Opinion ID: 169080
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: The Leader/Organizer Enhancement

Text: To apply the leader/organizer enhancement, the district court must find that: (1) the “criminal activity . . . involved five or more participants or was otherw ise extensive,” and (2) that the defendant was an “organizer, leader, manager, or supervisor of one or more other participants,” or the defendant otherwise “exercised management responsibility over the property, assets or activities of the criminal organization.” United States v. W ilfong, 475 F.3d 1214, 1218 (10th Cir. 2007) (citing U.S.S.G. § 3B1.1(a) & cmt. n.2). In this case, the district court considered two of the intercepted phone conversations in determining that M r. Galaz-Felix was a leader or organizer. The first was between M r. Lopez and M r. Ramirez, where the two complained that M r. GalazFelix was always trying to collect money from them. The second was the phone call in which M r. Galaz-Felix detailed to M r. Ramirez the quantities of drugs held outstanding by each member of the organization and what each was to pay. In this same phone call, M r. Galaz-Felix instructed M r. Ramirez to collect money from the individual named “Pollo.” Based on these phone calls, and its impression of all the evidence presented, the district court found that M r. Galaz-Felix was “the watchdog sent by his brother [Genaro], who was the M exican kingpin in M exico ,” Aplt. App. at 152, and that “M r. Galaz-Felix was very much one of the main heads, if not the main head,” id. at 155. Although the evidence relied upon by the district court - 14 - was sufficient to show that M r. Galaz-Felix controlled or supervised several individuals, there was also evidence that M r. Galaz-Felix exercised management responsibility; he kept the organization’s records (the drug ledgers) and its money (the wrapped bills). Furthermore, it appears uncontested that the conspiracy involved some thirteen other individuals. There was clearly sufficient evidence to establish the leader/organizer enhancement, and the district court did not commit clear error.