Opinion ID: 763759
Heading Depth: 4
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Relevant Conduct with Respect to Drug Quantity

Text: 226 Burgos further argues (1) that the district court erred in determining his relevant conduct for sentencing purposes by using drug quantities distributed by Latin King members at Yale Street after he was incarcerated in November 1992; (2) that the court failed to consider whether such distribution efforts were reasonably foreseeable to him and within the scope of his agreement with the conspiracy, given the fact that Burgos' personal participation ceased after his incarceration; and (3) that the probation office failed to consider whether payments to Burgos and his family received after he was incarcerated were charitable contributions rather than his share of the drug proceeds. These arguments are without merit. 227 As a preliminary matter, the issue of whether Burgos' relevant conduct should include drug quantities distributed after his incarceration in November 1992 is moot because the quantity of crack cocaine attributable to him before his incarceration was clearly greater than 1.5 kilograms as required by the Guidelines. Further, in his PSR objection letter, Burgos did not challenge the time period of the drug quantity calculation, that is, from the fall of 1991 until the summer of 1993. In addition, the record clearly supported that Burgos continued to run the Yale Street drug block until the summer of 1993. In fact, Burgos' counsel conceded at sentencing that Cyr continued to work for Burgos in 1993. As to the court's alleged lack of reasonable foreseeability analysis, the court indicated during sentencing, based on the testimony of Cyr, that Burgos continued to run the drug block after his incarceration. Therefore, Burgos' direct involvement did not require such analysis. See United States v. Chalarca, 95 F.3d 239, 243 (2d Cir.1996) (noting that the quantity of drugs attributed to a defendant need not be foreseeable to him when he personally participates, in a direct way, in a jointly undertaken drug transaction.). Burgos' direct participation also supports that the PSR's conclusion that the payments he received after his incarceration were in fact drug proceeds rather than charitable contributions to his family. B. Calderon's Claims 228 Calderon appeals from his sentence following his guilty plea to participating in the Latin Kings' drug conspiracy and receiving a firearm while under indictment for a felony offense. With respect to his drug offense, the PSR determined that Calderon was responsible for distributing 80 grams of crack cocaine at the East Main Street drug block in Bridgeport, which was run by Roman. The PSR also found that Calderon's base offense level was 32 pursuant to U.S.S.G. § 2D1.1(c)(4), the level applicable to offenses involving between 50 and 150 grams of crack cocaine. The PSR accorded Calderon a three-level increase pursuant to U.S.S.G. § 3B1.1(b) because it determined that he was Roman's drug dealing lieutenant, that he had supervisory control over numerous street level dealers, supplied the block with drugs and collected drug proceeds. The PSR neglected to indicate the number of persons under Calderon's supervisory control. 229 Calderon argues that the district court erred in applying a base offense level of 32 to his drug conspiracy offense because it was allegedly based on an incorrect amount of crack cocaine attributed to him. He claims that although he received 80 grams of crack cocaine from a co-conspirator, he did not actually sell the entire amount and, therefore, he was responsible for less than 50 grams of crack cocaine, requiring a lower offense level. Calderon also contends that his enhancement for his supervisory role in the drug conspiracy was improper because he only held the position of secretary for the Bridgeport chapter of the Latin Kings, and thus, he did not supervise any persons. These arguments are without merit. 230 Since Calderon failed to object to the PSR's determinations or formally object to them at sentencing, he waived his claims. We therefore review for plain error and find none here. First, we find that the district court correctly attributed 80 grams of crack cocaine to Calderon. Under U.S.S.G. § 1B1.3(a)(1)(A), we have noted that a defendant who is a party to [a drug] conspiracy is accountable for the quantities of narcotics in which he had a direct, personal involvement. Chalarca, 95 F.3d at 243. Here, it is undisputed that Calderon had such an involvement. Moreover, although Calderon asserts that he did not actually sell the entire 80 grams of crack cocaine that he possessed, we find that he failed to offer any evidence to demonstrate this fact or to show that he should not be held responsible for the entire amount. In fact, Calderon agreed in his plea agreement that the drug conspiracy offense involved more that 50 grams of crack cocaine, an amount sufficient to apply a base offense level of 32. Second, although the PSR did not state the number of persons under his supervisory control, the evidence clearly supports that Calderon, as a lieutenant for Roman's drug operations, supervised at least five persons as needed under U.S.S.G. § 3B1.1(b) to warrant a three-level enhancement. C. Millet's Claims 231 Millet contends that the district court erred in sentencing him to life on the drug conspiracy count based on a finding that, as leader of the Latin Kings, he was responsible for all the drugs distributed by the gang and this amount was at least 1.5 kilograms of crack cocaine. Millet concedes that he entered into a conspiracy with Latin Kings J. Rodriguez and Vasquez to distribute drugs in Fair Haven, Connecticut, in September 1993, and that, as Vasquez testified at trial, there were 62 grams of crack cocaine involved in that conspiracy. However, Millet claims that there was insufficient evidence to establish that he was the leader of the Latin Kings' widespread drug conspiracy. Further, adopting Burgos' argument above (see VI.A.2), he argues that the court should have sentenced him based only on 62 grams of powder, rather than crack, cocaine because the identity of the substance was inadequately proven. These arguments are entirely without merit. 