Opinion ID: 670609
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: intended for profit

Text: 6 Trafficking in false immigration documents is a base level nine offense under the Sentencing Guidelines. U.S.S.G. Sec. 2L2.1(a). Sec. 2L2.1(b)(1) of the Guidelines provides for a three-level decrease in a defendant's offense level if he did not act for profit. 1 7 Buenrostro-Torres contends that he should have received the reduction because there was no evidence that he actually received any money for the materials he gave to the men at his house. In his view: (1) the two men who spoke to the confidential informant and who received the false documents from Buenrostro-Torres could simply have pocketed the $100 they received from the confidential informant; and (2) there is no evidence that the materials seized when his house was searched were intended to be used for profit. We will not disturb these district court factual findings absent clear error, Reese, 2 F.3d at 893, and we find no such error. 8 (1) 9 Evidence that Buenrostro-Torres gave the two men the false documents in return for the $100: Buenrostro-Torres does not contest the government's evidence that the confidential informant asked the two men for false documents, and that the two men then went directly to Buenrostro-Torres's house. After talking to Buenrostro-Torres at his house the two men returned to tell the confidential informant that they needed the money up-front. Then, once they got the money, they went back to Buenrostro-Torres's house to pick up the documents, and returned once again to give the documents to the confidential informant. The most plausible explanation by far for these uncontroverted facts is that the two men gave the money to Buenrostro-Torres in return for the documents. 10 (2) 11 Evidence that the materials found in Buenrostro-Torres's house were intended for profit: The sheer quantity of materials seized at Buenrostro-Torres's house supports the district court's finding that these materials were intended for profit. In addition, some of the documents were partially filled out, which suggests an ongoing enterprise. Finally, the fact that the INS discovered the materials because of the earlier sale to the confidential informant suggests that the documents were being produced and stored for other sales. The only evidence that the documents were not for profit was Buenrostro-Torres's own statement at his presentencing interview. It was not clearly erroneous for the district court to discount Buenrostro-Torres's testimony and therefore to refuse to grant the offense level reduction. 2 12