Opinion ID: 682433
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Applicability of Guidelines

Text: 19 Next, Defendants jointly argue that the district court erred in finding, as a sentencing fact, the RICO offense continued beyond November 1, 1987. The impact of this decision concerns the applicability of the Sentencing Guidelines to that count of the indictment. Because they failed to raise this argument during sentencing, it is waived on appeal, United States v. Rivero, 993 F.2d 620, 623 (7th Cir.1993); United States v. Blythe, 944 F.2d 356, 359 (7th Cir.1991), and we review instead only for plain error, FED.R.CRIM.P. 52(b); Rivero, 993 F.2d at 623--a category of error rather elusively described as having the combined characteristics of being egregiously incorrect and highly prejudicial to the defendant's rights. Peretz v. United States, 501 U.S. 923, 952, 111 S.Ct. 2661, 2678, 115 L.Ed.2d 808 (1991). See also Blythe, 944 F.2d at 359; United States v. Walker, 9 F.3d 1245, 1249 (7th Cir.), cert. denied, --- U.S. ----, 114 S.Ct. 1863, 128 L.Ed.2d 485 (1994). Here, neither attribute accurately describes the district court's decision to apply the Sentencing Guidelines to the conspiracy conviction. 20 Any offense committed on or after the effective date of the Sentencing Guidelines (November 1, 1987) is subject to sentencing under the strictures of the Guidelines, United States v. Rossy, 953 F.2d 321, 325 (7th Cir.), cert. denied, --- U.S. ----, 112 S.Ct. 1240, 117 L.Ed.2d 473 (1992), including conspiracies which straddle this date, United States v. Masters, 924 F.2d 1362, 1369 (7th Cir.), cert. denied, 500 U.S. 919, 111 S.Ct. 2019, 114 L.Ed.2d 105 (1991); United States v. Fazio, 914 F.2d 950, 958-59 (7th Cir.1990). While the Government alleged in Count 2 of the indictment, by incorporating the predicate acts contained in Count 1, Defendants engaged in two different predicate acts supporting the RICO conspiracy past this date (acts Nos. 30 and 57) the jury did not, in the special interrogatories, find any Defendant committed either act. At sentencing the district court (applying the less onerous preponderance of the evidence burden of proof, id.; United States v. Macias, 930 F.2d 567, 570 (7th Cir.1991)) exceeded the jury's determination and decided the Defendants did indeed commit these acts, concluding the RICO conspiracy extended past the effective date of the Guidelines. Because of the variance in the standard of proof guiding each fact-finder's decision, a sentencing court may find the existence of certain facts despite a jury's implicit or explicit rejection of that fact. United States v. Masters, 978 F.2d 281, 285-86 (7th Cir.1992). If the Government proved the Defendants' conspiracy continued beyond the effective date of the Guidelines by a preponderance of the evidence, the Guidelines apply, Rossy, 953 F.2d at 325; United States v. Osborne, 931 F.2d 1139, 1144 (7th Cir.1991), regardless of the jury's decision. 21 Given that the sentencing court was not foreclosed from arriving at a factual conclusion different from that of the jury, the only remaining question is whether the finding that the conspiracy extended past November 1, 1987, was plain error. Strawmier, the operator of an illegal gambling business who was being forced to pay street tax, testified, consistent with the Government's allegation in predicate act No. 30, that he made his last payment to Leone (collecting on behalf of Morgano) sometime in November, 1987. Although Leone contradicted Strawmier, testifying he ceased collection efforts after being confronted by FBI agents in October, 1987, the district court was free to choose between this competing evidence--giving credence to Strawmier but rejecting Leone's statement. That choice cannot be clearly erroneous and certainly is not plain error. Anderson v. City of Bessemer City, 470 U.S. 564, 574, 105 S.Ct. 1504, 1511-12, 84 L.Ed.2d 518 (1985); United States v. Brown, 900 F.2d 1098, 1102 (7th Cir.1990). Similarly, ample evidence was offered from which the district court could conclude members of the conspiracy collected the Graczyk debt, which arose from an illegal gambling business operated through 1988, well past the beginning of November, 1987. Graczyk himself testified as to these facts, creating a sufficient evidentiary basis for the district court's finding. United States v. Cedano-Rojas, 999 F.2d 1175, 1180 (7th Cir.1993); United States v. Caicedo, 937 F.2d 1227, 1236 (7th Cir.1991). 4 Thus the district court's factual finding that the conspiracy continued beyond the effective date of the Guidelines was not plain error. 5 22 Glorioso, though disavowing any reliance on the Defendants' joint argument, raises a related issue. Instead of claiming the conspiracy ended before November 1, 1987, Glorioso maintains that he withdrew from the conspiracy prior to that date and thus is not subject to Guideline sentencing. Of course, if he withdrew from the conspiracy prior to the effective date of the Guidelines he is not subject to Guidelines sentencing for his participation. United States v. Price, 988 F.2d 712, 723 (7th Cir.1993). But proving one has withdrawn from a conspiracy is no easy matter, requiring the defendant to prove he both ceased participation in the conspiracy, United States v. DePriest, 6 F.3d 1201, 1206 (7th Cir.1993), and affirmatively disavowed the conspiracy's purpose, United States v. Bafia, 949 F.2d 1465, 1477 (7th Cir.1991), cert. denied sub nom. Kerridan v. United States, --- U.S. ----, 112 S.Ct. 1989, 118 L.Ed.2d 586 (1992). Glorioso contends he was involuntarily terminated from the conspiracy by Leone and Morgano sometime in June, 1987; because of this, he argues, there was neither a need nor an opportunity for him to effect a withdrawal. And besides, he argues, informing the authorities of the conspiracy's existence would have been much too dangerous to him given his cohorts' propensity for violence. Unfortunately, merely ceasing participation in a conspiracy--whether on one's own initiative or involuntarily--is never enough to withdraw from the conspiracy unless accompanied by some affirmative act, such as a confession to authorities or a clear communication to co-conspirators of abandonment of the conspiracy's goals. United States v. Pitz, 2 F.3d 723, 729 (7th Cir.1993), cert. denied sub nom. DuPont v. United States, --- U.S. ----, 114 S.Ct. 2141, 128 L.Ed.2d 869 (1994); Bafia, 949 F.2d at 1477. Even if Glorioso stopped participating in the venture in June, 1987, he was required to take affirmative action to disavow the conspiracy's purpose to effectuate a withdrawal, even if he was dismissed from the alliance by his co-conspirators. DePriest, 6 F.3d at 1206-07; Bafia, 949 F.2d at 1477; United States v. Schweihs, 971 F.2d 1302, 1323 (7th Cir.1992). Having readily admitted he took no such affirmative action, Glorioso has failed to carry his burden of demonstrating he withdrew from the conspiracy and, instead, clearly remained a member of the illegal plot until the end. He was thus subject to sentencing under the Sentencing Guidelines for his role in the conspiracy.