Opinion ID: 723861
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 6

Heading: two-point enhancement for role as an organizer

Text: 35 Melvin contends that the district court improperly increased his base offense level by two points as an organizer, leader, manager, or supervisor of the conspiracy pursuant to the United States Sentencing Guidelines § 3B1.1(c). Melvin received a two-point upward enhancement to his base offense level because the district court found that Melvin supervised his girlfriend and several men hired from a local shelter in the production of a mailing for one of the charged schemes. 36 Melvin argues that while the men from the shelter and his ex-girlfriend did assist in a mailing for the Lauren Taylor scheme, they were not participants within the meaning of section 3B1.1. 5 Melvin relies on United States v. Anderson, 942 F.2d 606, 615 (9th Cir.1991) (en banc), to argue that an enhancement under section 3B1.1(c) is inappropriate absent a finding that the people supervised by the defendant were themselves criminally responsible. Anderson is distinguishable, however, in that the parties in that case had stipulated that the getaway driver was not criminally responsible. 942 F.2d at 607. 37 Melvin, on the other hand, supervised his former girlfriend, Tanya Carter, as she in turn organized the dipping of Christmas cards into coffee, in order to make them look genuine. Carter was aware that the scheme was fictitious. She knew that the names and signatures on the ads were fraudulent. She testified that she opened a bank account in her own name into which Melvin deposited the profits of the George Davis scheme. Because Carter was criminally responsible, Melvin's enhancement for supervising her was appropriate. See Application Note 2 to the Commentary of § 3B1.1 (to qualify for the enhancement, supervision of one other participant is sufficient).