Opinion ID: 716771
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: substantial interference with administration of justice

Text: 12 Harrington contends that the district court erred in imposing a three-level increase to his base offense level pursuant to U.S.S.G. § 2J1.2. Section 2J1.2(b)(2) provides that [i]f the offense resulted in substantial interference with the administration of justice, increase by 3 levels. The commentary to that guideline defines substantial interference with the administration of justice to include, among other things, the unnecessary expenditure of substantial governmental or court resources. § 2J1.2, comment. (n.1). 13 At sentencing, the district court made a finding that there had been a substantial expenditure of resources. Harrington does not contest the finding that substantial resources actually were expended. Instead, he argues that the increase under § 2J1.2(b)(2) only applies when substantial resources are expended in relation to investigating or prosecuting the initial offense (here, the alien charges), rather than in relation to the offense of obstruction of justice. 14 Harrington does not cite to any authority for the proposition that the substantial resources must be expended in connection with the initial offense rather than the obstruction offense. 1 As a practical matter, it would seem that in most cases the investigation of the underlying offense and of the obstruction charge would be almost inextricably related. In any event, we need not determine whether the substantial resources must be expended in direct connection with the initial offense because there was a direct connection between the resources expended and the successful prosecution of the alien smuggling charges. 15 Specifically, it is Harrington's contention that because he pleaded guilty to the alien charges prior to the commencement of the investigation of his obstructive conduct, all the resources expended after he pleaded guilty could not be in relation to the alien charges. This argument overlooks the fact that Harrington had not been sentenced on the alien charges at the time he was attempting to obstruct justice. Harrington orchestrated the activities underlying the obstruction of justice count in an attempt to be allowed to withdraw his plea of guilty to the alien smuggling charges. More to the point, if Harrington's bribe had been accepted, Harrington apparently would have offered the false affidavits in support of a motion to withdraw the guilty plea. Clearly, the resources that the FBI agents expended during their surveillance of Harrington while he was awaiting sentencing were directly related to ensuring that the guilty pleas to the alien smuggling charges would not be withdrawn or vitiated. As such, Harrington has not shown that the district court erred in assessing the three-level increase under § 2J1.2(b)(2). 2