232 Since Millet did not raise the issue of the drug substance's identity below, we review for plain error and find none here. First, Millet and the district court made repeated references to crack cocaine during the sentencing proceedings. Second, his co-conspirators testified that crack cocaine was sold at the Fair Haven drug block. Indeed, this testimony is sufficient to prove by a preponderance of the evidence that the substance involved in the Latin Kings' drug conspiracy was crack, rather than powder, cocaine. See Miller, 116 F.3d at 684 (noting that [f]acts, for purposes of sentencing, need be established only by a preponderance of the evidence). 233 As to the court's finding Millet accountable for at least 1.5 kilograms of crack cocaine, we have noted that where a defendant was a member of a narcotics distribution conspiracy, all transactions entered into by him or by his coconspirators, if they were either known to him or reasonably foreseeable by him, may be attributed to him for purposes of calculating his sentence under the Guidelines. Id. Here, there is significant evidence of Millet's knowing involvement in the drug activities of the Connecticut Latin Kings, which involved amounts of crack cocaine far in excess of 1.5 kilograms. Contrary to Millet's claim, wiretapped conversations showed that he did act as the leader of the Latin Kings and that he was aware of almost every aspect of the gang's widespread drug conspiracy. For example, in these wiretapped conversations Millet: (1) discussed with Roman the need to establish a drug tax on Latin King dealers so drug proceeds could be used to pay for gang communications, meeting places, bond for incarcerated members and gun purchases; (2) participated and advised Roman on resolving conflicts between Latin King drug dealers; (3) encouraged Morales to establish a security squad to maintain harmony among the gang's drug dealers; (4) advocated that Latin King members and officers open new drug blocks; and (5) encouraged J. Rodriguez to discipline a suspected informant who threatened the gang's illegal activities. Considering Millet's involvement in almost all aspects of the drug conspiracy, the evidence demonstrates that Millet knew or reasonably should have known that his Latin Kings organization distributed at least 1.5 kilograms of crack cocaine. Accordingly, we conclude that the district court's life sentence on Millet's drug conspiracy offense based on 1.5 kilograms of crack cocaine was proper. D. Authority to Depart Downward 234 Morales was sentenced to three life terms and Zapata was sentenced to four life terms for their respective VICAR murders, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1959(a). They argue that these life terms should be remanded for resentencing because Judge Nevas failed to recognize that he had discretionary authority under the Guidelines to depart downward. Their claims are without merit. 235 Although a sentencing court's discretionary refusal to depart downward is generally not appealable, an exception exists when the court mistakenly concluded as a matter of law that it lacked the legal authority to depart. See United States v. Martin, 78 F.3d 808, 814 (2d Cir.1996). In determining whether a district judge merely declined to exercise his discretion to depart or refused to depart because of a mistaken belief that he lacked the ability to do so, [w]e apply a presumption that district judges understand the much-discussed processes by which they may, in circumstances permitted by law, exercise discretion to depart from the sentence range prescribed by the Guidelines calculus. United States v. Brown, 98 F.3d 690, 694 (2d Cir.1996) (per curiam) (citing United States v. Sweeney, 90 F.3d 55, 58 (2d Cir.1996)). This Court do[es] not require that district judges by robotic incantations state 'for the record' or otherwise that they are aware of this or that arguable authority to depart but that they have consciously elected not to exercise it. Id. 236 In Morales' case, although Judge Nevas stated that he had no discretion and that he must impose a sentence of life, the record clearly establishes that the district judge knew he had the authority to depart and was imposing a life sentence because Morales did not present sufficient grounds to justify a downward departure. See id. at 693 (When a sentencing judge asserts that he has no authority to depart ... we do not infer that he is saying that the Guidelines never permit departure ... but that the facts of the case at hand do not provide any basis for lawful departure.). During the sentencing hearing, after addressing Morales' objections to the PSR and finding that the applicable Guidelines range was life, Judge Nevas asked for a downward departure argument. Judge Nevas determined that Morales was arguing for a downward departure based on certain circumstances and that the only way