Opinion ID: 2971582
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 5

Heading: Miscellaneous Scoring Issues

Text: Upshaw argues that the district court should have scored his taking of the .32 caliber from Blackshear as a larceny and not as a robbery. As discussed supra, the evidence supports a determination that Upshaw’s taking of the .32 caliber was a robbery. Hence, the district court did not err when it scored the taking as a robbery at sentencing. - 43 - Nos. 02-1409/1428 United States v. Upshaw & Rice Upshaw also argues that, since the jury acquitted him of any robbery of Johnson and Martin, it was error for the district court to find that he committed such an offense at sentencing as a racketeering act underlying his conspiracy RICO conviction. The jury’s finding is inapposite since it was required to find facts beyond a reasonable doubt, while the district court finds relevant conduct under a preponderance of the evidence standard. The testimony of Johnson and Martin amply supports the district court’s finding that the incident occurred, and it is clear that the actions of Upshaw, as found by the court, constituted robbery. Finally, Rice argues that the district court erred in scoring the Harrison incident as a robbery and, at most, should have scored it as a theft. The jury was instructed as to the elements of robbery and found Rice guilty beyond a reasonable doubt of robbing Harrison. Moreover, there is no indication that the district court’s findings of fact with regard to the incident were clearly erroneous. Nor is there any indication that the district court’s determination that Rice’s actions during the incident constituted robbery is erroneous.