Opinion ID: 711056
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Was Mr. Knapp Properly Sentenced?

Text: 154 Mr. Knapp argues that his sentence exceeds the statutory maximum. He is incorrect. His arguments to the contrary are wholly frivolous. See U.S.S.G. Sec. 5G1.2(d) (June 1988); United States v. Brady, 928 F.2d 844, 849-50 (9th Cir.1991). J. Denial of an Evidentiary Hearing 155 Mr. Sarno has failed to demonstrate that the district court abused its discretion in rejecting the request for an evidentiary hearing. A district court may permissibly deny a hearing where a defendant is allowed to rebut the recommendations and allegations of the presentence report either orally or through the submission of written affidavits or briefs. United States v. Baker, 894 F.2d 1083, 1084-85 (9th Cir.1990). In this case, Defendants Sarno and Knapp both submitted written briefs and were allowed to make a final oral presentation to the court. Mr. Sarno's contention is therefore fatally flawed. 156 K. Denial of an Evidentiary Hearing on Matters Relating to Restitution 157 Mr. Sarno complains that the amount of restitution was fixed without benefit of an evidentiary hearing. His argument lacks any credible foundation in law. There is no right to an evidentiary hearing so long as the facts that prove dispositive at sentencing find support in the record. United States v. Kimball, 975 F.2d 563, 568 (9th Cir.1992), cert. denied, 507 U.S. 918, 113 S.Ct. 1276, 122 L.Ed.2d 671 (1993). 158 L. Calculation of Mr. Nash's Criminal History 159 Mr. Nash claims that his two convictions are related and that his sentence should be adjusted to reflect this linkage. He offers absolutely no substantiation for this claim. Although both crimes utilized his knowledge of accounting, the subject matter of the two acts was unconnected and his earlier criminal activities predated this scheme by several months. His argument therefore lacks any basis in fact and is properly rejected. 160 His contention that convictions currently on appeal should not factor into the calculation of criminal history was explicitly rejected by this court in United States v. Mackbee, 894 F.2d 1057, 1058 (9th Cir.), cert. denied, 495 U.S. 962, 110 S.Ct. 2574, 109 L.Ed.2d 755 (1990). M. Restitution by Mr. Nash 161 Mr. Nash appeals the restitution order issued by the district court. We review orders of restitution for an abuse of discretion and the factual findings underpinning such orders for clear error. See United States v. Smith, 944 F.2d 618, 623 (9th Cir.1991), cert. denied, 503 U.S. 951, 112 S.Ct. 1515, 117 L.Ed.2d 651 (1992). The district court did not here abuse that discretion. Mr. Nash's protestations to the contrary, the present insolvency of a defendant does not bar restitution where the district court finds that a defendant will have a future ability to make restitution. Id. at 623. The district court expressly found that Mr. Nash's business acumen and education were such as to justify the restitution imposed irrespective of future licensing difficulties. See Gov't Nash Appendix Vol. I, at 104. Mr. Nash points to no evidence that would lead us to conclude that this finding of fact is clearly erroneous. The restitution order therefore lies within the district court's discretion.