Opinion ID: 55872
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Lavonnia’s Sentence

Text: The probation officer assigned Lavonnia a base offense level of 14, pursuant to U.S.S.G. § 2J1.3. The probation officer then assessed a two-level reduction for acceptance of responsibility, pursuant to U.S.S.G. § 3E1.1(a), resulting in a total offense level of 12. With an offense level of 12 and a criminal history category of II, Lavonnia’s Guidelines imprisonment range was 12 to 18 months. Lavonnia raised no objections to the PSI, but she submitted a statement to the court requesting a downward departure based on her need to care for her young child. At the sentencing hearing, Lavonnia reiterated her request for a downward departure, asserting that her father had recently died, her mother was financially and physically dependent on her, and her young son had no other competent caregiver. Before pronouncing the sentence, the district court made several statements regarding Lavonnia’s conduct. As to Lavonnia’s request that the DEA pay approximately $33,000 for a diver to continue searching for Kevin approximately 8 two weeks after his disappearance, the court stated that “the most egregious conduct in the whole unfolding of the conspiracy, to have the cheek, the audacity to go and ask for more money to further a search that she knew and she had conspired with, and knew it was bogus from the outset.” Regarding the plea agreement, the district court stated that it “was a great benefit to [Lavonnia], not only from the advisory guidelines range, [which was] substantially lower than [it] would have been had she been convicted of all counts in the indictment[,]” but “[r]estitution cannot be ordered to the United States Coast Guard for criminal conduct in which [Lavonnia] played a significant part.” And regarding Lavonnia’s motion for a downward departure, the court stated “I noticed the egregious conduct of this defendant who had considerably above-average earnings, and her pursuit of more investigation, and more money, and more resources to be committed to a hunt . . . that she knew was absolutely futile.” Accepting the calculations in the PSI, the court concluded that Lavonnia’s total offense level was 12, her criminal history category was II, and her Guidelines imprisonment range was 12 to 18 months. The court also noted that the statutory maximum sentence for her offense was five years’ imprisonment. Stating that “her conduct in this instance merits that extra six months,” the court sentenced Lavonnia to 24 months’ imprisonment “[p]ursuant to the Sentencing Reform Act 9 of 1984.” Lavonnia raised no objections to the sentence.