that this court could come off the life sentence was [if] there were compelling circumstances and reasons why there should be a downward departure. In that regard, Judge Nevas found that there were no unique circumstances present that would justify a downward departure. Likewise, after hearing Zapata's downward departure argument, Judge Nevas stated that he was declining to depart because [t]here's absolutely no basis to do so. Accordingly, we conclude that Judge Nevas understood his authority to depart and therefore refuse to remand Morales' and Zapata's VICAR convictions for resentencing. E. Roman's Claims 237 Roman was convicted of conspiring to murder and murdering Robinson under a predicate act of racketeering of the RICO count, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1962(c), and under two VICAR counts, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1959(a). The substantive murder counts charged that Roman intentionally and knowingly murdered Robinson in violation of Conn. Gen.Stat. § 53a-54a. The Connecticut statute, the state's only degree of non-capital murder, provides in pertinent part that [a] person is guilty of murder when, with intent to cause the death of another person, he causes the death of such person or of a third person. Conn. Gen.Stat. § 53a-54a. 238 In order to calculate Roman's offense level for the murder of Robinson, felonious conduct that violated Connecticut law, Judge Nevas had to determine the most analogous federal offense, U.S.S.G. §§ 2E1.1 (RICO), Commentary, Application Note 2, 2E1.3 (VICAR), Commentary, Application Note 1, and select the most applicable sentencing guideline, U.S.S.G. § 1B1.2(a). Here, the district court found that federal first degree murder was the most analogous federal offense to state murder under Conn. Gen.Stat. § 53a-54a. Therefore, the district court applied the first degree murder guideline, U.S.S.G. § 2A1.1, to Roman's RICO and VICAR convictions for the Robinson murder. 239 Roman argues that because U.S.S.G. § 2A1.1 requires malice aforethought or premeditation, elements the government would not be required to prove under the state law offense to obtain a conviction, it was error for the district court to apply the first degree murder guideline to the Robinson murder convictions. Instead, he contends that the court should have applied the second degree murder guideline, U.S.S.G. § 2A1.2, which carries a lower offense level than the first degree guideline. We disagree. 240 In reviewing a sentence, we are required to accept a district court's factual findings unless they are clearly erroneous and shall give due deference to [the] court's application of the guidelines to the facts [of the case], 18 U.S.C. § 3742(e) (1994), rather than review them de novo, Miller, 116 F.3d at 677 (internal quotation marks omitted) (quoting United States v. Cefalu, 85 F.3d 964, 968 n. 6 (2d Cir.1996)). Here, we find there is no error, much less clear error, in the district court's conclusion that federal first degree murder was the most analogous federal offense, and thus, that U.S.S.G. § 2A1.1 provided the appropriate offense level. Indeed, we have reached a similar conclusion in United States v. Minicone, 960 F.2d 1099 (2d Cir.1992). 241 In Minicone, involving New York law, the defendant argued, as Roman does here, that it was error to conclude that the most analogous federal offense was federal first degree murder because state law would have categorized the murder at issue only as second degree murder. This Court rejected that claim by comparing the language of New York's second degree murder statute, which is nearly identical to the Connecticut statute at issue here, 16 with 18 U.S.C. § 1111 (1988), which defines murder in the first degree as willful, deliberate, malicious, and premeditated killing. The Court held that the district court did not err in finding that the most analogous federal offense was first degree murder under § 1111. Minicone, 960 F.2d at 1110. Thus, contrary to Roman's claim, the absence of reference to premeditation or malice aforethought in § 53a-54a does not mean that federal first degree murder is not the most analogous federal offense. Clearly, § 1111's definition of federal first degree murder is similar to that of § 53a-54a and, therefore, we find no basis to disturb the district court's application of U.S.S.G. § 2A1.1. F. Vidro's Claims 242 1. Offense-Role Enhancement under U.S.S.G. § 3B1.1(a) 243 Vidro argues that she should not have received a four-level enhancement under U.S.S.G. § 3B1.1(a) for her leadership role in the Council murder because there was no evidence that she controlled the Latin Kings who were involved in the murder. Since Vidro failed to preserve this issue for appeal because she did not raise it below, we review for plain error. Here, we find no error because the evidence clearly showed that Vidro was an organizer or leader in connection with this murder and that the criminal activity involved at least five participants under her supervisory control. See U.S.S.G. § 3B1.1(a). 