Opinion ID: 729641
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Kraig's Role in the Offense

Text: 43 The District Court enhanced Kraig's base offense level by three levels for his role as a manager in the conspiracy. Kraig challenges this enhancement because he contends that the evidence does not show that he in any way controlled or supervised any of the other coconspirators. 44 U.S.S.G. § 3B1.1(b) provides a three-level enhancement if the defendant is a manager or supervisor of criminal activity that involves five or more participants or is otherwise extensive. Contrary to Kraig's assertion, the precedents in our Court hold that the evidence need not show that Kraig was the manager or supervisor of five other persons, but rather that he had a managerial or supervisory role in illegal conduct involving five or more persons. See, e.g., United States v. Dean, 969 F.2d 187, 197 (6th Cir.1992), cert. denied, 507 U.S. 1033, 113 S.Ct. 1852, 123 L.Ed.2d 475 (1993) (guidelines require five participants, not five subordinates to defendant). 45 The criminal activity here clearly involved more than five participants. The indictment here names four participants and by including Reuben Sturman, not named in the indictment at issue here but clearly a participant in the conspiracy, the total is at least five. Moreover, there is evidence that many more people were involved in the conspiracy. See Memorandum Opinion Regarding Sentencing at 4-5, J.A. at 52-53. 46 As to Kraig's role in the conspiracy, the evidence supports the finding that he recruited lawyers and accountants to participate in the scheme. He recruited attorney Robert Garfield to consolidate various real estate holdings of Sturman's into one entity that became Gemstone. Kraig contacted the Panamanian law firm that formed Gemstone. The testimony also demonstrates that Kraig provided information about Sturman's various holdings to the numerous accountants and lawyers working for Sturman and it was to Kraig that these persons turned for information regarding Gemstone. Given this ample evidence, it was within the District Court's discretion to enhance Kraig's base offense level by three levels. 47