Opinion ID: 766117
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Number of False Statements

Text: 46 Walker and Khan both challenge the district court's decision to increase their offense levels by six levels pursuant to U.S.S.G. § 2L2.1. The guideline (as it existed in November of 1995) required a six-level increase in the offense level if the offense of conviction involved more than one hundred false documents. SeeU.S.S.G. § 2L2.1(b)(2)(C) (1995). 47 The evidence adduced at trial supports the inference that Walker's office was responsible for the submission of hundreds, if not thousands, of false applications. Rizvi testified that he processed thousands of false applications, and Cartier testified that hundreds of applications bore boilerplate accounts of persecution. This evidence easily sufficed to prove by a preponderance of the evidence that Walker was involved in the submission of more than one hundred false documents. 48 With regard to Khan, however, we are not persuaded that the government met its burden of proof that he was responsible for one hundred or more false applications. Unlike Walker, Khan does not bear responsibility for every application that left the office. The government attempts to rely solely on the Cartier analysis to support the increase in Khan's offense level. However, there is even less evidence connecting Khan to the individual false applications referenced by Cartier than there was to the Ahmed application as to which we believe Khan's conviction must be reversed. Given the dearth of evidence connecting Khan to individual applications, and the equally strong probability that applications of Bangladeshis not specifically tied to Khan are attributable to another employee, it was error to sentence Khan for the additional applications submitted by Walker's office. As a result, we vacate Khan's sentence and remand the case to the district court for resentencing. 49 We have considered defendants' remaining arguments and find them to be without merit.