244 2. Applicable Sentencing Guideline for Vidro's Murders 245 Vidro asserts that the district court erroneously applied the first degree murder guideline, U.S.S.G. § 2A1.1, to her convictions for the Council murder and the triple homicide of Valedon, Calo and Villafane. In particular, Vidro argues that the evidence does not show she willfully, deliberately, maliciously, and with premeditation, killed these persons as required under the federal definition of first degree murder. She therefore contends that the court should have departed downward and applied the second degree murder guideline, U.S.S.G. § 2A1.2, to her murders. Vidro also claims that she should not have been held accountable for murders committed by other Latin Kings because such murders were not reasonably foreseeable by her. Further, Vidro argues that even if they were reasonably foreseeable, such acts were not in furtherance of criminal activity as required by U.S.S.G. § 1B1.3(a)(1)(B) and United States v. Martinez, 16 F.3d 202 (7th Cir.1994), a case involving the felony-murder doctrine. Instead, she asserts that her liability for felony murder should be confined to deaths that occurred during the course of the underlying felony. These contentions are entirely without merit. 246 We review this sentence for clear error and find none here. First, as noted above, Vidro was responsible for the Council murder and the triple homicide under the Pinkerton doctrine, in violation of Conn. Gen.Stat. §§ 53a-8, 53a-54a. Because her underlying conduct--that is, the four murders--violated state laws that are most analogous to federal first degree murder, we find that the district court correctly applied the first degree murder guideline to her murders. See U.S.S.G. §§ 2E1.1 (RICO), Commentary, Application Note 2, 2E1.3 (VICAR), Commentary, Application Note 1. 247 Second, Vidro's reliance on Martinez is misplaced. The example provided in Martinez, which supports the proposition of confining felony murder liability to deaths that occur during the course of a felony, states that [i]f your confederate, with whom you had agreed to rob one store, robs a second store and someone dies in the course of that robbery, you are not guilty of felony murder even if the second robbery was foreseeable. Martinez, 16 F.3d at 208. Vidro's case is factually distinguishable. As noted above, Vidro conspired with Flynn and other Latin King members to kill Reyes, and during the course of that felonious plan, Council was murdered by Flynn. Thus, Vidro is liable for the Council murder because it was done by confederate Flynn in the course of, and in furtherance of, the conspiracy to kill Reyes. Further, when Vidro ordered the murder of Reyes and confederates Zapata and Burgos supplied Flynn and other Latin King soldiers with guns to shoot up a street in New Haven and kill Reyes, it was certainly foreseeable to Vidro that someone other than Reyes would be murdered. Likewise, Vidro is liable because the murders of Calo and Villafane because the record clearly demonstrates that when Vidro ordered confederates Zapata and Hernandez to kill Valedon, it was reasonably foreseeable that in the course of, and in furtherance of, the conspiracy to murder Valedon, others beside Valedon might be killed. 248 3. Challenge to the Drug Quantity Calculation 249 Vidro was charged with participating in the Latin Kings' drug conspiracy. The PSR determined that she was responsible for distributing 5 kilograms of cocaine from her Clay Street residence in New Haven from December 1991 to April 1992 and 10 kilograms of pink cocaine from her Pine Street residence in New Haven from May 1992 until her arrest in October 1992. Co-conspirators' testimony confirmed that Vidro distributed cocaine from these two residences and drug seizures from her residences supported such testimony. A search of her Clay Street residence resulted in the seizure of drugs from a co-conspirator at the premises and in the discovery of one ounce of cocaine within her house. The district court found that Vidro was accountable for 15 kilograms of cocaine and thereby sentenced her to life on the drug conspiracy charge. 250 Vidro argues that there was insufficient evidence for the district court to hold her accountable for 15 kilograms of cocaine. Specifically, Vidro asserts, without agreeing she possessed or distributed cocaine, that she should be held accountable for at most the one ounce of cocaine found at her Clay Street residence. Vidro further contends that the drug quantity calculation should not include amounts distributed by her co-conspirators either before she joined or after she left the conspiracy. These arguments are frivolous. 251 First, co-conspirators testified that the amounts distributed by Vidro far exceeded the drug quantity seized from her Clay Street residence and that such amounts were well over 15 kilograms. Second, Vidro's PSR makes clear that the amount attributable to her was limited to the cocaine distributed at the Clay and Pine Street operations during the time she directed them. Accordingly, we find that there was sufficient evidence that Vidro was responsible for 15 kilograms of cocaine, and therefore, the district court correctly sentenced her to life on the drug conspiracy count. G. Zapata's Claims 252 Zapata argues that his life sentence on the drug conspiracy count should be vacated and remanded for resentencing because the district court did not state its reasons for imposing such sentence as required by 18 U.S.C. § 3553(c)(1). This argument lacks merit. 253 When the Guidelines range exceeds 24 months, § 3553(c)(1) requires the district court to state its reason for imposing a sentence at a particular point within the range. Because Zapata's Guidelines range for a base offense level of 43 mandated life imprisonment, there was no applicable range and therefore § 3553(c)(1) does not apply. Further, the court explained in detail its reasons for its life sentence on the drug conspiracy count. Accordingly, we find the court's sentencing of Zapata to life on the drug conspiracy count was proper.