Opinion ID: 752949
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Defendant's Counterargument

Text: 30 We turn finally to the language in Application Note 12 that says if defendant establishes his lack of intent or his lack of capability to provide the agreed-upon quantity of drugs, the sentencing court shall exclude that amount so established from the offense level determination. We are thereby required to look at the evidence Shitrit put forth to suggest that the amount of illegal drugs involved in the transaction is lower than the government postulates. In so doing, we must keep in mind that the government is not required to refute all possible explanations for defendant's behavior when first setting out its theory. Rather, once the government has met its burden with respect to quantity, the defendant bears the burden of responding to that evidence. 31 Here the defendant presents an alternative explanation that he at all times intended to deliver salt and caffeine pills, so as to defraud his buyers and make off with the cash. Yet this explanation comes simply from the mouths of his attorneys, without any supporting proof. The district court was justified in characterizing it as too speculative. See Desimone, 119 F.3d at 229 (Absent evidence other than [defendant's] own post-arrest assertion that he intended to commit a robbery, the sentencing court was justified in relying on [defendant's] pre-arrest promises to deliver five kilograms of cocaine.). Because the defendant failed to submit anything to undermine the government's assertions, he failed to establish his lack of intent or capability. As a result, he cannot counter the quantity of drugs the government's proof demonstrated he sold. Consequently, we see no error in the district court's calculating the base offense level to include the 4,440 playboy pills.