Opinion ID: 625333
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: 14 Level Enhancement for Loss

Text: A sentence for convictions under § 5332 is determined under U.S.S.G. § 2S1.3. Section 2S1.3 provides: (a) Base Offense Level: (1) 8, if the defendant was convicted under 31 U.S.C. § 5318 or § 5318A; or (2) 6 plus the number of offense levels from the table in § 2B1.1 ... corresponding to the value of the funds, if subsection (a)(1) does not apply. Because subsection (a)(1) did not apply, the district court looked at the table in § 2B1.1, whose chart shows that for amounts more than $400,000, the offense level is increased by 14. Adin's argument is that § 2B1.1 is a penalty for loss and that, in United States v. Bajakajian, the Supreme Court held that failure to report currency caused no loss to the public fisc and only caused a deprivation of the information that money had left the country. 524 U.S. 321, 339, 118 S.Ct. 2028, 141 L.Ed.2d 314 (1998). Because there was no loss, Adin argues, there could be no 14-level enhancement. We reject this argument. First, the 14-level enhancement was applied not because of loss, but because the Guidelines incorporated the chart as a reference for the bulk cash smuggling guideline instead of reprinting the chart. This follows from the plain language of the sentencing guidelines. Second, as noted by the First Circuit, after Bajakajian, Congress enacted the USA PATRIOT Act, which defined the new crime of bulk cash smuggling at § 5332. United States v. Jose, 499 F.3d 105, 109 (1st Cir.2007). The First Circuit in Jose noted that by enacting the bulk cash smuggling statute, Congress was demonstrating its view that defendant's violation of the bulk cash smuggling statute constitutes a significant harm. Id. at 112. We agree. The 14-level enhancement was appropriate.