Source: http://openjurist.org/236/f3d/27/united-states-v-john-baltas-sr
Timestamp: 2016-05-04 02:05:44
Document Index: 411436978

Matched Legal Cases: ['§ 1962', '§ 846', '§ 922', '§ 841', '§ 846', '§ 841', '§ 841', '§ 841']

236 F3d 27 United States v. John Baltas Sr | OpenJurist
236 F. 3d 27 - United States v. John Baltas Sr HomeFederal Reporter, Third Series236 F.3d
236 F3d 27 United States v. John Baltas Sr 236 F.3d 27 (1st Cir. 2001)
UNITED STATES, Appellee,v.JOHN BALTAS, SR., a/k/a Cadillac Jack, a/k/a John DiPinto, Defendant, Appellant.
No. 99-1547
APPEAL FROM THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE DISTRICT OF MASSACHUSETTS [Hon. Michael A. Ponsor, U.S. District Judge] 2
Robert David Dimler, by appointment of the Court, with whom The Law Office of Robert D. Dimler , was on brief for appellant John Baltas, Sr.
A federal grand jury indicted Baltas and twelve other individuals for various crimes arising out of their involvement in the Connecticut and Massachusetts chapters of the Diablos Motorcycle Club (hereinafter the "Diablos," or the "Club"). Particularly, Baltas was charged, either alone or in combination with other defendants, with conspiracy to conduct and actually conducting the affairs of an enterprise through a pattern of racketeering activity, respectively, 18 U.S.C. §§ 1962(d) (count 1, "RICO conspiracy") and 1962(c) (count 2, "substantive RICO"); conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and to distribute heroin, 21 U.S.C. § 846 (count 32); and possession and interstate transportation of firearms as a convicted felon, 18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(1) (counts 40 and 41). The indictment also sought forfeiture of certain property belonging to Baltas.
Baltas alternatively argues that even if severance was not warranted, the district court should have mitigated spillover prejudice by holding a pretrial hearing on the admissibility of coconspirator hearsay statements pursuant to United States v. James, 590 F.2d 575 (5th Cir.) (en banc). During the proceeding below, Baltas made various requests for a ruling on the admissibility of coconspirator statements relating to the RICO charges under Fed. R. Evid. 801(d)(2)(E). The court denied the requests and provisionally allowed the evidence, declining to make a final admissibility determination, in accordance with United States v. Petrozziello, 548 F.2d 20, 23 (1st Cir. 1977).
D. Instructional Claim
The issue presented is whether the district court's finding of drug quantity under 21 U.S.C. § 841(b)(1), which was made at the sentencing under a preponderance-of-the-evidence standard, was error under Apprendi. In support of his claim of error, Baltas argues: (1) that we should read Apprendi as applying where any fact (other than the fact of a prior conviction) exposes the defendant to an increased penalty, instead of as applying only in situations where the prescribed sentence exceeds the statutory maximum, and that (2) assuming Apprendi is applicable, the district court's finding constitutes plain error.
Under the pertinent statutory scheme, Section 846 provides that the penalty for an attempt or conspiracy to commit a drug trafficking offense shall be the same as the penalty for the offense that was the object of the attempt or conspiracy. 21 U.S.C. § 846. The underlying offense is set out in section 841(a)(1), which makes it unlawful to "manufacture, distribute, or dispense, or possess with intent to manufacture, distribute, or dispense, a controlled substance." 21 U.S.C. § 841(a)(1). Section 841(b), in turn, establishes the penalties applicable to a violation of section 841(a)(1). Section 841(b)(1)(C) authorizes a term of imprisonment for a schedule I narcotic, such as heroin, without reference to drug quantity, of "not more than 20 years." 21 U.S.C. § 841(b)(1)(C). Using this framework, the district court sentenced Baltas to a term of 188 months of imprisonment.
Based on the Supreme Court's decision in Apprendi, we hold that no constitutional error occurs when the district court sentences the defendant within the statutory maximum, regardless that drug quantity was never determined by the jury beyond a reasonable doubt. Therefore, Baltas's sentence of 188 months, below the twenty year maximum provided by 21 U.S.C. § 841(b)(1)(C), does not constitute an error under Apprendi. This decision is consistent with those of our sister circuits which have had the opportunity to address challenges similar to the one presented by Baltas. See, e.g., United States v. Meshack, 225 F.3d 556, 576 (5th Cir. 2000); Aguayo-Delgado, 220 F.3d at 933; United States v. Gerrow, 232 F.3d 831, 834-35 (11th Cir. 2000); United States v. Angle, 230 F.3d 113, 123 (4th Cir. 2000); United States v. Chavez, 230 F.3d 1089, 1091 (8th Cir. 2000).
Baltas was tried and convicted with a number of other defendants. Their appeals were heard at the same time, and subsequent decisions will address their appeals. United States v. Houle, No. 99-1310 (1st Cir. filed February 10, 1999); United States v. Lafreniere, 236 F.3d 41 (1st Cir.2001).