Opinion ID: 784922
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Calculation of Drug Quantity at Sentencing

Text: 19 Thomas and Vaughn also challenge the district court's calculation of drug quantity in determining relevant conduct for sentencing purposes. The district court's relevant conduct finding for Thomas (708 grams of crack cocaine) and Vaughn (672 grams of crack cocaine) was based on the expert testimony of Agent Kress interpreting the drug dealing terminology used on wiretapped telephone conversations in which Thomas instructed Vaughn to cook 18 ounces of powder cocaine into 24 ounces (roughly 672 grams) of crack cocaine and sell each ounce for $1,000. For Thomas, the district court added an additional 36 grams of crack cocaine found by DEA agents when they executed a search warrant at an Evansville residence and subsequently arrested Thomas (who was present at the time of the search). In contrast, Thomas and Vaughn argue that the wiretap surveillance provides evidence showing that they only discussed converting nine grams of powder cocaine into 12 ounces of crack cocaine (or 340 grams). 9 20 Relevant conduct determinations are factual findings that we review with great deference to the district court, reversing only in the case of clear error. United States v. Carmack, 100 F.3d 1271, 1276 (7th Cir.1996). Clear error review means that the district court's decision will not be reversed unless after reviewing the entire record we are left with a definite and firm conviction that a mistake has been committed. Id. (citing United States v. Flores-Sandoval, 94 F.3d 346, 349 (7th Cir.1996)). For relevant conduct, the government is required to prove the amount of drugs attributable to a defendant by a preponderance of the evidence. United States v. Ofcky, 237 F.3d 904, 908 (7th Cir.2001). Proving relevant conduct by a preponderance of the evidence requires showing that the conduct was `more likely than not,' i.e., probable or likely rather than just possible. United States v. Shannon, 110 F.3d 382, 401 n. 10 (7th Cir.1997) (en banc) (citing United States v. Saulter, 60 F.3d 270, 280 (7th Cir.1995)). 21 Here, the district court based its relevant conduct finding on wiretap evidence in which Thomas and Vaughn describe drug processing and distributing two different shipments of 18 ounces of cocaine, and evidence against Thomas seized during a valid search. In making its finding, the court specifically disregarded the trial testimony of Donald McGuire, a convicted drug dealer previously arrested by the government during several narcotics transactions, who testified about extensive drug processing and distribution activities he had engaged in with and on behalf of both Thomas and Vaughn. That Thomas and Vaughn claim a different interpretation of the wiretap evidence does not advance the ball, for under the clearly erroneous standard, if two permissible views exist, the fact-finder's choice between them cannot be clearly erroneous. United States v. Hardamon, 188 F.3d 843, 848 (7th Cir.1999) (citation and quotation marks omitted). 22 Thomas and Vaughn's argument is further undermined by the fact that the 12 ounces of crack cocaine figure they suggested (based on cooking 9 ounces of powder cocaine) fails to account for the other 9 ounces of powder cocaine that they admit to discussing in the same conversation but which they claim they did not intend to cook into crack cocaine. See Appellants' Brief at 15. Nor does their figure account for the additional 18 ounces of powder cocaine, which they concede there was evidence that they had acquired sometime before November 10 (nine ounces of which was ultimately seized by agents after an individual, Golden Sutton, threw it out a car window when he was stopped by police shortly after purchasing it from Thomas). See Appellants' Brief at 15-16. Under these circumstances, we cannot find clear error in the district court's relevant conduct determination.