Opinion ID: 746480
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Robert D. Petty, Jr.

Text: 5 Robert Petty also pleaded guilty to the conspiracy. In conjunction with that plea Petty requested a two-level downward reduction in his guideline offense level on account of his status as a minor participant in the conspiracy. The government opposed this request. The district court found that Petty was not deserving of a downward reduction for being a minor participant and denied the request. Petty now appeals that decision. He argues that the facts do not support the district court's conclusion and that viewed even in the light most favorable to the government, he is deserving of minor participant status. 6 Petty admits that he and his brother, Billy Petty, worked in conjunction with Hayes in obtaining cocaine from Chicago and distributing it in the Racine area and had their own customer base. Petty Br. at 6 (citing Presentence Report). Petty also admits that the Presentence Report considered him to be the fourth most culpable member of the conspiracy, which had eleven or twelve members. Nevertheless, Petty compares himself to other members of the conspiracy who did receive two-level reductions for their minor participant status. For example, Petty points to Charmin Banks (ranked seventh), responsible for between five and fourteen kilograms of cocaine as a courier and dealer in Milwaukee, who received the adjustment. Jamaile Andino (ranked eighth) also received a two-point downward adjustment even though he worked closely with Hayes (the leader of the conspiracy) and was present at the inception of the conspiracy. Petty also compares himself to Walter Ball (ranked eleventh), who was a courier for Hayes and received the minor participant reduction. 7 The crux of Petty's argument is that the district court mistakenly looked only to Petty's involvement in his branch of the conspiracy rather than to his involvement in the overall conspiracy. Petty concedes that his involvement in the Racine portion of the conspiracy was more than minor. But, he argues, he lacked understanding of the scope of the larger conspiracy, he knew only four of the other participants and he was not intricately involved in the overall conspiracy. See, e.g., United States v. Valencia, 907 F.2d 671, 686-87 (7th Cir.1990). Petty also argues that he worked with Hayes in only one instance and that all of his other dealings with Hayes consisted merely of Hayes acting as a supplier for Petty and his brother. Finally, Petty points to the district court's finding that Petty lacked knowledge or understanding of the scope and the structure of the conspiracy and the activities that others were engaged in who were co[-]conspirator[s]. Petty Sentencing Transcript at 40. 8 We review the district court's decision for clear error. See United States v. Boatner, 99 F.3d 831, 838 (7th Cir.1996). The district court adopted the Presentence Report (PSR) without alteration. The PSR ranked Petty fourth in culpability, with at least six people ranked as less culpable than Petty. Thus, the government argues, Petty is not less culpable than the average participant and the district court did not commit clear error. United States v. Kerr, 13 F.3d 203, 206 (7th Cir.1993). Upon review of the sentencing transcript we agree that the district court carefully considered Petty's arguments and found that it could not consider Petty a minor participant. Contrary to Petty's argument, the district court did consider Petty's involvement in the overall conspiracy, not just the Racine portion of the conspiracy. For example, the court stated 9 that the minimal or minor participant situation is generally somebody who this court has found maybe as a first-time offender or has been drawn into this conspiracy in some other fashion. Now, everybody seems to agree that Ball and Johnson are in that category, but it's hard for this court to find that this defendant played a minor role when he has a record of at least two prior drug convictions and a number of other violations ... he had a business of his own, he decided to go into partnership with his brother, and that they both dealt with Mr. Hayes who was believed to be the leader. 10 Petty Sentencing Transcript at 40-41. The district court's decision was not clearly erroneous.