Court Opinion

ID: 9917334
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2024-01-12 01:00:59.210949+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T08:02:24.487116
License: Public Domain

Case: 23-30318        Document: 00517030172             Page: 1      Date Filed: 01/11/2024

             United States Court of Appeals
                  for the Fifth Circuit                                   United States Court of Appeals
                                                                                   Fifth Circuit
                                     ____________                                FILED
                                                                          January 11, 2024
                                      No. 23-30318
                                                                            Lyle W. Cayce
                                    Summary Calendar
                                                                                 Clerk
                                    ____________

   United States of America,

                                                                      Plaintiff—Appellee,

                                            versus

   Terrence Landry,

                                              Defendant—Appellant.
                     ______________________________

                     Appeal from the United States District Court
                        for the Western District of Louisiana
                              USDC No. 2:21-CR-175-1
                     ______________________________

   Before Smith, Higginson, and Engelhardt, Circuit Judges.
   Per Curiam:*
         Terrence Landry appeals his sentence of 210 months of imprisonment
   imposed after pleading guilty to receipt of child pornography. He contends
   that the district court clearly erred in applying a five-level enhancement
   under U.S.S.G. § 2G2.2(b)(3)(A) because the Government failed to

         _____________________
         *
             This opinion is not designated for publication. See 5th Cir. R. 47.5.
Case: 23-30318       Document: 00517030172           Page: 2    Date Filed: 01/11/2024

                                      No. 23-30318

   demonstrate by a preponderance of the evidence that he distributed child
   pornography for pecuniary gain.
          We review the district court’s interpretation and application of the
   Sentencing Guidelines de novo and its factual findings for clear error. United
   States v. Luyten, 966 F.3d 329, 332 (5th Cir. 2020). There is no clear error if
   a factual finding is plausible in light of the record as a whole. Id.
          The Sentencing Guidelines provide that a defendant’s offense level is
   increased by at least 5-levels “[i]f the offense involved distribution for
   pecuniary gain.” § 2G2.2(b)(3)(A). Distribution includes actions “related
   to the transfer of material involving the sexual exploitation of a minor,”
   “including possession with intent to distribute, production, transmission,
   advertisement, and transportation” of child pornography.                § 2G2.2,
   comment. (n.1).
          While Landry contends that he took no part in discussing the
   purchasing or selling of child pornography, the record reflects that Landry
   owned a Twitter account that routinely shared child pornography with other
   users; that he pretended to be the child depicted in the images and videos
   that he shared; that he asked Twitter users how much they would pay for
   images and videos depicting child pornography; and that he discussed the
   methods for receiving payments.          Because the determination that he
   distributed child pornography for pecuniary gain is plausible in light of the
   record as a whole, and Landry failed to present evidence rebutting the
   finding, the district court did not clearly err in imposing an enhancement
   under § 2G2.2(b)(3)(A). See Luyten, 966 F.3d at 332; United States v.
   Landreneau, 967 F.3d 443, 451 (5th Cir. 2020) (holding that the defendant
   has the burden to rebut facts adopted by the district court).
          AFFIRMED.

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