Opinion ID: 499444
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 6

Heading: Merger of lesser included offense into continuing criminal enterprise conviction.

Text: 61 Ernesto J. Benevento contends, and the government agrees, that the district court erred in sentencing him to concurrent terms of imprisonment on both count one, the narcotics conspiracy count, and count six, the continuing criminal enterprise count. The parties agree that the narcotics conspiracy charge is a lesser included offense of a continuing criminal enterprise violation, and it is clear that a conviction on a lesser included offense may not stand as a separate conviction. United States v. Osorio Estrada, 751 F.2d 128, 134 (2d Cir.1984), modified on reh'g on other grounds, 757 F.2d 27, cert. denied, 474 U.S. 830, 106 S.Ct. 97, 88 L.Ed.2d 79 (1985). 62 When an individual is sentenced on both a lesser and greater offense, the conviction on the lesser charge is combined with the conviction on the greater offense, although it is not merged out of existence. Id. at 135. Nevertheless, the conviction on the lesser offense may not have any collateral effect, unless the conviction on the greater charge is subsequently overturned. See United States v. Aiello, 771 F.2d 621, 634-35 (2d Cir.1985). We therefore vacate Ernesto J. Benevento's sentence on count one, and we remand for the purpose of combining the conviction on the lesser offense with that on the greater offense and for resentencing.CONCLUSION 63 We have considered the defendants' remaining arguments and find that each of them is without merit. In view of the foregoing, the judgments of conviction are affirmed, except Ernest A. Benevento's conviction on the continuing criminal enterprise charge in count six is reversed, and Ernesto J. Benevento's sentence on the narcotics conspiracy charge in count one is vacated and the matter is remanded.