United States v. Barsumyan

CourtCourt of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
DecidedFebruary 27, 2008
Docket07-50251
StatusPublished

This text of United States v. Barsumyan (United States v. Barsumyan) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals for the Ninth 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. Barsumyan, (9th Cir. 2008).

Opinion

FOR PUBLICATION UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS FOR THE NINTH CIRCUIT

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA,  No. 07-50251 Plaintiff-Appellee, D.C. No. v.  CR-06-00867-GAF- ARAM BARSUMYAN, aka Seal A (1), 1 Defendant-Appellant.  OPINION

Appeal from the United States District Court for the Central District of California Gary A. Feess, District Judge, Presiding

Argued and Submitted January 10, 2008—Pasadena, California

Filed February 28, 2008

Before: Jerome Farris and Milan D. Smith, Jr., Circuit Judges, and H. Russel Holland,* District Judge.

Opinion by Judge Milan D. Smith, Jr.

*The Honorable H. Russel Holland, Senior United States District Judge for the District of Alaska, sitting by designation.

1763 1766 UNITED STATES v. BARSUMYAN

COUNSEL

Davina T. Chen, Deputy Federal Public Defender, Los Ange- les, California, for the defendant-appellant.

Alexander A. Bustamante and Anne Voights, Assistant United States Attorneys, Major Frauds Section, Los Angeles, California, for the plaintiff-appellee.

OPINION

MILAN D. SMITH, JR., Circuit Judge:

Defendant-Appellant Aram Barsumyan appeals the sen- tence imposed by the district court following his guilty plea to one count of possession of device-making equipment under 18 U.S.C. § 1029(a)(4). Barsumyan contends that his 21- month prison sentence was unreasonable because the opera- tion of U.S.S.G. § 2B1.1(b)(10) effected a 6-level increase in his offense level. Barsumyan also argues that the sentencing court impermissibly imposed two conditions of supervised release: a restriction on “access[ing] or possess[ing] any com- puter or computer-related devices in any manner,” and a requirement that, if he is deported and reenters the country, he UNITED STATES v. BARSUMYAN 1767 report to the United States Probation Office. We affirm the sentence and reporting condition, but reverse and vacate the computer restriction and remand to the district court for reconsideration of that condition.

Facts, Procedural History, and Jurisdiction

In October 2005, an informant cooperating with the United States Secret Service charged that Defendant-Appellant Aram Barsumyan was involved in schemes to manufacture counter- feit credit cards. Barsumyan told this informant that he was interested in making contacts to help him engage in various kinds of credit card fraud. The informant agreed to introduce Barsumyan to a hotel employee, who, unbeknown to Barsu- myan, was an undercover Secret Service Case Agent. During an arranged meeting, the Agent told Barsumyan that, in the course of her duties at the hotel, she had access to guests’ credit cards. Barsumyan gave the Agent a “skimming device,”1 and asked her to covertly “skim” the hotel guests’ credit cards when they registered. The Agent was instructed to then return the device to Barsumyan. He then promised her that for every ten credit card numbers she captured on the device, he would give her two “high quality” counterfeit credit cards.

The following month, the Agent returned the skimming device to Barsumyan, loaded with ten credit card numbers. At a subsequent rendezvous, Barsumyan gave the Agent one counterfeit credit card. When the Agent asked for the prom- ised second card, Barsumyan told her that she was only get- ting one, because she had only given him six credit card 1 In this context, “skimming device” (or sometimes just “skimmer”) refers to a small electronic device that can capture the account information encoded on a credit card’s magnetic strip. The information is stored on the device until it is downloaded onto a computer, whose operator can then manufacture counterfeit credit cards with magnetic strips identical to those on the genuine cards. Skimming devices can be attached to ordinary credit card readers, capturing a new card’s information every time a card is swiped. 1768 UNITED STATES v. BARSUMYAN numbers on the skimmer. He also told her that in light of her breach of their understanding, he was altering the deal: there- after, he would require twenty-five numbers if she wanted an additional card. He then returned the skimming device to the Agent.

Barsumyan was arrested and indicted for one count of pro- ducing, using, and trafficking in a counterfeit credit card, 18 U.S.C. § 1029(a)(1), and three counts of possession of device- making equipment, 18 U.S.C. § 1029(a)(4).2 Pursuant to a plea agreement, Barsumyan pleaded guilty to one count of possession of device-making equipment. The agreement con- templated a base offense level of 6, pursuant to U.S.S.G. § 2B1.1(a)(2), with a 2-level increase pursuant to U.S.S.G. § 2B1.1(b)(10)(A)(i) for possession of device-making equip- ment. The government also agreed to recommend a sentence at the low end of the applicable range, as long as the total offense level was 8 or lower.

U.S.S.G. § 2B1.1(b)(10), however, not only mandates a 2- level increase in all cases, but also requires that “[i]f the resulting offense level is less than level 12, increase to level 12.” Section 2B1.1(b)(10) therefore effectively increased Bar- sumyan’s offense level by six levels. The Presentence Report recommended a 2-level downward adjustment for acceptance of responsibility, yielding a total offense level of 10. Barsu- myan’s probation officer recommended a sentence of 21 months, at the high end of the range prescribed for an offense level of 10, and recommended the following conditions for supervised release: 2 “Device-making equipment” is defined as “any equipment, mecha- nism, or impression designed or primarily used for making an access device or a counterfeit access device.” 18 U.S.C. § 1029(e)(6). “Access device” means, in relevant part, “any card, . . . account number, electronic serial number, . . . or other means of account access that can be used, alone or in conjunction with another access device, to obtain money, goods, ser- vices, or any other thing of value, or that can be used to initiate a transfer of funds.” 18 U.S.C. § 1029(e)(1). UNITED STATES v. BARSUMYAN 1769 3. The defendant shall comply with the immigra- tion rules and regulations of the United States, and, if deported from this country, either volun- tarily or involuntarily, not reenter the United States illegally. The defendant is not required to report to the Probation Office while residing outside of the United States; however, within 72 hours of release from any custody or any reentry to the United States during the period of Court- ordered supervision, the defendant shall report for instructions to the United States Probation Office . . . .

...

5. The defendant shall not access or possess any computer or computer-related devices in any manner, or for any purpose, unless approved in advance by the Probation Officer.

The justification provided for the latter condition was simply, “Condition No. 5 is recommended due to the nature of the offense.”

Over Barsumyan’s objection that the 6-level increase was inappropriate due to the nature of Barsumyan’s offense, the district court adopted the recommendations of the probation officer, and imposed a 21-month sentence. The district court further adopted, without analysis, recommended conditions of supervised release No. 3 and No. 5. Barsumyan appealed.

We have jurisdiction to hear this case under 28 U.S.C.

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