Opinion ID: 659857
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Tracy's Challenges to the Calculation of His Sentence

Text: 95 Tracy challenges the court's calculation of his sentence with respect to (a) the amount of cocaine pertinent to his base offense level, (b) his role in the offense, and (c) his use of a firearm in connection with the conspiracy. Facts in connection with sentencing must be established by a preponderance of the evidence, see, e.g., United States v. Pirre, 927 F.2d 694, 696 (2d Cir.1991) (quantity of narcotics); United States v. Campuzano, 905 F.2d 677, 680 (2d Cir.) (same), cert. denied, 498 U.S. 947, 111 S.Ct. 363, 112 L.Ed.2d 326 (1990); United States v. Garcia, 920 F.2d 153, 156 (2d Cir.1990) (per curiam) (role in offense); United States v. Rios, 893 F.2d 479, 481 (2d Cir.1990) (same), and we must accept the findings of fact of the district court unless they are clearly erroneous, 18 U.S.C. Sec. 3742(e) (1988). Given these principles, Tracy's challenges to the calculation of his sentence do not require extended discussion. 96 The PSR calculated that Tracy was responsible for 5-15 kilograms of cocaine. Tracy disputed this, stating that because his salary was only $800 a week, he could not envision that the conspiracy dealt in such a large quantity of narcotics. The court properly rejected this contention. The evidence of Tracy's extensive participation in the conspiracy included the trial testimony of Sanchez that Tracy had delivered to her 1-1 1/2 kilograms of cocaine once or twice a week for several months; the sentencing hearing testimony of Bissam Bittar, a cocaine deliverer for the organization, that, dating back to 1986 or 1987, Tracy had made or accompanied all deliveries to Bittar of more than one pound of cocaine; and the testimony of several witnesses that Tracy had provided protection to the organization and collected its drug debts, demonstrating his familiarity with the scope of the organization. The evidence was thus ample to support the court's finding that the conspiracy's dealing in at least 5-15 kilograms of cocaine was foreseeable to Tracy. 97 Tracy also contended that he played a minor role in the conspiracy and hence was entitled to a two-step reduction in his offense level; he contends that the district court did not rule on this contention. We reject both contentions. The PSR for Tracy recommended an increase in offense level on account of his role as a supervisor. Tracy's attorney argued against this recommendation and in favor of a downward adjustment on the ground that Tracy's role was minor. Immediately after hearing this argument, the court stated that it was well aware of the dimension of Tracy's involvement, both from the proceedings against Tracy and Aguilar and from evidence presented at the related trial of Samuel Segarra, see, e.g., United States v. Carmona, 873 F.2d 569, 574 (2d Cir.1989) (sentencing court is entitled to rely on any type of information known to it, including testimony from a trial in which person to be sentenced was neither a defendant nor represented by counsel). That evidence included the testimony of indicted coconspirator Ingrid Aguilar, Aguilar's wife, at the sentencing hearing held for Tracy, that Tracy had served as Aguilar's chief of security for some 10 years, and that in that capacity Tracy had supervised four or five people at a time, through several changes of security personnel over the years (Tracy Sentencing Transcript, May 22, 1992 (Tracy S. Tr.), at 59); and the testimony of Boero at the trial of Tracy and Aguilar that Tracy was in charge of all the soldiers (Trial Transcript, December 4, 1991, at 136). The court found that although Tracy was not as culpable as Aguilar, he was an important supervisor in the organization, and that there were an awful lot of people--at least six according to the evidence heard by the court at this and the Segarra trial--who were under the supervision of the defendant Tracy. (Tracy S. Tr. 169.) Accordingly, it ruled that Tracy's role in the operation warranted an increase in his offense level. Though the court did not state explicitly that Tracy was not a minor participant, such a ruling was plainly implicit in its finding that he was an important supervisor--a view that foreclosed any possible finding that his role was minor. 98 As to the upward adjustment of Tracy's offense level for possession of a weapon, the pertinent guideline requires such an increase [i]f a dangerous weapon (including a firearm) was possessed during the commission of the offense. Guidelines Sec. 2D1.1(b)(1). Commentary to this section explains that 99 [t]he enhancement for weapon possession reflects the increased danger of violence when drug traffickers possess weapons. The adjustment should be applied if the weapon was present, unless it is clearly improbable that the weapon was connected with the offense. For example, the enhancement would not be applied if the defendant, arrested at his residence, had an unloaded hunting rifle in the closet. 100 Guidelines Sec. 2D1.1(b)(1), Application Note 3. The court's finding that this provision was applicable to Tracy was supported by, inter alia, Ingrid Aguilar's testimony that she had seen Tracy carrying a gun at Aguilar's fruit store, from which the narcotics operation was run; and by Bittar's testimony that he had seen Tracy carrying a gun more than a dozen times, that Tracy habitually wore a long black leather coat to conceal his guns, and that Tracy had threatened to shoot him if he cheated on the organization. Even if the court's finding that Tracy used a weapon were not thus supported, there would be no basis for relief since the court also noted that 327 months would be the upper end of the applicable sentencing range if the weapon possession enhancement did not apply, and indicated that its choice between the two ranges was therefore academic (Tracy S. Tr. 98). See, e.g., United States v. Bermingham, 855 F.2d 925, 931 (2d Cir.1988) (where sentencing court resolves disputed issue by sentencing defendant within overlap of two possible Guidelines ranges, disputed issue provides no basis for reversal). 101