Opinion ID: 195633
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Challenges to the Enhancements

Text: 91 Ovalle claims that the court erred in determining his sentence by ruling against him with respect to his three sentencing challenges. With respect to Ovalle's first challenge, a four level increase in a defendant's BOL is appropriate where the defendant was an organizer or leader of a criminal activity that involved five or more participants ... U.S.S.G. Sec. 3B1.1(a); See United States v. Sabatino, 943 F.2d 94, 101 (1st Cir.1991); United States v. McDowell, 918 F.2d 1004, 1011 (1st Cir.1990). The application notes to U.S.S.G. Sec. 3B1.1 list seven nonexclusive factors which the court should consider when considering whether a defendant played a leadership or organizational role as compared to a managerial or supervisory role. These factors include the exercise of decision making authority, the nature of participation in the commission of the offense, the recruitment of accomplices, the claimed right to a larger share of the fruits of the crime, the degree of participation in planning or organizing the offense, the nature and scope of the illegal activity, and the degree of control and authority exercised over others. U.S.S.G. Sec. 3B1.1, commentary n. 3; Sabatino, 943 F.2d at 101. The sentencing court found that Rivera played a leadership or organizational role in this drug smuggling operation, and then enhanced his sentence. The court did not err. 92 The evidence in the record supports the conclusion that Ovalle orchestrated and organized the logistics of the smuggling plan. The record reasonably indicated that Ovalle was the individual who had the closest links to the source of the cocaine. Ovalle told Monteagudo that the cocaine was coming from Colombia, and it was Ovalle who was privy to the code that would be utilized to communicate with the plane that was coming from Colombia to make the airdrop. After Monteagudo reported to Ovalle and Rivera that he had been forced to throw seven bales of cocaine overboard because his boat had been pursued by unknown individuals, Ovalle took Monteagudo to a pay phone where Ovalle called a person, who was reasonably presumed to be a higher-up, and had Monteagudo explain what had happened to the cocaine. Additionally, the evidence indicated that Ovalle was involved in all planning stages of the operation, and that Ovalle directed the actions of both Linder and Monteagudo, as well as other co-conspirators. Ovalle also financed various portions of the operation, such as providing money to Linder to repair his boat. These factors all suggest that Ovalle was a leader and organizer of the smuggling operation, and the court did not err in enhancing Ovalle's BOL by four levels. 93 Ovalle's contentions with respect to the court's determination of the quantity of cocaine involved, and its enhancement based on the presence of a firearm, are analogous to Rivera's challenges, which we have previously addressed. We will not rehash those discussions. Rather, we have reviewed the record and there is ample evidence to support the court's findings that Ovalle was responsible for 800 kilograms of cocaine, and that he possessed a firearm in connection with the drug offense. The court's sentencing determinations were not clearly erroneous. 94 For the foregoing reasons, the decision of the district court is affirmed.