Opinion ID: 2786028
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Drug-Quantity Enhancement

Text: Sewell also challenges the district court’s imposition of a drug-quantity enhancement, which resulted in a base offense level of 34 for Count 2 under U.S.S.G. § 2D1.1(c)(3). To apply a base offense level of 34 under that section, a district court must find that a defendant possessed at least 15 kilograms but less than 50 kilograms of cocaine. Id. Here, the district court found that Sewell possessed between 30 and 40 kilograms of cocaine. Despite Sewell’s arguments to the contrary, the district court’s finding is not clearly erroneous. Determining how much of a particular drug a defendant possessed, over a lengthy period of time, is not an exact sci18 No. 14-1384 ence. This fact is reflected in the Drug Quantity Table, which provides ranges, rather than precise weights, to determine proper base offense levels. U.S. Sentencing Guidelines Manual § 2D1.1(c) (2013). It is also reflected in our precedent. For example, a district court is allowed to make reasonable estimates of drug quantity based on the record before it. United States v. Acosta, 534 F.3d 574, 582 (7th Cir. 2008). Estimates are reasonable if they are grounded in “evidence possessing … sufficient indicia of reliability and not nebulous eyeballing.” United States v. Durham, 211 F.3d 437, 444 (7th Cir. 2000) (internal quotation marks and citation omitted). Notably, witness testimony falls within that category of evidence. United States v. Clark, 538 F.3d 803, 812–13 (7th Cir. 2008) (affirming district court’s determination of drug quantity where the court relied on witness testimony). Here, Detective Martinez testified that, during the course of his pre-trial interview with Castaneda, Castaneda admitted to supplying Sewell with approximately 30 to 40 kilograms of cocaine from 2008 to 2011. The district court credited this testimony. Indeed, the district court’s finding that Sewell possessed 30 to 40 kilograms of cocaine flows directly from it. It may be an estimate, but given this record, it is a reasonable one. We find no reason to disturb it on appeal. See Clark, 538 F.3d at 813 (“[A] sentencing court may credit testimony that is totally uncorroborated and comes from an admitted liar, convicted felon, or large scale drug-dealing, paid government informant.”) (internal quotation marks and citation omitted). Further, that the testimony came in hearsay form gives us no pause. District courts may rely on hearsay testimony in formulating an appropriate sentence, “provided that the information has sufficient indicia of reliability No. 14-1384 19 to support its probable accuracy.” Id. at 813–814 (quoting U.S.S.G. § 6A1.3(a)). Regarding the reasonableness of the district court’s estimate, we note that Sewell and Castaneda met more than fifty times to exchange drugs and money. We also note that the search of Sawmill Woods Court revealed drug-dealing materials consistent with substantial quantities of cocaine: cutting agents lidocaine and inositol; a drug ledger containing the words “cut coke”; two scales; plastic wrap with cocaine residue; and $19,900 in cash in the dishwasher, among other items. These facts lend “sufficient indicia of reliability” to the district court’s finding that Sewell possessed 30 to 40 kilograms of cocaine. Durham, 211 F.3d at 444. Sewell disagrees. He highlights other portions of Castenada’s interview with Detective Martinez, and argues for a base offense level of 32, resulting from a drug quantity of at least 5 kilograms but less than 15 kilograms of cocaine. Sewell’s math is relatively straightforward: Castaneda told Detective Martinez that he went to Sewell’s residence 4 times to deliver cocaine, and that Sewell went to Castaneda’s residence 4 times to pick up cocaine, for a total of 8 transactions. Castaneda also told Detective Martinez that their largest single transaction was 3 kilograms. Sewell argues that even if each of these transactions involved 3 kilograms (the largest amount), the total amount could not equal the district court’s finding of 30 to 40 kilograms. We reject this argument. In doing so, we emphasize that a district court’s estimate on drug quantity, especially in a case like this one (where numerous drug transactions occurred over a lengthy period of time), need only be reasonable—not absolutely precise. Based on this record, the district court 20 No. 14-1384 made a reasonable estimate. In fact, the conservative end of its estimate—30 kilograms—is twice the amount needed to qualify for a base offense level of 34. And even if Sewell’s math adds up, he discounts the other reasonable and possible equations—based on his preferred numbers—that still bring him over the threshold of 15 kilograms. In sum, the experienced district court judge did not clear- ly err in determining that Sewell’s criminal activity involved at least 15 kilograms but less than 50 kilograms of cocaine.