Opinion ID: 699083
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Management of an Extremely Large Number of People

Text: 15 Whittenburg also contends that there was no basis in the record to support the conclusion that Whittenburg managed the individuals identified by the district court. At resentencing, the district court found that the upward departure was warranted on the ground that the quantity of cocaine exceeded two thousand kilograms and because Whittenburg managed at least eleven people. See U.S.S.G. Sec. 2D1.5, comment (n. 2) (Oct. 1988) (If as part of the enterprise ... the quantity of drugs substantially exceeds that required for level 36 in the drug quantity table or the number of persons managed by the defendant is extremely large, an upward departure may be warranted.). The district court found that: 16 ... Mr. Patrick Friel, Mr. George Conrad, Mr. Leon Buck Ennis, Mr. John Wynn, Mr. Doyle Nave, Mr. Errol Roberson, Mr. Mike Edmondson, Dan Mensinger, Robert Werly, Claudia Rae, and to a lesser extent Mrs. Whittenburg, all comprise individuals that were subject to the supervision, the leadership of, the administration by Mr. Whittenburg during the course of the continuing criminal enterprise. 17 We review the district court's factual findings which form the basis for upward departure for clear error. Lira-Barraza, 941 F.2d at 746-47. 18 In the context of a CCE offense, the terms organizer, supervisor and manager are to be given their ordinary meaning within the business community and among the general public. See United States v. Delgado, 4 F.3d 780, 785 (9th Cir. 1993). Managerial responsibility does not necessarily connote control over those organized. See United States v. Ray, 731 F.2d 1361, 1367 (9th Cir. 1984). A CCE defendant may be an organizer, supervisor or manager without being the single head of the enterprise; rather, a defendant may be convicted under 21 U.S.C. Sec. 848 even though he was also managed by others. See United States v. Baker, 10 F.3d 1374, 1409 (9th Cir. 1993), cert. denied, 115 S. Ct. 330 (1994) (if one meets all the statutory requirements of Section 848, he or she may be convicted of the CCE offense even though he or she was also managed by others). The record supports the district court's finding that Whittenburg exercised managerial control over each of these individuals. Patrick Friel 19 Whittenburg utilized Friel's business, Valley Plastering Company, as a front to lease airplane hangars at Chino Airport and McCarran Airport to conceal the planes Whittenburg utilized in the smuggling operations. In exchange, Whittenburg loaned Friel a total of $450,000 in cash to help Valley Plastering pay its expenses. Friel repayed Whittenburg by signing Valley Plastering paychecks for Whittenburg's son even though he did not work for the company. Friel also laundered Whittenburg's drug money by arranging for sums of cash to be exchanged for cashier's checks and/or business checks. George Conrad 20 In late August or early September 1987, Whittenburg hired and paid Conrad to help unload 1,100 kilograms of cocaine from the plane that Whittenburg landed at McCarran Airport. The same year, Conrad agreed to arrange for a nominee purchaser for Whittenburg's smuggling aircraft after Whittenburg came under law enforcement scrutiny. Conrad also laundered money for Whittenburg at Whittenburg's instruction by receiving a sum of cash and exchanging it for a legitimate check or a cashier's check. Finally, Conrad complied with Whittenburg's request to arrange for storage to conceal Whittenburg's classic vehicles in May of 1987 when the United States Customs Department was inquiring about Whittenburg's assets. Leon Buck Ennis 21 At Whittenburg's instruction, Ennis laundered Whittenburg's drug proceeds into Nashville Nevada, a nightclub. John Wynn 22 Whittenburg hired Wynn to serve as his right-hand ground crewman for the smuggling into Chino Airport in March of 1988. Wynn accompanied Whittenburg and Mike Edmondson to a hanger at the Chino Airport, where they filled the smuggling airplane with gas and removed the seats in preparation for Whittenburg's trip to Mexico. As Whittenburg returned, Wynn and Edmondson