Opinion ID: 22771
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: The Organizer/Leader Enhancement

Text: 21 This court reviews a district court's finding that a defendant is an organizer or leader for clear error. See United States v. Ronning, 47 F.3d 710, 711 (5th Cir. 1995); United States v. Liu, 960 F.2d 449, 456 (5th Cir. 1992). As long as the sentencing court's finding on a sentencing factor is plausible in light of the record read as a whole, a factual finding is not clearly erroneous. See United States v. Valencia, 44 F.3d 269, 272 (5th Cir. 1995). Absent some evidence of clear error, this court must affirm the district court's finding, even [if] the district court failed to specifically articulate a factual basis for its determination. Valencia, 44 F.3d at 273. 22 The district court concluded that Dadi was an organizer or leader, and therefore added four levels to his base offense level. Under the Sentencing Guidelines, a court may increase a defendant's conspiracy offense level by four levels [i]f the defendant was an organizer or leader of a criminal activity that involved five or more participants or was otherwise extensive. U.S.S.G. § 3B1.1(a). 23 Dadi argues that this enhancement is inapplicable because there was no proof that he controlled or influenced anyone involved in the offense. 5 The PSR recommended the enhancement based, Dadi contends, simply on the fact that Dadi suggested to the others that they commit the offense---a fact that is not sufficient to establish that he exercised control or influence over the others. Even if he was a major participant in the offense, he argues, this is still not enough to justify the enhancement absent some showing of control or influence. See United States v. Castellone, 985 F.2d 21, 26 (1st Cir. 1993); United States v. Sostre, 967 F.2d 728, 733 (1st Cir. 1992); United States v. Litchfield, 959 F.2d 1514, 1522-23 (10th Cir. 1992). We find, however, that the conclusion that Dadi is an organizer or leader is plausible in light of the record. 24 Dadi also contends that the offense did not involve five or more participants---another factor required to justify the enhancement. Dadi cites United States v. Maloof, 205 F.3d 819, 830 (5th Cir. 2000), for the proposition that failure to find that each of the people identified was criminally responsible requires reversal of the application of the enhancement. However, Maloof also makes clear that the additional participants need not have been convicted of the offense. See id. Dadi offers nothing to refute the PSR finding that he was an organizer, and that Mackvandian, Yvette Reyes, and Yvonne Reyes, Homa Dadi, Naser Khayambashi and Mike Maharaj were involved in the scheme. While the evidence on the involvement of the latter three is weaker than the evidence of the involvement of Mackvandian and the Reyes sisters, that---without more---is insufficient to support a finding of clear error. 6 25 Dadi further argues that he could not have been an organizer or leader because he did not receive a larger share of the profits than the other codefendants. Dadi bases this conclusion on the fact that the total loss was found to be $807,100, and Dadi received only $102,500. That Dadi received only $102,500 does little for his argument that he was not an organizer or leader, and he does not advance any argument that another scheme participant received a greater share of the profits. 26 Given Dadi's weak attacks on the district court finding that he was an organizer or leader, and the wealth of evidence from which such a finding could be inferred, we see no reason to disturb this sentence. It is entirely plausible that---based on the evidence viewed as a whole--a court could conclude that Dadi was an organizer or leader. 27