Opinion ID: 170966
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 6

Heading: Use of Juveniles

Text: USSG § 3B1.4 provides, If the defendant used or attempted to use a person less than eighteen years of age to commit the offense or assist in avoiding detection of, or apprehension for, the offense, increase by 2 levels. The commentary to § 3B1.4 defines used or attempted to use to include directing, commanding, encouraging, intimidating, counseling, training, procuring, recruiting, or soliciting, see id., cmt. n. 1. Ms. Tyler challenges the district court's finding that she had enlisted the help of two juveniles Martinez and Cortezin the murder conspiracy, contending that (1) the court erred in applying this enhancement because there was no evidence regarding their ages; and (2) even though Martinez and Cortez had assisted in transporting to Lawrence the stolen car used by Crayton when shooting at Atkins several days later, the enhancement does not apply because transporting the vehicle was not part of the offense. On the first point, contrary to the assertion in her appellate brief, Ms. Tyler did not object in district court to the PSR's statements regarding the ages of Martinez and Cortez. The court therefore could properly deem the ages to be admitted. See United States v. Tindall, 519 F.3d 1057, 1061-62 (10th Cir.2008). As for the juveniles' role in the conspiracy, Martinez and Cortez were needed because Crayton refused to drive the stolen car from Ms. Tyler's house in Kansas City, Kansas, to Lawrence, where Atkins was to be killed. In United States v. Tran, 285 F.3d 934, 937-38 (10th Cir.2002), we held that the defendants had used a juvenile to commit bank fraud when they had employed a 16-year-old driver to transport them from the airport to local banks, where the defendants cashed counterfeit checks. Here, two juveniles, at Ms. Tyler's request, facilitated the offense by transporting the stolen vehicle to a more convenient location for use in the murder plan. The district court properly applied § 3B1.4.