Opinion ID: 2994101
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: The Enhancement Of Roth’s Sentence

Text: Roth lastly charges that the District Court erred by enhancing his base offense level two points under U.S.S.G. sec.3B1.1 for his role as the leader of his wife in the conspiracy. He claims that his wife was his equal partner. The evidence, however, does not bear this out. Section 3B1.1 of the Sentencing Guidelines provides for a two-level enhancement of a defendant’s base offense level if the defendant was an organizer, leader, manager or supervisor in any criminal activity. U.S.S.G. sec.3B1.1. Application Note 4 to Section 3B1.1 provides some factors for use in evaluating whether the defendant was a leader, manager or supervisor. Those factors include: (1) level of decision-making authority; (2) nature of participation; (3) recruitment of accomplice; (4) right to a larger share of the profits; (5) degree of participation in planning and organizing; (6) nature and scope of the criminal venture; and (7) degree of control over others. U.S.S.G. sec.3B1.1, Application Note 4. Noting that Dawn Roth was not a partner in the operation when it began in 1993, that she did not even see the plants until 1994, that she did not start taking care of the plants until January, 1998 and that her duties consisted mainly of watering the plants for a cash wage, while her husband was responsible for the cloning, sales and distribution, the District Court found that Dawn Roth was not a partner and was directed by her husband. This finding is buttressed by the great disparity in the amount of money each received from the business. Approximately seven pounds of marijuana were sold every other week, at a price of $2,800 per pound. Dawn Roth received only $400 per pound sold, or $2,800 bi-weekly. Gary Roth retained the rest, approximately $16,800. Thus, he kept 85% of the proceeds for himself. Hardly an equal partnership as Roth contends. By arguing that Dawn shared equally in the luxury items he bought with the money, Roth attempts to obfuscate these facts. Given the evidence, the District Court’s finding that Gary Roth exercised a position of leadership over his wife in the conspiracy is not clear error. The two-level enhancement under U.S.S.G. sec.3B1.1 was proper.