Opinion ID: 699603
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: U.S.S.G. Sec. 3B1.1(c)

Text: 10 Braun argues that he was the sole participant in the criminal activity. While he admits to employing several individuals at Gold Standard, he argues that none of them benefitted from his illegal activity, nor did they take part in the diversion of funds or investment in the commodities market. He also emphasizes the fact that none of his employees were charged with any criminal activity. 11 We do not believe these distinctions to be well taken. The U.S.S.G. Application Notes define a participant as a person who is criminally responsible for the commission of the offense, but need not have been convicted. U.S.S.G. Sec. 3B1.1, comment. (n.1). Therefore, the facts that none of Braun's employees benefitted from the commission of the offense or were convicted of any offenses arising from the criminal activity do not necessarily determine the ultimate issue. The key determination is whether Braun's employees were also criminally responsible for the commission of the offense. 12 The record amply supports the district court's finding that Braun's employees both knowingly and unknowingly aided him in the commission of the instant offenses. The numerous employees employed by Braun at Gold Standard aided in the commission of the offenses both by soliciting new members to cover the ongoing commodities market losses and by sending fraudulent invoices to existing members. Without this aid, Braun would have been unable to continue his fraudulent scheme. Several of those employees were aware as early as 1982 that Braun was fraudulently diverting members' funds into the commodities market, including Braun's office manager who repeatedly confronted Braun regarding the fact that she was mailing false monthly statements when, in fact, there was no money in those members' accounts. As such, we do not find the district court's finding that Braun was the leader and organizer of a multi-participant criminal activity to be clearly erroneous. See United States v. Nelson, 5 F.3d 254, 258 (7th Cir.1993), cert. denied, --- U.S. ----, 114 S.Ct. 937, 127 L.Ed.2d 228 (1994) (vice president who participated in the creation of orders reflecting phony sales to a fictitious company, vice president who falsified freight orders to document fictitious sales, and billings clerk who created fictitious invoices at the direction of defendant were criminally responsible participants in bank fraud scheme for purposes of U.S.S.G. Sec. 3B1.1).