Opinion ID: 597141
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Sentencing Calculation And Procedures

Text: 22 Pontillo also asserts that the district court erred in calculating his offense level by finding that he had conspired to import a total of 25-28 kilograms of heroin. Specifically, Pontillo argues that he should only have been sentenced on the amount he actually imported, and that the amount discussed in the taped conversations should have been excluded because he was incapable of importing this latter amount. 23 The guidelines provide that a defendant's base offense level, in cases of importing or conspiring to import narcotics, is calculated on the basis of the amount of narcotics involved. However, Application Note 1 to U.S.S.G. § 2D1.4 provides: 24 [w]here the court finds that the defendant did not intend to produce and was not reasonably capable of producing the negotiated amount, the court shall exclude from the guideline calculation the amount that it finds the defendant did not intend to produce and was not reasonably capable of producing. 25 At the sentencing hearing, Pontillo contended that he was not reasonably capable of producing 24 of the 25-28 kilograms of heroin that the PSR attributed to him. According to Pontillo, his inability to sell the heroin of poor quality that he had previously imported had precluded him from importing the additional quantities under negotiation. The district court rejected this contention. Unfortunately, however, the district court failed to make explicit affirmative findings of fact at the sentencing hearing. Rather, the district court merely rejected Pontillo's proposed factual contentions. 26 It appears that the district court implicitly accepted the factual findings made in the PSR. If so, the district court need only make this explicit. As the PSR indicated, the taped conversations revealed detailed plans by Pontillo to import at least 20 kilograms, in addition to quantities of heroin which Pontillo had apparently already imported. A review of the transcripts might well have indicated to the district court that Pontillo was primarily concerned with the logistics of importing such a large quantity of narcotics. The court, therefore, could have concluded that there was little, if any, indication that Pontillo lacked the capacity to actually deliver what he negotiated, or that Pontillo was boasting. However, there is evidence in opposition to such a finding. Specifically, DEA Agent DiStephano testified that Pontillo's last conversations indicated that Pontillo did not seem to want to import any more heroin. The district court was, therefore, required to make specific affirmative factual findings. See, e.g., United States v. Palta, 880 F.2d 636, 641 (2d Cir.1989). The court's failure to do so compels us to vacate Pontillo's sentence and to remand the case to the district court for resentencing. 27 We have carefully examined Pontillo's remaining contentions and have found them to be without merit.CONCLUSION 28 Based on the foregoing, the defendant's conviction is affirmed. However, the defendant's sentence is vacated, and the case is remanded to the district court for resentencing.