Opinion ID: 760471
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Persico's Organizer/Leader Enhancement

Text: 44 The Sentencing Guidelines authorize a four-level increase of the defendant's base offense level if he was an organizer or leader of a criminal activity that involved five or more participants or was otherwise extensive. U.S.S.G. § 3B1.1; see United States v. Patasnik, 89 F.3d 63, 68 (2d Cir.1996). Persico challenges the District Court's organizer or leader enhancement of his sentence, contending (1) that he was not a leader or organizer, and (2) that Chief Judge Sifton did not make sufficient factual findings to support the enhancement. 45 There was sufficient evidence to support the enhancement. The trial record indicates that Persico was a central leader and planner, who organized a number of unconsummated murder conspiracies and communicated important messages from his brother, the boss of the Colombo crime family, to the other capos and soldiers of the Persico faction. 46 As to the adequacy of the District Court's findings, Persico relies on cases in which this Court has remanded for specific factual findings as to a defendant's role, when a district court has either not stated on the record the specific factual basis of the enhancements or not specifically adopted the Probation Department's presentencing report. 3 See, e.g., United States v. Carrozzella, 105 F.3d 796, 804 (2d Cir.1997); Patasnik, 89 F.3d at 69; United States v. Liebman, 40 F.3d 544, 549 (2d Cir.1994); United States v. Fermin, 32 F.3d 674, 682 (2d Cir.1994). 47 At sentencing, Chief Judge Sifton made the following findings: 48 I am not prepared on this record to reach a conclusion beyond a reasonable doubt that Mr. Persico had an actual agreement ... to murder these specific individuals who got murdered.... I am prepared, however, to find that Mr. Persico, beyond a reasonable doubt, conspired to murder at least five individuals who fortunately escaped being murdered, ... Victor Orena.... Mr. C[u]tolo, Pasquale Amato, Salvator[e] Misciotta and Joe [Baud]anza. 49 As the government argues as an alternative argument to the one they ... pursued most vigorously, Mr. Persico's role in at least the C[u]tolo, Amato and Misciotta conspiracy, was that of an organizer, which would mean that there must be an upward role adjustment. The adjustment takes the offense level before adjustment for multiple offenses to a level 32. Because I find that at least five individuals were targeted for these unsuccessful conspiracies, the adjustment for multiple offenses is 4, which would bring the total offense level to a level 36. 50 Toward the end of the sentencing hearing, Chief Judge Sifton added: 51 My law clerk is pointing out to me that the role adjustment requires a finding that the criminal activity involved five or more participants or was otherwise extensive, and I have absolutely no trouble in making that finding as well. 52 Though the findings were not as precise as they might have been, we have recognized that district courts have some latitude concerning supervisory role findings when the court makes a specific determination, even though somewhat conclusory, about the reasons for the finding. See, e.g., United States v. DeRiggi, 72 F.3d 7, 8-9 (2d Cir.1995) (highest-ranking taxi inspector defendant in corruption case was properly assessed four-level enhancement because of supervisory job position, [r]egardless of [defendant's] exact role in the conspiracy, based on District Court's conclusory assertion at sentencing); United States v. Duncan, 42 F.3d 97, 105-06 (2d Cir.1994) (business's top officer was properly assessed four-level enhancement because he knew of and implicitly approved corruption over which he had control, even though he may have been merely a passive participant). 53 The District Court's findings in this case satisfy the specific findings of fact requirement of U.S.S.G. § 3B1.1 because the Court made a specific determination as to the exact conspiracies in which Persico played a supervisory role.