Opinion ID: 1696
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: the sentencing reduction

Text: A district court’s sentencing decisions are reviewed under the advisory sentencing guidelines for abuse of discretion. United States v. Shor, 549 F.3d 1075, 1077 (6th Cir. 2008) (citing Gall v. United States, 552 U.S. 38, 46 (2007)). In particular, a district court’s decision regarding the minor participant reduction is given significant deference. United States v. Gabbard, 586 F.3d 1046, 1052 (6th Cir. 2009) (“While an independent review of the record might lead us to grant the minor participant reduction, the essentially factual nature of the district court’s determination requires us to give substantial deference to the sentencing court.”). Thus, a reviewing “‘court will not disturb the district court’s determination of a defendant’s role in the criminal activity unless it is clearly erroneous.’” United States v. Samuels, 308 F.3d 662, 672 (6th Cir. 2002) (quoting United States v. -12- 1 No. 08-6135 United States v. Adkins Williams, 940 F.2d 176, 180 (6th Cir. 1991)).
The United States Sentencing Guidelines permit a two offense level reduction “[i]f the defendant was a minor participant in any criminal activity.” U.S.S.G. § 3B1.2(a). A defendant “‘seeking a downward adjustment of a sentence otherwise required by the guidelines . . . has the burden of proving by a preponderance of the evidence his or her entitlement to a reduction.’” United States v. Mahan, 190 F.3d 416, 425 (6th Cir. 1999) (quoting United States v. Adu, 82 F.3d 119, 123 (6th Cir. 1996)). The two level reduction “applies to a defendant who is substantially less culpable than most other participants, but whose role could not be described as minimal.” Mahan, 190 F.3d at 426 (citing U.S.S.G. § 3B1.2, cmt. n.3). A defendant is not “automatically entitled to a minor participant reduction simply because [a co-conspirator] could have been deemed a more culpable participant than [the defendant].” United States v. Jackson, 55 F.3d 1219, 1225 (6th Cir. 1995). The district court’s decision not to grant Adkins the two level reduction was not clearly erroneous. The district court explained its decision as follows: The defendant is asking for a role adjustment because he submits he’s a minor participant in criminal activity. This role is appropriate when someone is less culpable than most of the other participants but his role could not be described as minimal. And as the defendant concedes, he bears the burden of proving he played a minor role. Here we have concerted activity where each person involved in the activity is responsible for all the actions of the others. The defendant’s role in this case was more than just driving a vehicle. When he was apprehended, he had some false identification on him. I don’t recall whether it was in just one name or multiple names. I also don’t recall whether there were credit cards on his person. But I do recall that there was a false identification document in his possession or that had recently been in his possession when he was stopped. -13- 1 No. 08-6135 United States v. Adkins The Court, in considering that the defendant bears the burden of proof on this issue, will deny the request. It is not at all evident, from the evidence that came in and the arguments, that the defendant is less culpable than most other participants, especially in this particular transaction where he was actually someone who actually made purchases, went in and made false statements. So the Court will deny that objection. The court considered the evidence presented and determined that, given Adkins’s role in making purchases with false identification documents and making false statements to store employees, he could not be considered a minor participant. By Adkins’s own admission, he wanted to play a larger role than Patton would allow due to his difficulty remembering what he was supposed to do and say while making purchases—a factor that counsels against awarding a minor participant reduction. See Gabbard, 586 F.3d at 1052 (affirming district court’s denial of reduction, “in light of [the defendant’s] attempt to increase his role in the conspiracy”). We see no clear error in the district court’s analysis, and we afford the court’s decision the proper deference by affirming it.