ 2', '§ 2', '§ 3']

Plea Agreement: U.S. v. Thermos
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA v. GERALD THERMOS, Defendant. |
| CRIMINAL NO. 2:06cr91 Filed: 09/15/06 PLEA AGREEMENT The United States of America, by undersigned counsel, the defendant, GERALD THERMOS, and the defendant's counsel have entered into the following agreement pursuant to Rule 11 of the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure. The terms of the agreement are as follows: 1. Offense and Maximum Penalties The defendant agrees to waive indictment and plead guilty to a single count criminal information charging the defendant with participating in a conspiracy to suppress and eliminate competition by allocating customers and rigging bids for contracts of foam-filled marine fenders and buoys in the United States and elsewhere from in or about June 2000, continuing until in or about August 2005, in violation of the Sherman Antitrust Act, 15 U.S.C. § 1. The maximum penalties for this offense are a term of ten years of imprisonment, a fine in an amount equal to the greatest of (1) $1,000,000, (2) twice the gross pecuniary gain the conspirators derived from the crime, or (3) twice the gross pecuniary loss caused to the victims of the crime by the conspirators (15 U.S.C. § 1; 18 U.S.C. § 3571(b) and (d)), full restitution, a special assessment, and three years of supervised release. The defendant understands that this supervised release term is in addition to any prison term the defendant may receive, and that a violation of a term of supervised release could result in the defendant being returned to prison for up to two years. 2. Factual Basis for the Plea The defendant will plead guilty because the defendant is in fact guilty of the charged offense. The defendant admits the facts set forth in the Statement of Facts filed with this plea agreement and agrees that those facts establish guilt of the offense charged beyond a reasonable doubt. The Statement of Facts, which is hereby incorporated into this plea agreement, constitutes a stipulation of facts for purposes of Section 1B1.2(a) of the Sentencing Guidelines. 3. Assistance and Advice of Counsel The defendant is satisfied that the defendant's attorney has rendered effective assistance. The defendant understands that by entering into this agreement, defendant surrenders certain rights as provided in this agreement. The defendant understands that the rights of criminal defendants include the following: the right to plead not guilty and to persist in that plea; the right to a jury trial; the right to be represented by counsel  and if necessary have the court appoint counsel  at trial and at every other stage of the proceedings; and the right at trial to confront and cross-examine adverse witnesses, to be protected from compelled self-incrimination, to testify and present evidence, and to compel the attendance of witnesses. 4. Role of the Court and the Probation Office The defendant understands that the Court has jurisdiction and authority to impose any sentence within the statutory maximum described above but that the Court will determine the defendant's actual sentence in accordance with 18 U.S.C. § 3553(a). The defendant understands that the Court has not yet determined a sentence and that any estimate of the advisory sentencing range under the U.S. Sentencing Commission's Sentencing Guidelines Manual ("U.S.S.G.") the defendant may have received from the defendant's counsel, the United States, or the Probation Office, is a prediction, not a promise, and is not binding on the United States, the Probation Office, or the Court. Additionally, pursuant to the Supreme Court's decision in United States v. Booker, 125 S. Ct. 738, the Court, after considering the factors set forth in 18 U.S.C. § 3553(a), may impose a sentence above or below the advisory sentencing range, subject only to review by higher courts for reasonableness. The United States makes no promise or representation concerning what sentence the defendant will receive, and the defendant cannot withdraw a guilty plea based upon the actual sentence. Pursuant to U.S.S.G. § 1B1.11(b), the United States and the defendant agree that the November 1, 2004 version of the U.S.S.G., which was in effect on the date that the offense of conviction was committed, should be used since the November 1, 2005 version of the U.S.S.G. would result in a higher adjusted offense level for the offense to which the defendant is pleading guilty. Pursuant to U.S.S.G. § 6B1.4, the United States and the defendant enter into the following stipulations. The United States and the defendant understand and agree that these stipulations are not binding upon either the Probation Office or the Court. The Court may make factual determinations that differ from these stipulations and that may result in an increase or decrease in the Sentencing Guidelines range and the sentence that may be imposed on the defendant. (a)
(b) The offense to which the defendant is pleading guilty involved participation in an agreement to submit non-competitive bids, within the meaning of U.S.S.G. § 2R1.1(b)(1), which increases the offense level by 1. (c)
The volume of commerce attributable to the defendant within the meaning of U.S.S.G. § 2R1.1(b)(2) is more than $6,250,000, but less than $15,000,000, which increases the offense level by 4. (d)
For purposes of U.S.S.G. § 3E1.1, a two-level reduction of the offense level for defendant's acceptance of responsibility is appropriate. However, should the United States obtain or receive additional evidence or information prior to sentencing that, in its sole discretion, it determines to be credible and materially in conflict with this stipulation, then the United States shall no longer be bound by this stipulation. (e)
Based on the foregoing, defendant's adjusted of