Opinion ID: 605573
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: frank eibler

Text: 20 Frank Eibler and the Government agreed that they disagreed as to the quantity of drugs attributable to the conspiracy and Eibler's role within the conspiracy. As to the quantity of drugs, the Government stated in the plea agreement that the conspiracy distributed 2,901 kilograms of marijuana and 13.5 kilograms of cocaine. Under Guideline section 2D1.1 this put Eibler's Base Offense Level at 34. The Defendant stated he did not agree with the Government's calculation and that the issue would be resolved by the district court at sentencing. Also left for the court's resolution was Eibler's role within the conspiracy. The Government stated in the plea agreement that Eibler was entitled to a three-level upward adjustment pursuant to section 3B1.1(b) for being a manager or supervisor of criminal activity. Eibler disagreed. 21 The Government and Eibler also failed to nail down Eibler's Criminal History Category. The plea agreement stated only that [b]ased on what is known of the defendant's criminal history at the present time, defendant has a Criminal History Category of I or II. 1 22 Eibler and the Government did agree that Eibler was entitled to a two-level reduction in his Offense Level pursuant to section 3E1.1 for having demonstrated acceptance of responsibility for his offense. The two sides also agreed that the Government would move the district court, pursuant to section 5K1.1, to depart downward from the applicable sentencing guideline range. The Government agreed to recommend Eibler's incarceration be ten percent less than the low end of the applicable guideline range. This recommendation was conditioned on Eibler providing the Government with substantial assistance. 23 In the presentence report, the probation officer assessed Eibler as having a total Offense Level of 32. The officer had set Eibler's Base Offense Level at 34 but reduced it by two levels for acceptance of responsibility. Eibler was also calculated as having a Criminal History Category of I. The report noted, however, that this calculation did not include two recent crimes for which Eibler had been convicted but not yet sentenced. Those crimes included Eibler's attempt to bribe a state court judge with a payment of $100,000 in another drug case. 24 The presentence report also recognized that while the Government would recommend a ten percent downward departure based on Eibler's cooperation, it was also possible to depart upward. The probation officer noted that Guidelines section 4A1.3 allows for a departure where reliable information indicates the defendant's Criminal History Category does not adequately represent the seriousness of the defendant's past criminal conduct. Without taking these possible departures into account, the probation officer calculated that Eibler's applicable imprisonment range was 121 to 151 months. 25 On February 25, 1992, Eibler appeared before Judge Conlon for sentencing. At this proceeding, Eibler stated he would no longer contest the amount of drugs that the Government attributed to the conspiracy, thus implicitly agreeing his Base Offense Level was 34. The Government stated it stood by its sentencing memorandum, filed almost two weeks earlier. In that memorandum, the Government again reiterated that Eibler's Base Offense Level should be 34. Pursuant to the plea agreement, the Government recommended a ten percent downward departure in Eibler's sentence as reward for his substantial assistance. The Government stated that it took no position regarding the probation officer's suggestion that Eibler's Criminal History Category did not present an accurate picture. Instead, the Government said it agreed with the calculations contained in the presentence report, which put Eibler in a Criminal History Category of I. 26 After hearing from the Defendant and the Government, Judge Conlon calculated Eibler's total Offense Level at 32 and his Criminal History Category as being I. Neither party objected to the court's calculations. The court then considered, and rejected, the Government's motion to sentence Eibler to an imprisonment ten percent less than the low end of the applicable Guideline range. 27 In rejecting the Government's motion, the court stated that a Criminal History Category of I substantially understated Eibler's criminal history achievements. The court noted that Category I did not reflect Eibler's bribery and drug convictions in Florida. In effect, Eibler was in the same category as a first offender who has never been in trouble before. Judge Conlon said Eibler's situation normally would require a departure above the Guidelines. Rather than departing upward to accurately reflect Eibler's criminal history, or departing downward to accommodate the Government's request, the judge decided to simply stay within the applicable Guideline range and sentenced Eibler to 151 months imprisonment. Neither the Government nor Eibler objected. 28 On appeal, Eibler argues that the court abused its discretion in sentencing him to 151 months. Specifically, Eibler alleges the district court sentenced Eibler as though he had actually been assessed at a criminal history category of II and further failed to take Appellant's substantial assistance and the government's recommendation for a downward departure into consideration. Appellant's Br. at 4. 29 Eibler's charge that the district court sentenced him as though he were in Criminal History Category II is mystifying. Judge Conlon placed Eibler in Category I and gave him a sentence within the Category I range. Eibler does not contend that Category I is inappropriate, nor does he dispute the judge's authority to sentence him within the 121 to 151 months range. As best we can divine, Eibler's real complaint is that Judge Conlon took cognizance of Eibler's Florida crimes and therefore refused to grant the Government's recommendation to depart downward. 30 Apparently Eibler believes that since the convictions did not figure into his Criminal History Category the judge should have pretended Eibler never committed the crimes. This argument is without merit. The Guidelines allow a judge to take note of crimes for which the defendant has been convicted although not yet sentenced. See U.S.S.G. §§ 1B1.4, 4A1.3; see also 18 U.S.C. § 3661 (no limitation shall be placed on background, character, and conduct information for sentencing purposes); cf. United States v. Lopez, 974 F.2d 50, 53 (7th Cir.1992) (though a fact cannot be used to exceed Guideline's range it can be used to select sentence within that range). 31 Even if Eibler's arguments had some merit, we could not grant him any relief for two reasons. First, Eibler has waived his objections by not raising them during the sentencing hearing and there is no plain error in Eibler's sentencing that would require us to reverse the district court. See United States v. Atkinson, 979 F.2d 1219, 1224 (7th Cir.1992); United States v. Blythe, 944 F.2d 356, 359 (7th Cir.1991). 32 Second, the Defendant essentially is challenging only one aspect of his sentencing, and that is Judge Conlon's refusal to grant him a downward departure. This court recognized in United States v. Poff, 926 F.2d 588 (7th Cir.1991) (en banc), that we have no jurisdiction to review a refusal to depart from the Guidelines when the refusal reflects an exercise of the judge's discretion. Id. at 590; accord United States v. Shetterly, 971 F.2d 67, 76 (7th Cir.1992); see also 18 U.S.C. § 3742 (outlining grounds for review of sentence). Judge Conlon was well aware that she had the authority to depart from the Guidelines, she merely exercised her discretion and refused to do so. We therefore have no jurisdiction over Eibler's appeal.