Opinion ID: 601922
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Enhancement for Official Victim

Text: 9 The district court's application of U.S.S.G. § 3A1.2 to enhance Park's sentence because of the official status of the victim is appropriate under the Sentencing Guidelines. Park was convicted under 18 U.S.C. § 111(a)(1) and (b) of assaulting an Internal Revenue officer. The appropriate guideline for this offense is § 2A2.2. U.S.S.G.App. A at A.3 (also citing § 2A2.4, Obstructing or Impeding Officers, as possibly appropriate for this offense, depending upon the circumstances). The crime for which Park was convicted includes as an element that the victim was a federal official; therefore, Park contends that consideration for the official status of the victim is included within the base offense level set by U.S.S.G. § 2A2.2. To apply the enhancement for an official victim, Park argues, would be improper double counting. We disagree. 10 The enhancement under U.S.S.G. § 3A1.2 allows the court to consider the degree of culpability and to prescribe a greater punishment in certain instances than U.S.S.G. § 2A2.2 alone prescribes for a violation of 18 U.S.C. § 111. Specifically, 18 U.S.C. § 111 does not require the Government to prove that the defendant knew that the victim was an officer. United States v. Alvarez, 755 F.2d 830, 842 (11th Cir.1985). In contrast, the sentencing guideline enhancement for official status of the victim provides: 11 If-- 12 (a) the victim was a law enforcement ... officer,; ... an officer or employee included in 18 U.S.C. § 1114 [including I.R.S. employees]; ... and the offense of conviction was motivated by such status; 13 . . . . . 14 increase by 3 levels. 15 U.S.S.G. § 3A1.2. Thus, enhancement under the guideline requires the additional showing that the defendant know that the victim is an official. The guideline enhancement for official status contemplates that additional punishment is appropriate if the defendant is aware of the official status of the victim. See United States v. Padilla, 961 F.2d 322, 327 (2d Cir.) (recognizing this distinction between the elements of the crime under 18 U.S.C. § 111 and the requirements of U.S.S.G. § 3A1.2 for enhancement for official victim), cert. denied, --- U.S. ----, 113 S.Ct. 138, 121 L.Ed.2d 91 (1992). 16 We, therefore, hold that when a defendant has been convicted of assaulting an I.R.S. agent in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 111 and assigned a base offense level for aggravated assault, according to U.S.S.G. § 2A2.2, a sentencing court's enhancement for the victim's official status, under U.S.S.G. § 3A1.2, does not constitute improper double counting. 17 Park does not contend that he did not know that the victims of the assault were I.R.S. employees or that he was not motivated by their status as such. Park, therefore, has not demonstrated error in the district court's enhancement of his sentence under U.S.S.G. § 3A1.2.