Source: https://m.openjurist.org/967/f2d/1028
Timestamp: 2020-08-12 09:24:22
Document Index: 668209375

Matched Legal Cases: ['§ 2', '§ 2', '§ 1', '§ 1', '§ 1', '§ 2']

967 F. 2d 1028 - United States v. Lghodaro
967 F2d 1028 United States v. Lghodaro
967 F.2d 1028
Edo-Ogohmwensemwen Iueiore LGHODARO, Defendant-Appellant.
Rehearing Denied Sept. 16, 1992.
In its Presentencing Report (PSR), the probation office recommended that five points be added to Lghodaro's base offense level pursuant to U.S.S.G. § 2F1.1(b)(1)(F) because the amount of the loss was $58,816.07. Lghodaro objected to the increase, arguing that he should not be held accountable for the claims filed by his brother and that his offense level should only be increased by two levels. The district court overruled his objection, finding that Lghodaro and his brother were charged jointly with aiding and abetting in a scheme or plan to defraud the insurance companies.
U.S.S.G. § 2F1.1(b)(1)(F) provides that if the loss is more than $40,000 but less than $70,000, the offense level should be increased by five points. Lghodaro filed claims for $35,385.13 and his brother filed claims totaling $23,430.94.
Lghodaro can be held accountable for the amount of the claims filed by his brother if the brother's conduct can be considered "relevant conduct." Relevant conduct is used to determine the base offense level and includes "all acts and omissions committed or aided and abetted by the defendant, or for which the defendant would be otherwise accountable, that occurred during the commission of the offense of conviction, in preparation for that offense, or in the course of attempting to avoid detection or responsibility for that offense, or that otherwise were in furtherance of that offense." U.S.S.G. § 1B1.3(a)(1). Application Note 1 to this section states that "[i]n the case of criminal activity undertaken in concert with others, whether or not charged as a conspiracy, the conduct for which the defendant 'would be otherwise accountable' also includes conduct of others in furtherance of the execution of the jointly-undertaken criminal activity that was reasonably foreseeable by the defendant."
This is exactly the type of factual scenario which the sentencing commission had in mind when defining relevant conduct. Illustration d. to § 1B1.3 describes a situation where two defendants, working together, design and execute a fraudulent scheme. One defendant fraudulently obtains $20,000 and the other defendant fraudulently obtains $35,000. Each defendant is accountable for the entire $55,000 because they aided and abetted each other in the fraudulent conduct and because the conduct of each was in furtherance of the jointly undertaken criminal activity and was reasonably foreseeable. U.S.S.G. § 1B1.3, comment. (n. 1 d.). The district court was not clearly erroneous in finding that Lghodaro was responsible for the entire $58,816.07. See U.S. v. Patterson, 962 F.2d 409, 413-15 (5th Cir.1992) (where two brothers were involved in a conspiracy involving stolen vehicles, defendant could have foreseen that as part of joint enterprise, his brother would obtain other vehicles).
Although Lghodaro argues that his brother's conduct was not reasonably foreseeable to him, he did not present any facts in the district court to support his argument. He did not even deny knowledge that his brother was filing other claims. His objections were merely in the form of unsworn assertions, which are unreliable and should not be considered. U.S. v. Sanders, 942 F.2d 894, 897-98 (5th Cir.1991). The PSR is considered reliable and may be considered as evidence by the trial judge in making factual sentencing determinations. Id. The evidence supporting the finding that Lghodaro could reasonably foresee and therefore be held accountable for his brother's conduct was sufficiently reliable.ISSUE 2: Amount of loss--actual or intended loss
Although this Circuit has not yet addressed this issue, all of the circuits which have discussed application note 7 to § 2F1.1 have reached the same conclusion. See U.S. v. Smith, 951 F.2d 1164, 1166-69 (10th Cir.1991); U.S. v. Kopp, 951 F.2d 521, 535-36 (3rd Cir.1991); U.S. v. Lohan, 945 F.2d 1214, 1218-19 (2nd Cir.1991); U.S. v. Schneider, 930 F.2d 555, 558-59 (7th Cir.1991); U.S. v. Davis, 922 F.2d 1385, 1391-92 (9th Cir.1991); U.S. v. Johnson, 908 F.2d 396, 398 (8th Cir.1990). The district court did not clearly err in using the amount of intended loss rather than the amount actually paid by the insurance companies.
The Sentencing Guidelines provide that a two-level reduction is warranted if the defendant clearly demonstrates a recognition and affirmative acceptance of personal responsibility for his criminal conduct. The defendant bears the burden of proving that he is entitled to the downward adjustment. U.S. v. Kinder, 946 F.2d 362, 367 (5th Cir.1991), cert. denied, --- U.S. ----, 112 S.Ct. 1677, 118 L.Ed.2d 394 (1992). This Court's review of the district court's ruling is even more deferential than a pure clearly erroneous standard. Id.