Opinion ID: 183690
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: facts

Text: In 2005, the Boston Police Department (BPD) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) investigated suspected criminal activity by BPD Officer Robert Pulido, including identity theft, theft of gift cards, the purchase and sale of illegal steroids, and the co-hosting with West of illegal parties at 24 Factory Street in Boston. The FBI believed the parties involved an unlicensed strip club, the unlicensed sale of alcohol, prostitution, and illegal drug trafficking. As part of their investigation, the FBI directed cooperating witness Troy Lozano to befriend West. The two had met in June 2005 when West offered to assist Pulido and Lozano with their identity theft operation. In November 2005, the FBI asked Lozano to speak to West about the parties and to ask him about procuring party favorscocainesupposedly for Lozano's cousins who planned to attend one of the parties. West initially thought Lozano was requesting prostitutes, but when Lozano stated the other favors, West responded, Powders? West then offered to network the request and gave a price of $125 for an eight-ball (3.5 grams) of cocaine, saying that some people will ask for 150, but . . . he's giving them to me for 125 apiece. Lozano later purchased two eight-balls from West for $250. Several weeks later, again at the direction of the FBI, Lozano asked to purchase four eight-balls, which West eventually sold to him for $500. In September 2006, West was indicted for two counts of possession with intent to distribute and distribution of cocaine, a violation of 21 U.S.C. § 841(a). Before trial, the government notified West that, if West asserted an entrapment defense, the government would put forth evidence of his prior felony drug convictions: 1989 convictions in Cambridge, Massachusetts for possession of a Class B and a Class D substance with intent to distribute; and 1992 Virginia convictions on two counts of felony distribution of cocaine. After a jury trial, during which the entrapment defense was not raised, West was found guilty on both counts. In its initial presentence report, the Probation Office classified West as a career offender by virtue of his 1992 Virginia convictions and a 2001 conviction in Roxbury, Massachusetts for assault and battery. A sentencing hearing was scheduled for September 24, 2007. On September 19, however, West moved in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts district court to vacate the 2001 conviction for assault and battery. The motion was heard the morning of September 24 and granted the same day, leaving only the 1992 convictions to stand at West's federal sentencing, rendering career offender status inapplicable. With this change, the federal sentencing guidelines sentence dropped to 12 to 18 months from the 262 to 327 months for a career offender. Just before the sentencing hearing, the government and the district court learned about the vacated conviction. Based on late notice, the government requested a continuance and the trial court granted its motion, rescheduling the sentencing hearing for October 10. In the interim, the government petitioned the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court to vacate the order vacating the 2001 conviction. Before the Supreme Judicial Court responded, the state district court judge, sua sponte, vacated her order and restored West's 2001 conviction. At his October 10 sentencing hearing, West and the government agreed that the sentencing guidelines classified Westhis 2001 conviction restoredas a career offender, and the guideline sentence returned to 262 to 327 months imprisonment. The district court sentenced West to 180 months imprisonment and 10 years supervised release. In so doing, the district judge observed that, although selling drugs was not West's primary business, he was a career offender. In a subsequent sentencing memorandum, the trial judge characterized West as a small-time hoodlum, but noted his involvement in after-hours parties with drugs, which he described as a veritable beehive of criminal activity, and rife with prostitution.