Opinion ID: 156166
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Background of 1987 Offense

Text: At the sentencing hearing, the district court began its inquiry into whether the Three Strikes statute applied by asking the government if it had any testimony or presentation on the issue. The government responded by introducing certified copies of the judgments from the 1987 conviction and the other conviction on which it relied. The government then called two witnesses to testify as to the facts of the underlying convictions. The government does not contend that a “dangerous weapon” other than a 2 firearm was involved in the 1987 offense. Therefore, we limit our discussion under § 3559(c)(3)(A)(i) to whether the 1987 offense involved the use or threat of use of a firearm. -4- With respect to the 1987 conviction, the government called FBI Agent Robert Novotny, who was the case agent assigned to investigate the offense. According to Agent Novotny, an informant told the FBI in 1986 that Robert Colley, a Missouri prison inmate, was planning to abduct his ex-wife and the teenage son of a Kansas City bank executive. Because he was incarcerated, Colley needed assistance to carry out the scheme. Two undercover agents posed as persons willing to assist in the scheme. The agents were to be in contact with a person on the East Coast, who turned out to be Gottlieb. After several phone calls between the agents and Gottlieb, Gottlieb agreed to fly to Kansas City to meet with the agents. Gottlieb asked the agents to provide him with a firearm when he got to Kansas City because he would be unable to bring one with him on the airplane. According to Agent Novotny, Gottlieb “wanted a weapon available for him. . . . [T]hey wanted to show, as I understand it, a true threat to the ex-wife and to get the extortion completed against the bank president, against the bank officer.” Agent Novotny further testified that Gottlieb traveled to Kansas City and met with the agents at a hotel, where they discussed the plan and made phone calls to the bank to determine if the executive’s son was at home. 3 The agents then took Gottlieb to their car, which was in the hotel parking lot. In the trunk of 3 Agent Novotny did not state who made the phone calls. -5- the car, the agents had placed a gym bag containing an inoperative firearm. In addition to the two undercover agents, other agents, including Novotny, were in the vicinity. When Gottlieb reached for the firearm, but before touching it, the agents arrested him. Gottlieb was wearing a bulletproof vest when he was arrested. After Agent Novotny testified and the government announced that it had no further evidence, Gottlieb took the stand in his own defense. He testified that his only role in the offense was to transport the ransom money to a bank; he was not to be involved in the actual kidnapping. Gottlieb further testified that, upon arriving in Kansas City, he met with the two undercover agents at a hotel and discussed the plan. As the three were walking out of the hotel, there was a discussion about the fact that Gottlieb would be carrying a substantial amount of money. According to Gottlieb, the agents then offered him a firearm. Gottlieb testified: “I was like, whatever. I’m going to be on an airplane in three hours . . . so whatever. . . . I couldn’t have taken it to the airport anyway. I would have had to throw it away immediately.” Gottlieb testified that one of the agents then opened the trunk of the car, said there was a gun in the trunk, and pointed at the trunk. When Gottlieb turned to look, he was arrested. The government offered no rebuttal evidence. The government argued that Gottlieb had not met his burden of proving the 1987 offense was a “nonqualifying -6- felony,” stating: “[T]here is just absolutely no way that based upon the record in this case the Court could support that finding.” Gottlieb, on the other hand, urged the court to find that the 1987 offense constitutes a “nonqualifying felony” because no firearm was involved in the offense. The district court ruled from the bench, first finding generally that the government’s testimony was more believable than Gottlieb’s. The court then concluded that “the defendant has failed to establish by clear and convincing evidence that his prior offenses constitute non-qualifying felonies under 18 U.S.C. § 3559(c)(3)([A]). The defendant is, therefore, subject to mandatory life imprisonment.” The court gave no further explanation of its ruling. The court next found that under the Sentencing Guidelines, Gottlieb’s total offense level was 25 and his criminal history category was IV. Thus, based on the Sentencing Guidelines, Gottlieb was subject to imprisonment for a term of 84 to 105 months (7 to 8.75 years). 4 See U.S.S.G. Ch. 5, Pt. A. The court, however, sentenced him to life imprisonment. 4 When announcing his proposed findings of fact and tentative sentence, the district court judge stated that the “Guideline provides life imprisonment.” According to the Sentencing Guidelines, however, Gottlieb was subject to imprisonment for a term of 84 to 105 months. See U.S.S.G. Ch. 5, Pt. A. -7-