Opinion ID: 661525
Heading Depth: 4
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: The Second Adjustment of the Base Level

Text: 50 The district court made a second adjustment of two levels based alternatively on Fontenot's abusing a position of trust (U.S.S.G. Sec. 3B1.3) or selecting a vulnerable victim (U.S.S.G. Sec. 3A1.1). 51
52 First, the district court relied on U.S.S.G. Sec. 3B1.3 (1989) to justify the second two-level adjustment. That section provides: 53 If the defendant abused a position of public or private trust, or used a special skill, in a manner that significantly facilitated the commission or concealment of the offense, increase by 2 levels. 54 The presentence report concluded that an adjustment under section 3B1.3 was inappropriate because this section was generally applied in fiduciary matters and the United States Sentencing Commission's Position is that it would be too widespread to apply to a husband and wife relationship. The district court disagreed. It found that a position of trust is inherent in the marital relationship. An adjustment was warranted, the district court concluded, because Fontenot used the information gained from his years of marriage with Catherine to advise Reagan, the FBI agent posing as a hit man, of personal aspects of Catherine's life that could be exploited to facilitate the offense. The district court also noted that Fontenot used his position of trust to persuade Catherine to sign papers related to the insurance policy from which he would benefit on her death. 55 Fontenot contends the district court's adjustment under section 3B1.3 was improper because that section does not apply to spousal relationships. We need not decide this issue. We find the district court erred in its two-level adjustment under section 3B1.3 because, assuming Fontenot occupied a position of ... private trust, he did not abuse that position in a manner that significantly facilitated the commission or concealment of the offense. U.S.S.G. Sec. 3B1.3. The statute under which Fontenot was convicted, 18 U.S.C. Sec. 1958, requires only that the defendant travel in interstate commerce with intent that a murder for hire be committed. Fontenot's position of trust via the marital relationship with Catherine did not facilitate his travel, or the formation of his intent, or the concealment of this offense. Thus, the district court erred in making a two-level adjustment under section 3B1.3.b. Vulnerable Victim 56 Fontenot contends that the district court's alternative reasoning to support the second adjustment under U.S.S.G. Sec. 3A1.1 was erroneous. U.S.S.G. Sec. 3A1.1 (1989) provides: 57 If the defendant knew or should have known that a victim of the offense was unusually vulnerable due to age, physical or mental condition, or that a victim was otherwise particularly susceptible to the criminal conduct, increase by 2 levels. 58 Fontenot argues that his intended victim was no more vulnerable than any other intended victim of a murder for hire. We agree. Any person contracting for a murder for hire is likely to know the intended victim well. The information Fontenot shared with Reagan about his wife did not make her particularly susceptible to the criminal conduct. Nor did Fontenot's convincing his wife to let him take out an insurance policy on her indicate she was particularly vulnerable to a murder for hire. The district court erred in relying on U.S.S.G. Sec. 3A1.1 to support the second two-level adjustment. 59 Because we hold that the second adjustment was in error and the sentence imposed exceeds the range for an offense level of 25, criminal category III, we must determine whether the district court's grounds for an upward departure support the sentence.