Opinion ID: 1425029
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Fuller's Sentence

Text: Fuller argues and speculates that we should remand for resentencing because in finding him accountable for more than 500 grams of cocaine, the district court erroneously relied on Bew's testimony that he sold Fuller between 750 grams and one kilogram in 2003. He argues that the wiretap transcripts contradict Bew's testimony because, according to Fuller, they show that only 73 grams of cocaine changed hands between him and Bew over a two-month period. We review the district court's calculation of drug quantity for clear error, meaning we will remand only if we are left with a definite and firm conviction that a mistake has been committed. United States v. Artley, 489 F.3d 813, 821 (7th Cir.2007) (citation omitted). Fuller's argument ignores the jury's special verdict finding that Fuller is accountable for at least 500 grams of cocaine. In light of the special verdict, it would have been both unnecessary and inappropriate for the judge to reexamine, and resolve in the defendant's favor, a factual issue that the jury has resolved in the prosecutor's favor beyond a reasonable doubt. See United States v. Rivera, 411 F.3d 864, 866 (7th Cir.2005). The special verdict bound the court to a statutory minimum sentence of 5 years. See 21 U.S.C. § 841(b)(1)(B)(ii). But Fuller argues that the government should be judicially estopped from asserting that the special verdict is binding because it did not object when the court said at sentencing that it considered the special verdict to be advisory. But judicial estoppel is a doctrine of equity, see Cannon-Stokes v. Potter, 453 F.3d 446, 448 (7th Cir.2006), and Fuller has not explained why it would be unfair to find the special verdict binding for purposes of calculating a guidelines range where it is indisputably binding to determine the mandatory minimum sentence. See Rivera, 411 F.3d at 866. In any event, the transcripts do not contradict Bew's testimony that he sold Fuller at least 750 grams of cocaine. The transcript of the first call between Fuller and Bew reveals that Fuller owed Bew $3,500 for drugs he had fronted, an amount reflecting Bew's price for 126 grams of cocaine. That call corroborates Bew's testimony that he sold anywhere from 3 grams to 126 grams of cocaine to Fuller in each of their transactions. The frequency of the calls between Fuller and Bew corroborates Bew's testimony that he sold Fuller cocaine once a week or once every two. And more than one call shows that Bew was seeking payment for debts of $1,000, a price consistent with a sale of approximately two ounces of cocaine. At sentencing, the government was required to show the amount of drugs only by a preponderance of the evidence, see Artley, 489 F.3d at 821, and Fuller has not demonstrated that anything in the wiretaps shows that the court clearly erred in finding that the government met its burden.