Source: https://stg.justice.gov/atr/case-document/plea-agreement-387
Timestamp: 2019-03-24 14:07:19
Document Index: 439297377

Matched Legal Cases: ['§ 3742', '§ 2241', '§ 3742', '§ 1', '§ 3142', '§ 2', '§ 2', '§1', '§ 5', '§1', '§5', '§5', '§5']

U.S. v. Kent Robert Stewart a/k/a Kent Stewart
KENT ROBERT STEWART,
a/k/a KENT STEWART
Criminal No.: CR10-4028 MWB
Filed: 05/25/10
The United States of America and Kent Stewart ("defendant") hereby enter into the following Plea Agreement pursuant to Rule 11(c)(1)(B) of the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure ("Fed. R. Crim. P."):
2. The defendant knowingly and voluntarily waives the rights set out in Paragraph 1(b)-(h) above. The defendant also knowingly and voluntarily waives the right to file any appeal, any collateral attack, or any other writ or motion, including but not limited to an appeal under 18 U.S.C. § 3742 or a motion under 28 U.S.C. § 2241 or 2255, that challenges the sentence imposed by the Court if that sentence is consistent with or below the recommended sentence in Paragraph 8 of this Plea Agreement, regardless of how the sentence is determined by the Court. This agreement does not affect the rights or obligations of the United States as set forth in 18 U.S.C. § 3742(b). Nothing in this paragraph, however, shall act as a bar to the defendant perfecting any legal remedies he may otherwise have on appeal or collateral attack respecting claims of ineffective assistance of counsel or prosecutorial misconduct. The defendant agrees that there is currently no known evidence of ineffective assistance of counsel or prosecutorial misconduct. Pursuant to Fed. R. Crim. P. 7(b), the defendant will waive indictment and plead guilty at arraignment to an Information to be filed in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Iowa. The Information will charge the defendant with participating in a conspiracy to suppress and eliminate competition by fixing prices and rigging bids for sales of ready-mix concrete in the Northern District of Iowa beginning at least as early as January 2008 and continuing until as late as August 2009, in violation of the Sherman Antitrust Act, 15 U.S.C. § 1.
3. The defendant, pursuant to the terms of this Plea Agreement, will plead guilty to the criminal charge described in Paragraph 2 above and will make a factual admission of guilt to the Court in accordance with Fed. R. Crim. P. 11, as set forth in Paragraph 4 below. The United States agrees that at the arraignment, it will stipulate to the release of the defendant on his personal recognizance, pursuant to 18 U.S.C. § 3142, pending the sentencing hearing in this case.
For purposes of this Plea Agreement, the "relevant period" is the period beginning at least as early as January 2008 and continuing until as late as August 2009. During the relevant period, the defendant was President of a ready-mix concrete company ("Company A") organized and existing under the laws of Iowa and with its principal place of business in Ocheyedan, IA. During the relevant period, Company A was a producer of ready-mix concrete and was engaged in the sale of ready-mix concrete in the Northern District of Iowa.
During the relevant period, the defendant participated in a conspiracy with other persons and another entity engaged in the manufacture and sale of ready-mix concrete, the primary purpose of which was to fix prices and submit non-competitive, rigged bids for ready-mix concrete sold in the Northern District of Iowa. In furtherance of the conspiracy, the defendant engaged in discussions with representatives of another ready-mix concrete company. During such discussions, agreements were reached regarding the submission of non-competitive and rigged bids for ready-mix concrete to be sold in the Northern District of Iowa.
During the relevant period, ready-mix concrete sold by one or more of the conspirator firms, equipment and materials necessary to the production and distribution of ready-mix concrete, and/or payments for ready-mix concrete, traveled in interstate commerce. The business activities of Company A and its conspirators in connection with the production and sale of ready-mix concrete that was the subject of this conspiracy were within the flow of, and substantially affected, interstate trade and commerce.
Acts in furtherance of this conspiracy were carried out within the Northern District of Iowa. Ready-mix concrete that was the subject of this conspiracy were sold by one or more of the conspirators to customers in this District.
8. Pursuant to Fed. R. Crim. P. 11(c)(1)(B), the United States agrees that it will recommend, as the appropriate disposition of this case, that the Court impose a sentence requiring the defendant to pay to the United States a criminal fine of $20,000, payable in full before the fifteenth (15th) day after the date of judgment; and a period of imprisonment of no more than six months ("the recommended sentence"). The United States calculates the applicable Guidelines as follows:
Pursuant to U.S.S.G. § 2R1.1(b)(1) the base offense level is increased by 1 because the conduct involved participation in an agreement to submit non-competitive bids. There are no increases in the offense level pursuant to U.S.S.G. § 2R1.1(b)(2) because the parties have stipulated the volume of commerce to be less than $1 million pursuant to U.S.S.G. §1B1.8.
The parties are not aware of any information which would impact the defendant's criminal history category. If no other information were discovered, the defendant's criminal history category would be I. The parties understand that the defendant's criminal history category is determined by the court.
