Opinion ID: 199782
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: District Court's Determination on Public Trust

Text: 24 The Presentence Report in this case recommended that Gonzalez-Alvarez be given an upward adjustment under U.S.S.G. § 3B1.3 for abuse of a position of public trust, and this adjustment was not objected to by the defendant. 7 The district court, however, found that in prior cases with similar facts such an enhancement had been rejected. To be consistent with these prior rulings, the court did not apply the enhancement for abuse of public trust. 25 We determine the legal meaning of the Sentencing Guidelines de novo, and review the district court's fact-finding for clear error. Caraballo, 200 F.3d at 24. We then give due deference to the district court's application of the Guidelines to those facts. Id. 26 Section 3B1.3 of the Sentencing Guidelines provides for a 2-level enhancement [i]f the defendant abused a position of public or private trust... in a manner that significantly facilitated the commission or concealment of the offense... . The government argues that along with his ORIL-issued license to sell milk, Gonzalez-Alvarez came under a corresponding duty to ensure his milk was safe for public consumption and that this duty placed the defendant in a position of public trust. 27 Although there is no clear First Circuit case law dispositive of this issue, we consider relevant to a § 3B1.3 inquiry whether the public expects that people in the position of the defendant will comply with health and safety regulations for which they are responsible. See United States v. White, 270 F.3d 356, 372-73 (6th Cir. 2001) (holding that officials at a water plant responsible for reporting turbidity levels in water held positions of trust with respect to area residents who drank the water, and abused the trust when making false reports about water quality to government agencies; United States v. Turner, 102 F.3d 1350, 1360 (4th Cir. 1996) (holding that mine owners responsible for compliance with federal mine safety laws are in a position of public trust); cf. United States v. Rehal, 940 F.2d 1, 12 (1st Cir. 1991) (holding that a police officer occupies a position of public trust because the public expects that an officer will not violate the laws which they are charged to enforce). It is true that the public likely looks to milk processing plants like Tres to ensure the safety of their dairy products, but simply because one entity occupies a position of public trust does not mean another cannot also occupy such a position. We find no authority to the contrary. The public was entitled to have dairy farmers like Gonzalez-Alvarez provide milk to processing plants compliant with all FDA and ORIL regulations, and accordingly we conclude that the defendant occupied a position of public trust. 28 Gonzalez-Alvarez provided contaminated milk to Tres, intending that it reach the public in its adulterated state. It is clear from the record that his position as an ORIL-licensed dairy farmer significantly facilitated his commission of this offense. See U.S.S.G. § 3B1.3. We therefore hold that Gonzalez-Alvarez abused the position of public trust with which he was entrusted, and that the district court should have applied a 2-level enhancement pursuant to § 3B1.3.