Opinion ID: 752460
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: D-Methamphetamine

Text: 29 Loveless argues that the district court erroneously determined that the methamphetamine he conspired to distribute was d-methamphetamine, and not l-methamphetamine. 30 Under the applicable sentencing guidelines, a sentence for d-methamphetamine is greater than a sentence for l-methamphetamine by a factor of 25. See U.S.S.G. § 2D1.1, n. 10. A district court must make a factual finding as to whether the methamphetamine was d- or l-methamphetamine. United States v. Maza, 93 F.3d 1390, 1401 (8th Cir.1996), cert. denied, --- U.S. ----, 117 S.Ct. 1008, 136 L.Ed.2d 886 (1997). The government bears the burden of proving by a preponderance of the evidence that the methamphetamine was d-methamphetamine, and it may do so using either direct or circumstantial evidence. Id.; United States v. Bogusz, 43 F.3d 82, 91-92 (3rd Cir.1994). We review the district court's finding for clear error. Maza, 93 F.3d at 1401. 31 The district court did not commit clear error when it determined that the drug involved was d-methamphetamine. The government presented evidence that Reber sold the methamphetamine he had received from Loveless to Allen and Shari Trompke. Allen Trompke then resold some of this methamphetamine to Sean Hansen, who resold it to Schomer. These individuals all testified that when they used this methamphetamine, they experienced stimulating effects that only d-methamphetamine would produce, such as sleeplessness for days at a time and severe loss of appetite. Moreover, these individuals also testified that they never received any complaints from their customers about the methamphetamine they sold them. This is ample circumstantial evidence upon which the district court could conclude that Loveless conspired to distribute d-methamphetamine. See Maza, 93 F.3d at 1401 (holding that government proved defendant distributed d-methamphetamine where drug dealers, who had bought methamphetamine from defendant, received no complaints from their customers about the drugs they sold them).