Opinion ID: 723861
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 7

Heading: amount of loss attributable to melvin

Text: 38 Melvin contends that the district court failed to make factual findings concerning the amount of loss attributable to him as required by the Sentencing Guidelines. He also argues that in adopting the Presentence Report's calculation of the amount of loss attributable to him, the court improperly considered sums acquired by Fieler Enterprises both before and after he had entered the conspiracy. 39 Melvin argues that the court failed to make express factual findings as to the relevant sentencing factors. The district court estimated the amounts of the losses based on bank account deposits for each scheme with which Melvin was involved. These amounts were documented in the Presentence Report. The claim that the district court was required to make express factual findings beyond the evidence documented in the Presentence Report is without merit. The findings are adequate. 40 Melvin further argues that holding him responsible for the total amount of loss for each of the five schemes with which he was involved was impermissible. He claims that many of these schemes were in operation prior to his entry into Fieler Enterprises, and that they continued to amass money after he had left the organization. The Sentencing Guidelines state that Melvin is responsible for, all reasonably foreseeable acts and omissions ... in furtherance of the jointly undertaken criminal activity. U.S.S.G. § 1B1.3 (a)(1)(B). This requires a determination of the scope of the criminal activity Melvin agreed to undertake. See Application Note 2 to § 1B1.3. 41 Evidence given at trial proved that Melvin was involved in the creation of ads for each of the schemes used in the calculation. Profits from all of these schemes were thus reasonably foreseeable. There was substantial evidence that the schemes and ads, and therefore the resulting losses from the charged schemes, began with Melvin. 42 Melvin's argument that he should not be held responsible for money accrued by the group after his association with Fieler had terminated is meritless. The contention that he stopped being a member of Fieler Enterprises in 1989, requires a showing that he acted affirmatively to defeat or disavow the purpose of the conspiracy. See Reisman v. United States, 409 F.2d 789, 792-93 (9th Cir.1969). Being fired does not constitute disavowing the purposes of the conspiracy. While it is true that he was no longer welcome at Fieler Enterprises after 1989, he made no effort to report, or undo the damage from the schemes he had helped set in motion. The losses from these schemes were reasonably foreseeable, and thus properly included in the calculation. 43