Opinion ID: 691979
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: adjustment for bribing elected official

Text: 75 Box argues that the district court in assessing an eight-level adjustment pursuant to Sec. 2C1.1(b)(2)(B), which provides that [i]f the offense involved a payment for the purpose of influencing an elected official or any official holding a high level decision-making or sensitive position, increase by 8 levels. The commentary to that guideline explains that an such an official includes, for example, prosecuting attorneys, judges, agency administrators, supervisory law enforcement officers, and other governmental officials with similar levels of responsibility. Section 2C1.1, comment. (n. 1). 76 Box argues that because Sheriff Burch, the elected official, was acquitted of the substantive counts of extortion involving the roadside park arrests, there was no official. Notwithstanding the acquittal of Burch for the substantive counts, we find that Chief Deputy Yarbrough was a supervisory law enforcement officer within the meaning of the commentary to Sec. 2C1.1. This claim is without merit.