Opinion ID: 179337
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: Cruz-Rea's Offense Level Increase

Text: We apply a clearly erroneous standard to factual findings made during the district court's assessment of the United States Sentencing Guidelines' offense levels. United States v. Wade, 114 F.3d 103, 105 (7th Cir.1997). The district court's findings are clearly erroneous only when, after considering all of the evidence, the reviewing court is left with the definite and firm conviction that a mistake has been made. United States v. Wyatt, 102 F.3d 241, 246 (7th Cir.1996). Thus, when a district court chooses between two permissible inferences from the evidence, the factual findings cannot have been clearly erroneous. Wyatt, 102 F.3d at 246. Stated otherwise, [t]he task on appeal is not to see whether there is any evidence that might undercut the district court's finding; it is to see whether there is any evidence in the record to support the finding. Wade, 114 F.3d at 105. The Sentencing Guidelines advise courts to increase the offense level by two when the offense in question involves the possession of a dangerous weapon, including a firearm. U.S. Sentencing Guidelines Manual § 2D1.1(b)(1) (2008). A comment to these Guidelines explains that [t]he adjustment should be applied if the weapon was present, unless it is clearly improbable that the weapon was connected with the offense. Id. at cmt. n. 3 (emphasis added). Here, authorities searched Cruz-Rea's residences and found two firearms in the same location as cocaine and distribution materials. Despite Cruz-Rea's assertions that he planned to sell the guns, it was not clearly improbable that they were used during Cruz-Rea's drug transactions. The district court's choice between the two alternative explanations for the firearms was a choice between two permissible inferences based on the evidence. We therefore cannot say with definite and firm conviction that a mistake has been made. Accordingly, we find no clear error with the district court's factual findings and we affirm the offense level increase.