waited outside the hanger at Chino Airport with portable radios and instructions to call Whittenburg if they observed any suspicious activity. When Whittenburg landed, Wynn and Edmondson unloaded cocaine from the plane into a waiting van. During this Chino Airport operation, Wynn stayed in a hotel room which was obtained by Whittenburg. Wynn also assisted Whittenburg at various times by taking bundles of smaller denominations of bills directly from him and converting them into larger bills. Doyle Nave 23 In late August or early September 1987, Whittenburg hired and paid Doyle Nave to help unload 1,100 kilograms of cocaine from the plane that Whittenburg landed at McCarran Airport. Errol Roberson 24 In late August or early September of 1987, Whittenburg hired and paid Errol Roberson to fly a counter-surveillance cover for him while he smuggled 1,100 kilograms of cocaine into McCarran Airport. Whittenburg instructed Roberson to insure that he wasn't being trailed by law enforcement. Mike Edmondson 25 In preparation for the Cinco de Mayo smuggling venture, Whittenburg instructed pilot Edmondson to fly across the border either through Los Angeles or over Palm Springs. Later, when the plane crashed, Whittenburg arranged for Edmondson's return from Mexico to the United States. 26 Edmondson also participated in the Chino Airport smuggling venture organized by Whittenburg in late March 1988. Edmondson accompanied Whittenburg and John Wynn to a hanger at the Chino Airport, where they filled the airplane with gas and removed the seats. The next morning, Edmondson flew with Whittenburg to Midland, Texas. While Whittenburg proceeded to Mexico to obtain drugs, Edmondson took a commercial flight to the Ontario Airport and was met by Wynn. Edmondson and Wynn then proceeded to the Chino Airport, where they waited outside the hanger for Whittenburg with portable radios and instructions to call Whittenburg if they observed any suspicious activity. When Whittenburg landed, Edmondson and Wynn unloaded cocaine from the plane into a van. During this Chino Airport operation, Edmondson stayed in a hotel room which was obtained by Whittenburg. 27 Edmondson also participated in money laundering for Whittenburg by receiving checks from Whittenburg and attempting to deposit the checks in Edmondson's account. Dan Mensinger 28 In preparation for the Cinco de Mayo smuggling venture, Mensinger was instructed to take a commercial flight to Las Vegas and meet Whittenburg, who would supply extra aviation fuel. Once in Las Vegas, Whittenburg directed Mensinger to a truck containing the drums of aviation fuel, which Mensinger took from Las Vegas to Southern California. Robert Werly 29 Whittenburg employed Werly to provide security to prevent strangers from interfering with his drug importation activities at the hanger he leased at the Sky Harbor Airport. Whittenburg supplied Werly with a radio so that Werly could contact Whittenburg in the event of suspicious activity. Whittenburg also paid Werly five thousand dollars in cash for his security work from May 6-27, 1987. Claudia Rae a.k.a. Calamity Jane 30 Claudia Rae stored cocaine at her Thelma Street house for Whittenburg. In addition, at Whittenburg's request, Claudia Rae obtained the address of her friend, Frank Gwartney, in Anchorage, Alaska, so that Whittenburg could maintain his aircraft used for drug smuggling in a name and location which could not be traced to Whittenburg. Claudia Rae also laundered Whittenburg's drug money into the St. Thomas resort and Nashville Nevada, a nightclub owned by Calamity Jane. Martha Whittenburg 31 Martha Whittenburg laundered Whittenburg's drug money by investing it in an entity named Golden Valley Travel and in the fishing vessel Hale Koa. She also arranged for the use of a nominee bank account through her friend, Jackie Sue Greene, so that she and her husband could safely receive wire transfers without attracting the attention of the Internal Revenue Service. 32 Because the record contains sufficient evidence to support the district court's finding that Whittenburg managed at least eleven people, the district court did not err in concluding that an upward departure was warranted. 33