Opinion ID: 700502
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Quantity of Methamphetamine Produced

Text: 38 The district court calculated Basinger's sentence based on its determination that 453 to 680 grams of methamphetamine were produced at the site. Ely testified about two possible ways to calculate the amount of methamphetamine produced. The first was based on the amount and contents of the acetone wash, and yielded an estimate of 10-15 kilograms. Ely testified that he believed this to be a conservative estimate. Both the government and the presentence report recommended sentencing based on this figure. Ely's second calculation was based on the two empty one-pound containers of ephedrine found at the site, and yielded an estimate of 453 to 680 grams. The court, at Basinger's request, accepted the second method of calculation. 39 Where, as here, there is no drug seizure or the amount seized does not reflect the scale of the offense, the sentencing court is allowed to approximate the quantity of the controlled substance. U.S.S.G. Sec. 2D1.1 application note 12; United States v. Bertrand, 926 F.2d 838, 846 (9th Cir.1991). This court specifically has allowed a sentencing court to calculate potential methamphetamine based on seized precursor chemicals, such as ephedrine. See Bertrand, 926 F.2d at 846-47; see also United States v. Roberts, 5 F.3d 365, 372 (9th Cir.1993). We have also approved a sentencing court's reliance on expert testimony that estimates production capability, even when the expert must assume the availability of precursor chemicals that were not seized or were found in short supply. See Williams, 989 F.2d at 1073. 40 Although this court has permitted sentencing courts to approximate the capability of a drug lab even when certain essential chemicals are not present, Basinger argues that the above-cited cases do not apply here. In this case, he argues, the government seized only empty ephedrine containers and no actual precursor chemicals. We agree that this situation presents a more difficult question, but we nevertheless hold that the sentencing court's estimate in this case was not clearly erroneous. 41 Dale Mann, the Supervising Forensic Scientist at the Washington State Patrol Crime Laboratory, testified that the chemical by-products found in the shed are characteristic of the red phosphorous method of producing methamphetamine. That method requires ephedrine as the starter chemical. Ely testified that it is common to find empty ephedrine containers because all the ephedrine is ultimately converted into methamphetamine. Therefore, the calculation used by the district court assumed the presence of two pounds of ephedrine (based on the two empty one-pound ephedrine containers found in the lab), and determined the amount of methamphetamine that would be produced using that ephedrine. 4 This court has approved a similar calculation by a district court. See Williams, 989 F.2d at 1073 & n. 5 (affirming district court's estimate that was based on the capacity of empty glassware; the presence of some, but not all, precursor chemicals; and possibly also on the assumption that a partly empty container of one of the precursors had been full); cf. United States v. Acevedo, 28 F.3d 686, 689-90 (7th Cir.1994) (allowing sentencing court to calculate the amount of cocaine distributed based on capacity of empty baggies with cocaine residue in them). 5 We are not firmly convinced that a mistake has been made by the district court. See Williams, 989 F.2d at 1073. Accordingly, we hold that the court did not commit clear error by sentencing Basinger based on its finding that 453 to 680 grams of methamphetamine were produced at the lab.