Opinion ID: 2671492
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Randy Irlmeier

Text: In arguing against the enhancement, Randy avers that the activity of any of the coconspirators was done voluntarily, without direction, instruction, or influence such that the district court should not have applied the aggravating role enhancement. Randy references an occasion where Randy's girlfriend, Janice Wolfe, and her sister, Linda Southwell, traveled from their homes in South Carolina to visit Randy at his Iowa farm. During the visit, Wolfe and Southwell assisted Randy in cutting marijuana plants on one occasion. Wolfe testified that she cut the plants by voluntarily imitating Randy, for he never solicited her help in cutting the plants or instructed her how to cut them. Southwell testified that she did not remember receiving any invitation or -9- instructions from Randy regarding the marijuana cutting. One of Randy's customers, Gene Weitl, also participated in this marijuana-cutting soiree, but he could not remember receiving any invitation or instructions from Randy. The district court apparently accepted these testimonies as true, stating: This case does present some wrinkles that are different than what the court frequently looks at with regard to aggravated role in an offense, in terms of relatively small levels of participation, and also because in some situations the participation appears to have been voluntary, although to the extent that there was direction, particularly with the volunteers, the direction was by the volunteers observing what the defendants were doing and then copying that and providing some participation and some assistance to the process, and because of all of those factors, this case does present somewhat differently. Thus, Randy questions whether the aggravating role enhancement applies where the coconspirators participated voluntarily and without his direction or instruction. We need not answer this question because other facts demonstrate that Randy qualifies for the aggravating role enhancement. First, Traci testified that Paul watered Randy's marijuana plants occasionally while Randy was out of town because watering was part of Paul's responsibility to Randy. One can reasonably infer that Paul was responsible for this activity because of Randy's instruction. Additionally, Weitl testified that Randy asked him to retrieve a bag of marijuana from another building and deliver it to Randy, which Weitl did. Weitl also testified that he helped drill holes in the field for Randy so that Randy could plant marijuana. Randy's actions seem comparably more supervisory than the defendant in Lopez who merely asked his roommate to serve as a lookout on one occasion. See 431 F.3d at 318. Although not overwhelming, the evidence reflecting Randy's supervisory authority is sufficient. See Gaines, 639 F.3d at 428. Randy's arguments to the contrary reflect a statement of -10- disagreement with the circuit's precedent applying the enhancement in certain factual scenarios. As a three judge panel, we are similarly bound by circuit precedent. Id. Consequently, the district court did not err in determining that Randy qualified for the enhancement.