Opinion ID: 187162
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Five Participants or Otherwise Extensive

Text: While Amicus does not contest that Padonu, Kareem and Harper were participants in the fraudulent scheme, Amicus does assert that Akinmurele cannot be characterized as a criminally responsible participant because there is no indication that he had any knowledge of the `flipping' scheme. Amicus Br. 40. Accordingly, Amicus contends that the record does not support the finding that Brodie was the leader of a scheme involving five participants. The comment to section 3B1.1 defines a participant as a person who is criminally responsible for the commission of the offense, but need not have been convicted. U.S.S.G. § 3B1.1 cmt. n. 1. A person is `criminally responsible' under § 3B1.1 only if `he commit[s] all of the elements of a statutory crime with the requisite mens rea.' United States v. McCoy, 242 F.3d 399, 410 (D.C.Cir.2001) (quoting United States v. Bapack, 129 F.3d 1320, 1325 (D.C.Cir.1997) (internal quotations omitted)) (emphasis added and alteration in McCoy ). The person need not be found criminally responsible as a principal or culpable in the same crime of which the supervising defendant was convicted: `[J]ust as a party who knowingly assists a criminal enterprise is criminally responsible under principles of accessory liability, a party who gives knowing aid in some part of the criminal enterprise is a criminally responsible party under the Guidelines.' Bapack, 129 F.3d at 1325 (quoting United States v. Hall, 101 F.3d 1174, 1178 (7th Cir.1996)) (alteration in Bapack ). Based on the record, the district court's finding that Akinmurele was a criminally responsible person was not clearly erroneous. Akinmurele admitted to the FBI that he prepared false financial statements for Brodie at Brodie's direction and bank records corroborate Akinmurele by indicating that Brodie paid Akinmurele for his services. Therefore, the imposition of the four-level enhancement pursuant to U.S.S.G. § 3B1.1 was not clearly erroneous.