Court Opinion

ID: 2964558
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2015-09-21 21:27:26.177949+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T09:18:21.065452
License: Public Domain

USCA1 Opinion

	

                                 NOT FOR PUBLICATION

                            UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS
                                FOR THE FIRST CIRCUIT

                                 ____________________

        No. 96-1646

                                    UNITED STATES,

                                      Appellee,

                                          v.

                                    KHAMTAN SINE,

                                Defendant, Appellant.

                                 ____________________

                     APPEAL FROM THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

                           FOR THE DISTRICT OF RHODE ISLAND

                       [Hon. Mary M. Lisi, U.S. District Judge]
                                           ___________________

                                 ____________________

                                        Before

                                Selya, Cyr and Boudin,
                                   Circuit Judges.
                                   ______________

                                 ____________________

            Thomas G. Briody on brief for appellant.
            ________________
            Sheldon Whitehouse,  United States Attorney,  Margaret E.  Curran,
            __________________                            ___________________
        Assistant  United States  Attorney,  and Zechariah  Chafee,  Assistant
                                                 _________________
        United States Attorney, on brief for appellee.

                                 ____________________

                                   February 5, 1997
                                 ____________________

                 Per  Curiam.   Khamtan  Sine appeals  from the  sentence
                 ___________

            imposed  following   his  guilty   plea  to  two   counts  of

            distributing  crack cocaine.    Appellant's sole  argument is

            that  the  district  court   erred  in  concluding  that  the

            government  agent's conduct   --  in requesting  appellant to

            convert  cocaine powder into its crack  form and in assisting

            in  the conversion  on  one occasion  --  did not  amount  to

            "extraordinary misconduct." See United States  v. Montoya, 62
                                        ___ _____________     _______

            F.3d 1, 4  (1st Cir. 1995).  Such a  judgment by the district

            court "is not lightly  to be disregarded." Id.   The district
                                                       ___

            court  did not clearly err in finding that there were neither

            threats  nor  coercion  in this  case.    Nor  was there  any

            indication  of  illegitimate  motives  on  the  part  of  the

            government agent involved.  We  agree with the district court

            that   this   is  a   "garden   variety"   sentencing  factor

            manipulation claim. See id. 
                                ___ ___

                 Appellant's sentence is affirmed.  See Loc. R. 27.1.
                                         ________   ___

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