United States v. Ana Laura Haines, A/K/A Diane Miles

32 F.3d 290, 1994 U.S. App. LEXIS 21263, 1994 WL 417301
CourtCourt of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit
DecidedAugust 10, 1994
Docket93-3687
StatusPublished
Cited by63 cases

This text of 32 F.3d 290 (United States v. Ana Laura Haines, A/K/A Diane Miles) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
United States v. Ana Laura Haines, A/K/A Diane Miles, 32 F.3d 290, 1994 U.S. App. LEXIS 21263, 1994 WL 417301 (7th Cir. 1994).

Opinion

KANNE, Circuit Judge.

Ana Laura Haines and her husband operated an “elder care home” in their residence. During the time at issue here Haines used the name Diane Miles. In the fall of 1989, Haines and her husband moved from Arizona to Richland County, Wisconsin. Three elderly women, who they cared for, traveled with them. One of the three women under their care was Eunice Hoskins.

Before moving to Wisconsin Mrs. Hoskins had given a Durable General Power of Attorney to Haines. Haines’s name on the power of attorney appears as “Diane Myles” (apparently a variation of “Diane Miles”). The power of attorney specifically stated that Haines (shown as Myles on the document) could not use assets of Mrs. Hoskins to pay Haines’s own legal obligations. Shortly thereafter the power of attorney was forwarded to the Richland County Bank in Richland Center, Wisconsin. A little over two weeks after the execution of the power of attorney, Mrs. Hoskins transferred $77,-500.00 from a bank in Tucson, Arizona, to the *292 Richland County Bank. On the same date, Haines sent a $2,250.00 cheek to the bank. The Richland County Bank then issued a certificate of deposit in the amount of $80,-000.00 in the names of “Eunice I. Hoskins and Diane Miles.”

Less than a month later on November 17, 1989, Haines, using the name Diane Miles, borrowed $20,000.00 from the Richland County Bank providing the certificate of deposit as collateral. She also gave the bank a false social security number on her application. The short term promissory note was signed both by Nick Miles and Diane Miles and “POA Eunice Hoskins.” Of the loan proceeds, $17,500.00 was deposited in the joint checking account of Eunice Hoskins and Diane Miles and the balance of $2,500.00 was disbursed to the sellers of a parcel of real estate in rural Richland County. No repayment of principal or interest was made when due and a portion of the certificate of deposit was taken by the bank to repay the loan. Another certificate of deposit was issued for the remaining balance of $58,605.58 on July 3, 1990.

Five months earlier, in February of 1990 Haines obtained another loan from the Rich-land County Bank in the amount of $55,-000.00, again using the certificate of deposit as collateral. Haines provided a false social security number and the single payment note was issued and signed “Diane Miles POA.” All but $500.00 of the loan proceeds were paid into the trust account of an attorney for purchase of real estate (the funds were never used for that purpose). The ultimate whereabouts of the loan proceeds are unknown. Again, Haines made neither the interest or principal payments when due and on July 25, 1990, the bank used most of the balance of the certificate of deposit to pay this second loan.

Mrs. Hoskins was unaware of either loan. The remaining balance of the certificate of deposit on July 25, 1990, was $2,936.00. Three months later, in October, Haines and her husband left the state.

In March of 1993 a federal grand jury returned a two-count indictment against Haines for using a social security number to deceive the bank to obtain the two loans, in violation of 42 U.S.C. § 408(a)(7)(B). Haines was arrested in Florida in May of 1993, and transported to Wisconsin for trial. She pled guilty to Count I of the indictment, and Count II was dismissed.

A presentence report was prepared, which recommended that the district court apply two adjustments of two levels each. The first was a “vulnerable victim” adjustment, as provided for by U.S.S.G. § 3A1.1. 1 Mrs. Hoskins’s vulnerability was demonstrated by her age, which was eighty-seven at the time of the offense, and the fact that for the preceding three years she had been completely reliant on Haines for her care.

The second adjustment was based on Haines having “abused a position of trust” as provided for by U.S.S.G. § 3B1.3. 2 Abuse of a position of trust was demonstrated by the fact that Haines was Mrs. Hoskins’s caregiver for three years and that she had secured a power of attorney from Mrs. Hoskins, and then used that power for wrongful gain.

The district court found that the facts supported both of the adjustments, and applied them in sentencing Haines. It also concluded that it was permissible to apply both of these adjustments at the same time, and that to do so would not be “double counting.” The district court also found that the guidelines do not prohibit applying both adjustments because each adjustment focuses on different aspects of the offense.

Haines was sentenced to 37 months in prison, followed by a three year term of supervised release. As a condition of supervised release, she was ordered to pay $77,- *293 064.00 in restitution to Mrs. Hoskins’s estate (Mrs. Hoskins died in December of 1992).

On the appeal of her sentence, Haines argues that the district court (1) committed clear error in finding a factual basis for applying the “vulnerable victim” adjustment, and (2) impermissibly “double-counted” when it applied both sentencing adjustments. The standard of review we apply when reviewing factual determinations in guidelines cases was set forth in our recent case, United States v. Gio, 7 F.3d 1279, 1289 (7th Cir.1993): “[fjactual determinations will not be reversed unless they are clearly erroneous, that is, if we are left “with the definite and firm conviction that a mistake has been committed.’ ” (citations omitted).

In United States v. Sutherland, 955 F.2d 25, 26 (7th Cir.1992), we noted that “[wjhether a defendant’s victim[] [was] ‘unusually vulnerable’ is a question of fact reversible only for clear error.” Mrs. Hoskins was 87 years old at the time of this offense. She could not live on her own, take care of herself, or personally manage her own finances. Haines knew Mrs. Hoskins’s condition, and knew that Mrs. Hoskins was vulnerable.

We have no reason to believe that a mistake has been made, let alone “a definite and firm conviction.” The purpose of this guideline provision is to “punish criminals who choose vulnerable victims.” Sutherland, 955 F.2d at 26. The guideline itself refers to age as a source of vulnerability. Mrs. Hoskins was a stereotypical vulnerable victim, a helpless elderly woman. Haines is a calculating criminal who chose to prey on a victim who was especially vulnerable. The district court certainly made no error when it utilized an upward adjustment on the basis that Mrs. Hoskins was vulnerable.

Haines’s second argument is that the district court impermissibly “double-counted” when it gave upward adjustments by applying both U.S.S.G. § 3A1.1 and § 3B1.3. Haines does not separately challenge the adjustment for abuse of a position of trust, but argues that if one of the two adjustments is applied the other cannot be. We will therefore restrict our review to that question. Questions of law relating to interpretation of the Sentencing Guidelines are reviewed de novo. United States v. Holloway,

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Bluebook (online)
32 F.3d 290, 1994 U.S. App. LEXIS 21263, 1994 WL 417301, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/united-states-v-ana-laura-haines-aka-diane-miles-ca7-1994.