Opinion ID: 206092
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Laiz's Sufficiency Argument

Text: On appeal, Laiz argues that [t]he proof was insufficient to establish that [he] was the defendant in the Massachusetts case set forth in the Prior Felony Information. We acknowledge that the evidence is not beyond question. The rap sheet states on its face that it has not been verified by a fingerprint search, the personal information in the Massachusetts documents does not exactly match Laiz's, and the record says nothing about how the government came to associate those documents with Laiz. It is hardly inconceivable that two drug dealers might have adopted the same or similar names. Still, in light of the deference due to a district court's determination of the facts, and the heavy burden an appellant faces in a sufficiency challenge, see United States v. Abu-Jihaad, 630 F.3d 102, 135 (2d Cir.2010) (internal quotation marks omitted), we would be hard pressed to find the evidence insufficient had the district court made a clear finding, after an evidentiary hearing, that Laiz was indeed the person convicted in Massachusetts in 1993. As noted above, however, the district court did not clearly make such a finding, nor is it clear that the court undertook to hold a hearing. Moreover, to the extent that the evidentiary record does not conclusively establish that Laiz had been convicted of a felony, it is not clear that the government had a full and fair opportunity to present its best evidence to the sentencing court. Before the sentencing proceeding, Laiz had not explicitly challenged the fact of the prior conviction, and the government was not on notice that it would have to prove the fact of the conviction on that day. Only when the government asked the court to clarify whether Laiz disputed the prior felony did the court ask the government for its evidence on the spot, before establishing whether Laiz denied the conviction. While the government managed to produce some evidence, it did not have a fair opportunity to gather and present its proof. Absent such an opportunity, we do not think it appropriate to decide the sufficiency of the government's evidence on this appeal. Nevertheless, we conclude that the sentence may not stand, and the case must be remanded for resentencing, because the procedures undertaken here fell short in several respects of those required by 21 U.S.C. § 851.