Pursuant to U.S.S.G. §§ 5E1.2(b) and 2R1.1(c)(1) the Guidelines Fine Range for an individual is one to five percent of the volume of commerce (stipulated to be less than $1 million pursuant to U.S.S.G. §1B1.8), but not less than $20,000.
The parties agree that there exists no aggravating or mitigating circumstance of a kind, or to a degree, not adequately taken into consideration by the U.S. Sentencing Commission in formulating the Sentencing Guidelines justifying a departure pursuant to U.S.S.G. §5K2.0. The parties agree not to seek or support any sentence outside of the Guidelines range nor any Guidelines adjustment for any reason that is not set forth in this Plea Agreement. The parties further agree that the recommended sentence set forth in this Plea Agreement is reasonable.
9. The United States and the defendant agree that the applicable Guidelines imprisonment range exceeds the term of imprisonment contained in the recommended sentence set out in Paragraph 8 above. Subject to the full and continuing cooperation of the defendant, as described in Paragraph 12 of this Plea Agreement, and prior to sentencing in this case, the United States agrees that it will make a motion, pursuant to U.S.S.G. §5K1.1, for a three-level downward departure from the Guidelines fine and imprisonment range in this case and will request that the Court impose the fine and term of imprisonment contained in the recommended sentence set out in Paragraph 8 of this Plea Agreement because of the defendant's substantial assistance in the government's investigation and prosecutions of violations of federal criminal law in the ready-mix concrete industry. With the U.S.S.G. §5K1.1 departure, the resulting offense level is 8. The defendant is free to argue for any sentence within the applicable Sentencing Guidelines range as determined by the Court. The defendant agrees that the $20,000 fine amount is appropriate.
11. The United States and the defendant understand that the Court retains complete discretion to accept or reject either party's sentencing recommendation provided in Paragraph 8 of this Plea Agreement. The defendant understands that, as provided in Fed. R. Crim. P. 11(c)(3)(B), if the Court does not impose a sentence consistent with either party's sentencing recommendation contained in this Agreement, he nevertheless has no right to withdraw his plea of guilty.
12. The defendant will cooperate fully and truthfully with the United States in the prosecution of this case, the conduct of the current federal investigation of violations of federal antitrust and related criminal laws involving the manufacture or sale of ready-mix concrete in the state of Iowa, any other federal investigation resulting therefrom, and any litigation or other proceedings arising or resulting from any such investigation to which the United States is a party ("Federal Proceeding"). The ongoing, full, and truthful cooperation of the defendant shall include, but not be limited to:
making himself available for interviews in the Northern District of Iowa, not at the expense of the United States, upon the request of attorneys and agents of the United States;
13. Subject to the full, truthful, and continuing cooperation of the defendant, as described in Paragraph 12 of this Plea Agreement, and upon the Court's acceptance of the guilty plea called for by this Plea Agreement and the imposition of the recommended sentence, the United States will not bring further criminal charges against the defendant for any act or offense committed before the date of this Plea Agreement that was undertaken in furtherance of an antitrust conspiracy involving the manufacture or sale of ready-mix concrete in the Northern District of Iowa ("Relevant Offense"). The nonprosecution terms of this paragraph do not apply to civil matters of any kind, to any violation of the federal tax or securities laws, or to any crime of violence.
14. The defendant understands that he may be subject to administrative action by federal or state agencies other than the United States Department of Justice, Antitrust Division, based upon the conviction resulting from this Plea Agreement, and that this Plea Agreement in no way controls whatever action, if any, other agencies may take. However, the United States agrees that, if requested, it will advise the appropriate officials of any governmental agency considering such administrative action of the fact, manner, and extent of the cooperation of the defendant as a matter for that agency to consider before determining what administrative action, if any, to take.
15. The defendant has reviewed all legal and factual aspects of this case with his attorney and is fully satisfied with his attorney's legal representation. The defendant has thoroughly reviewed this Plea Agreement with his attorney and has received satisfactory explanations from his attorney concerning each paragraph of this Plea Agreement and alternatives available to the defendant other than entering into this Plea Agreement. After conferring with his attorney and considering all available alternatives, the defendant has made a knowing and voluntary decision to enter into this Plea Agreement.
16. The defendant's decision to enter into this Plea Agreement and to tender a plea of guilty is freely and voluntarily made and is not the result of force, threats, assurances, promises, or representations other than the representations contained in this Plea Agreement. The United States has made no promises or representations to the defendant as to whether the Court will accept or reject the recommendations contained within this Plea Agreement.
19. This Plea Agreement constitutes the entire agreement between the United States and the defendant concerning the disposition of the criminal charge in this case. This Plea Agreement cannot be modified except in writing, signed by the United States and the defendant.
DATED: ________ 4/8/10 _____ Respectfully submitted,
Counsel for Kent Stewart By: _______________/s/________________
Tel:312-353-7530
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