Opinion ID: 76089
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: The Aggravating Role Enhancement for Poirier

Text: 39 The guidelines provide for an enhancement where a defendant was an organizer, leader, manager, or supervisor in the criminal activity. U.S.S.G. § 3B1.1. A two-level increase in the offense level is required [i]f the defendant was an organizer, leader, manager, or supervisor in any criminal activity and the offense did not involve[] five or more participants or was otherwise extensive (in which case a three- or four-level increase would be required). U.S.S.G. § 3B1.1(c), (b). In this case the sentencing court declined to enhance either defendant's sentence for an aggravating role. The government accepts that decision as it involves deVegter, but contends that the enhancement should have been applied in Poirier's case. 40 We review only for clear error a sentencing court's decision about whether to impose an aggravating role enhancement. United States v. Phillips, 287 F.3d 1053, 1055 (11th Cir.2002). The evidence at trial established that Poirier supervised Jim Eaton at the Lazard firm, and that he authorized Eaton to make the corrupt payoff to a person who passed half the money on to deVegter. To qualify for an increase under § 3B1.1, the defendant must have been the organizer, leader, manager, or supervisor of one or more other participants. U.S.S.G. § 3B1.1 n. 2. The evidence at trial read in light of the guilty verdict establishes that Eaton was a participant in the criminal activity as defined by the guidelines, id. n. 1, and Poirier was his superior, his supervisor, and his manager. The district court did not find to the contrary, but instead simply and inexplicably failed to apply the enhancement. That was clear error. On remand the § 3B1.1(c) enhancement must be applied to Poirier.