Opinion ID: 169650
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: backgr ou n d

Text: Rollen, along with several other indicted individuals, was involved in a drug trafficking conspiracy in Colorado beginning in January 2003 and ending in December 2004. Rollen entered a guilty plea to one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute five kilograms or more of a mixture or substance containing a detectable amount of cocaine or fifty grams or more of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of cocaine base, in violation of 21 U.S.C. §§ 846, 841(a)(1), 841(b)(1)(A); three counts of possession with intent to distribute a substance containing a detectable amount of cocaine base, in violation of 21 U.S.C. § 841(a)(1), (b)(1)(C); seven counts of distribution and intent to distribute five grams or more of cocaine base, in -2- violation of 21 U.S.C. § 841(a)(1), (b)(1)(B)(iii); and seven counts of using a communication facility to facilitate the conspiracy, in violation of 21 U.S.C. § 843(b). Rollen also pleaded guilty under the criminal forfeiture statute applicable to drug crimes. See 21 U.S.C. § 853. Rollen admitted he purchased drugs, cooked powder cocaine into crack cocaine, sold drugs to other individuals, and knew that the others resold the drugs he provided. In exchange for Rollen’s plea, the government agreed to recommend a 216-month prison sentence. At Rollen’s change of plea hearing, the government alleged that, based on its wiretap surveillance and other investigation, Rollen was “near the top” of a hierarchical conspiracy. The government stated its evidence would have show n that over a period of almost two years, Rollen purchased powder cocaine from several individuals, particularly co-defendant Richard Powell, went to the home of two co-defendants, Perry Syrie and Derrick W iley, to cook the powder cocaine into crack cocaine, and distributed crack cocaine to Syrie and Wiley for redistribution to other sellers. The government stated the wiretap evidence collected in the fall of 2004 demonstrated Rollen visited Syrie’s house two or three times per week and distributed two to three ounces of crack cocaine to Syrie and W iley on each occasion. The government also indicated that early in the conspiracy period, during 2003, when Syrie and Wiley lived at a different residence, Rollen cooked between four-and-a-half and nine ounces of powder cocaine at their apartment two to three times per week. Syrie and W iley would -3- then sell the crack cocaine on Colfax Avenue in Denver either to end-users or other redistributors. Rollen was usually paid little or nothing when he provided the crack to Syrie and Wiley but expected payment after the drugs had been resold. In response to the government’s evidence, Rollen asserted the government “had a lot of things right on the nose.” He did, however, contend the government was mistaken in assuming that every wiretapped conversation between himself and Syrie and Wiley involved a discussion about repayment for crack cocaine, since he also sold marijuana. He also indicated that not every trip to the home of Syrie and Wiley involved cooking crack cocaine because problems with the cocaine powder sometimes prevented the manufacture of crack. The PSR relied on the government’s sentencing statement when assessing Rollen’s offense conduct. Prepared after the conclusion of co-defendant Powell’s trial at which Syrie and others involved in the conspiracy testified, the PSR indicated Syrie “reported and testified” he received a minimum of three to five ounces of crack cocaine from Rollen each week between August 2003 and November 2003. The PSR also stated that, between December 2003 and M arch 2004, Rollen supplied two to four ounces of crack cocaine per week to Syrie and W iley and that several controlled buys of crack cocaine originating with Rollen were made in M arch, April, and August 2004. Additionally, according to the PSR , from April 2004 to December 2004, Syrie purchased two to four ounces of -4- crack cocaine from Rollen 1 ; another co-defendant, Akinlabi Coleman, testified he purchased four ounces of crack cocaine three times per week from Rollen between July 2004 and November 2004; W iley was supplied with one or two ounces of crack cocaine by Rollen during this same period in 2004. Based on this information, the PSR concluded ten kilograms or more of cocaine base were involved in Rollen’s offenses and, therefore, Rollen’s base offense level was calculated as thirty-eight. The PSR recommended a three-point departure for acceptance of responsibility, resulting in a total offense level of thirty-five. Combined with his criminal history of Category IV, Rollen’s sentencing range under the advisory Sentencing Guidelines was 235 to 293 months’ imprisonment. The probation officer recommended the court impose a 250-month concurrent prison term, as well as a sixty-month term of supervised release. Rollen objected to the drug quantity calculation contained in the PSR. Although he did not take issue with any of the very specific statements in the PSR , he asserted his conduct involved less than five kilograms of powder cocaine and, as a result, pursuant to U.S.S.G. § 2D1.1, his base offense level should have been thirty. 1 It is unclear from the PSR whether Syrie purchased two to four ounces of crack each time Rollen visited his home during this period or whether he purchased two to four ounces of crack total. Given the government’s statements at the change of plea hearing, the district court construed the amounts Syrie purchased from Rollen to be per-visit am ounts. Rollen does not contest this assumption. -5- At the sentencing hearing, the court rejected Rollen’s challenge. It stated that, at the change of plea hearing, Rollen had not objected to the government’s contention that he met with Syrie and other individuals two to three times per week in the fall of 2004 and cooked two to three ounces of crack cocaine on each occasion. Accordingly, the court stated, Taking the most conservative figures in this limited time range, this would be at least 1 kilogram of cocaine during this period alone. The Government also represented that during 2003, the quantities cooked on each occasion were higher, 4.5 ounces on each occasion. 2 Given the number of weeks in the year and the frequency of the defendant’s visits to M r. Syrie, the Court concludes that in excess of 11 kilograms of crack was involved in 2003. Notwithstanding its eleven-kilogram estimate, however, the district court observed that “1.5 kilos of crack cocaine suffices to place the defendant at Base Offense Level 38. Therefore . . . there can be no question that the defendant has under oath admitted conduct placing him well w ithin this level.” Rollen himself then addressed the court. He admitted he did not know how much crack cocaine he sold, but urged the court that, despite the government’s 2 At the change of plea hearing, the government represented the 4.5 to 9 ounce figure as “powder cocaine.” In the court’s recitation of the government’s evidence, however, the court seems to treat the 4.5 ounce quantity as crack cocaine. Because Rollen did not object to or even take note of this discrepancy either in the court below or on appeal, this court assumes the government simply misspoke at the change of plea hearing and that it intended to say Rollen cooked and distributed 4.5 to 9 ounces of crack cocaine two to three times per w eek in 2003. -6- characterization, he was not a “major kingpin.” In particular, he stated he did not cook crack cocaine or give drugs to Syrie, a friend of twenty years, every time he went to Syrie’s house. The court responded it had heard testimony from Syrie at trial on the matter and reiterated it found Rollen responsible for at least eleven kilograms of cocaine base. The court ultimately sentenced Rollen to a withinGuidelines sentence of 264 months’ imprisonment. As part of its consideration of the factors set out at 18 U.S.C. § 3553(a), the court commented that Rollen w as a “central figure” in the case and not particularly remorseful for his conduct. The court also ordered Rollen to serve a five-year term of supervised release upon completion of his prison term and required him to pay a special assessment of $1800.