Opinion ID: 778749
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: The Conviction and Sentence

Text: 10 Following extradition, several counts against Campbell were dismissed either before or at trial. Of the remaining 17 counts, the jury found him guilty on 15 and not guilty on two. He was found guilty on one count of conspiracy to commit robberies of banks and post offices, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 371 (count 1); four counts of armed bank robbery in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2113 (counts 8, 14, 16, and 22), together with four counts of using and carrying a firearm in committing those bank robberies, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 924(c) (counts 9, 15, 17, and 23); and three counts of post office robbery in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2114 (counts 6, 10, and 12), together with three counts of using and carrying a firearm in committing those postal robberies, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 924(c) (counts 7, 11, and 13). 11 Following the jury's verdict of guilty in March 1999, and prior to Campbell's sentencing, the government sought clarification of the Costa Rican government's position concerning the permissible form of Campbell's sentence. In response, the Legal Director of the Costa Rican Ministry of Foreign Affairs Legal Department (Costa Rican Ministry) sent the Costa Rican Consulate in Washington, D.C., a letter dated June 15, 2000 (Costa Rican Ministry Letter), stating, as translated, that 12 the guilty verdict issued in the United States against a person who was extradited from Costa Rica may make reference to the general amount of jail time to be imposed. However, both the dispositive part and the explanation of purposes must establish in a clear and manifest fashion that the maximum sentence to be served is fifty years, as provided by Article 51 of the Costa Rican Criminal Code. 13 (Costa Rican Ministry Letter (emphases added).) The Costa Rican Consulate forwarded that letter (in Spanish) to the United States Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of New York, with a cover letter (in English) that stated that 14 the verdict in the United States against an extradited person[] can refer to the total years that the accused can be indicted for. Nevertheless, the sentence must state, in a clear and manifest way, that the maximum time the accused must serve is 50 years. This would be the real serving time. 15 (Letter from Costa Rican Consul General to United States Attorney's Office dated June 16, 2000 (Costa Rican Consul General's Letter).) 16 A presentence report (PSR) was prepared on Campbell. It stated that the maximum prison term on the conspiracy count was five years and that the maximum prison term on each of the seven robbery counts was 25 years. On count 7, the first weapons charge, § 924(c)(1) required the imposition of a five-year prison term, consecutive to any other sentence imposed. The PSR stated that the convictions on the remaining gun charges, counts 9, 11, 13, 15, 17, and 23, would properly be treated as second and subsequent convictions under § 924(c)(1), and thus would require 20-year prison terms each, to be served consecutively to each other and to any other sentence imposed, for a total of 120 years, see 18 U.S.C. § 924(c)(1) (1988 & Supp. II 1990). The PSR concluded that Campbell's total offense level was 38, that his criminal history category was IV, that the resulting prescribed Guidelines range was 360 months (30 years) to life imprisonment on the conspiracy and robbery counts, and that that range must be imposed consecutive to Counts 7, 9, 11, 13, 15, 17, and 23 which require a total of 125 years pursuant to 18 U.S.C. § 924(c)(1), resulting in a total of 155 years. The PSR noted, however, that [a]s a result of the extradition treaty with Costa Rica, the defendant's sentence appears to be restricted to a maximum of fifty years. 17 At the sentencing hearing in July 2000, Campbell argued, inter alia, that the Costa Rican criminal court's specification [t]hat he will not receive a sentence of more than 50 years meant that the sentence the court was to pronounce could not exceed 50 years. The government argued that the letters of clarification received from the Costa Rican Ministry and the Costa Rican Consul General made it clear that a sentence of more than 50 years could be pronounced, so long as the controlling decretal provisions made clear that Campbell could not be kept in prison for more than 50 years. 18 The district court rejected Campbell's argument and interpreted the Extradition Decree as meaning that Campbell simply could not be required to serve more than 50 years in prison. The court concluded that the appropriate course would be to impose the sentence as called for [by the Guidelines] and lay all the facts out. (Sentencing Transcript July 7, 2000 (S.Tr.), at 18.) 19 After hearing from Campbell himself, the court imposed sentence as follows: 20 The Court sentences the defendant on Counts 1, 6, 10, 12, 8, 14, 16 and 22, to 360 months imprisonment; subject, of course, to the statutory limitations with respect to the specific counts. 21 And on the firearm counts, which are Counts 9, 11, 13, 15, 17 and 23, to a total sentence of 125 years to run consecutively to the sentence imposed on the non-firearm counts. 22 Did I state that correctly? 23 MS. PHILIPS [AUSA]: Yes, your Honor. 24 . . . . 25 THE COURT: I intend [to] include on the judgment, and more likely than not, on the — as the government has suggested to leave nothing to chance, an appropriate order making it absolutely clear what I believe the government's obligations to be consistent with the terms of the treaty. And that will issue simultaneously, and in fact, be appended to the judgment as well. 26 (S.Tr.20-22.) 27 The concurrent sentences of 360 months (30 years) on the conspiracy and robbery counts, with a total of 125 years imposed on the firearm counts to run consecutively, resulted in a sentence of a total of 155 years imprisonment. The court appended to the judgment of conviction an order stating as follows: 28 [P]ursuant to the extradition agreement between Costa Rica and the United States, and the assurances made by the United States pursuant to an Order issued by the Honorable Denis R. Hurley, United States District Judge, Eastern District of New York, on January 24, 1997, which mandate[d] that the defendant serve a period of incarceration not greater than 50 years, the Court hereby orders the Bureau of Prison[s] to release the defendant after he serves a period of incarceration of 50[]years. Any credit, except prior custody credit, shall only affect the 155-year term and not the 50-year maximum term of incarceration as established by the extradition agreement between the United States and Costa Rica. Therefore, the defendant shall be released after he serves a period of incarceration not greater than 50 years as established by the extradition agreement between the United States and Costa Rica, with no adjustments for good conduct time, or the 155-year sentence, with adjustments for good conduct time, whichever is earlier. 29 Order dated July 14, 2000 (Judgment Addendum), at 1-2. This appeal followed.