Opinion ID: 2973391
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 8

Heading: Enhancements Beyond a Reasonable Doubt

Text: Pursuant to the plea agreement, if the district court decided that the Federal Sentencing Guidelines were unconstitutional, the district court was to apply the standard of proof beyond a reasonable doubt to determine whether the sentencing enhancements sought by the state were present; the amount of loss to the victims was greater than $200,000 but less than $400,000 and number of victims was greater than fifty but less than two hundred and fifty. The district court in fashioning its identical, alternative sentence found that both sentence enhancements were proven beyond a reasonable doubt. Katzopoulos’ argues that the district court in imposing the alternative sentence could not have found the enhancements beyond a reasonable doubt. Katzopoulos argues that the district court improperly enhanced his sentence by relying on sentencing factors not contained in the indictment, not admitted in open court, and not proven by the government beyond a reasonable doubt. The standard of review for a district court’s factual findings at sentencing is clear error. Orlando, 363 F.3d at 600. These facts are plainly alleged in the indictment, and admitted to in open court by Katzopoulos when he pled guilty. The indictment in relevant part states: 2. The scheme to defraud and to obtain money by false pretenses, representations and promises, so devised and intended to devised by ANASTASIOUS S. KATZOPOULOS was in substance, as follows: ... e. ANASTASIOUS S. KATZOPOULOS collected payments totaling approximately $273,030.60 from approximately 138 customers and deposited those payments into bank accounts that he controlled. The wire fraud counts, Counts Six through Ten, realleged and incorporated inter alia these sections. When entering his guilty plea, Katzopoulos admitted to the facts contained in the indictment. The admissible hearsay testimony of Postal Inspector Gregg further supported the district court’s factual finding that both enhancements were proven beyond a reasonable doubt. Postal Inspector Gregg testified that the total amount of deposits of two Surplus of Nashville bank accounts exceeded $273,030. As to the number of victims enhancement, Inspector Gregg testified that one hundred and fifty six (156) never mailed, refund checks were seized from Katzopoulos’ abandoned apartment. Also, bank records introduced at the sentencing hearing established that checks and Paypal payments were deposited into Surplus of Nashville’s bank accounts from more than fifty (50) individuals. Finally, there was no evidence presented that Katzopoulos was involved in any form of legitimate business activities. The district court did not commit clear error when it found that the sentencing enhancements were proven beyond a reasonable doubt. The indictment, the admission in open court, and the admissible hearsay testimony at sentencing all support the district court’s factual findings. For these reasons, the sentence imposed by the district court is AFFIRMED.