Opinion ID: 46031
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: The Criminal History Enhancement

Text: Section 4A1.1(d) of the sentencing guidelines provides that the district court shall add two points to a defendant’s criminal history score “if the defendant committed the instant offense while under any criminal justice sentence, including probation . . . .” We have previously held that the § 4A1.1(d) enhancement “is appropriate where a continuing offense begins before the offense for which the defendant is under a criminal justice sentence because a continuing offense, by its very nature, does not terminate until the date of the indictment or the voluntary termination of the illegal activity.” United States v. SantanaCastellano, 74 F.3d 593, 598 (5th Cir. 1996) (internal quotation marks and citations omitted). Conspiracy is a continuing offense. See, e.g., United States v. Bermea, 30 F.3d 1539, 1577 (5th Cir. 1994). Severin pleaded guilty to charges that he conspired to possess with intent to distribute MDA and MDMA from prior to January 2003 until the indictment was issued on August 6, 2004. Furthermore, there is no evidence suggesting that Severin withdrew from the conspiracy at any time before the indictment was issued. Severin’s state probation began on March 11, 2004, and he thus committed the conspiracy offense while on probation. The district court did not 9 err by adding two criminal history points under § 4A1.1(d), and we affirm.