United States v. Chilingirian

95 F. App'x 782
CourtCourt of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit
DecidedApril 9, 2004
DocketNo. 02-1695
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 95 F. App'x 782 (United States v. Chilingirian) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals for the Sixth 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. Chilingirian, 95 F. App'x 782 (6th Cir. 2004).

Opinions

SUHRHEINRICH, Judge.

Defendant-Appellant Jack Chilingirian (“Defendant”) appeals from his resentencing upon remand. In this appeal he challenges the eighty-seven month sentence imposed. For the reasons that follow, we reverse and remand.

I. Background

The case was previously heard in this Court and remanded for resentencing. See United States v. Chilingirian, 280 F.3d 704 (6th Cir.2002). We incorporate the facts of the case by reference here, and supplement as necessary.

On April 29, 1999, after a bench trial, the district court found Defendant guilty as to one count of conspiracy to launder monetary instruments in violation of 18 [785]*785U.S.C. § 1956(a) & (h) (“Count 33”).1 The presentence report (“PSR”) used the money laundering guideline, U.S.S.G. § 2S1.1 (1998), which called for a base offense level of 23, plus five levels as the value exceeded $1,000,000.00. With a total offense level of 28 and a Criminal History Category I, the PSR recommended a guideline range of seventy-eight to ninety-seven months. Instead, the district court used the fraud guideline, U.S.S.G. § 2F1.1, and calculated a total offense level of 20 and Criminal History Category I, which resulted in a guideline range of thirty-three to forty-one months. The district court imposed a term of thirty-seven months’ imprisonment, two years of supervised release, and restitution in the amount $335,167.50. Defendant appealed on various grounds. The Government filed a cross-appeal, challenging the district court’s use of the fraud guideline, U.S.S.G. § 2F1.1, instead of the sentencing guideline for money laundering, § 2S1.1. This Court rejected Defendant’s challenges to his conviction and sentence. However, regarding the cross-appeal, we determined that money laundering guidelines should have been used in imposing sentence in light of the fact that “[t]he money laundering in this case was not minimal nor incidental, and it appears to have been funneled through the client trust account in order to make it appear legitimate and to further the radar technology/fraud scheme.” Chilingirian, 280 F.3d at 714. We remanded with instructions to resentence Defendant in accordance with the money laundering guideline. Id.

On April 9, 2002, after remand, the probation office supplemented the original presentence report (“SPSR”). The SPSR noted that, on remand, the first task was to determine which version of the guidelines to apply. The SPSR noted that the last date of the offense of conviction is the controlling date for ex post facto purposes. See U.S.S.G. § 1B1.11 (providing that the district court shall use the Guidelines Manual in effect on the date the defendant is sentenced, unless its application would violate the ex post facto clause, in which case the last date of the offense of conviction is controlling). Here, the offense conduct for Count 33 ended in October 1996, thus the 1995 edition of the Guidelines Manual and the 2001 version would be the two applicable versions. The SPSR calculated Defendant’s sentence under both editions. The [786]*786SPSR calculated a total offense level of 29 under § 2S1.1 of the 1995 guidelines, and a total offense level of 32 under § 2S1.1 of the 2001 version. Because it produced a more favorable guideline level, the SPSR used the 1995 guideline. Thus, with a total offense level of 29 and a Criminal History Category I, the guideline range was eighty-seven to one hundred eight months.

Defendant filed objections to the SPSR. The district court held a resentencing hearing on May 23, 2002. Over Defendant’s objection, the court applied the 1995 version of the guidelines.

The district court next ruled that the amount of laundered funds was $2.7 million. The court also rejected Defendant’s attack on the restitution order. The court set the total offense level at 29. Combined with a Criminal History Category score of I, the guideline range was eighty-seven to one hundred-eight months. The district court resentenced Defendant to a custodial term of eighty-seven months, all other terms to remain unchanged from the original judgment. Defendant filed his pro se notice of appeal.

Defendant, represented by counsel, presents three issues on appeal: (1) whether Defendant’s statutory sentence of eighty-seven months violates Apprendi v. New Jersey, 530 U.S. 466, 120 S.Ct. 2348, 147 L.Ed.2d 435 (2000), and Ring v. Arizona, 536 U.S. 584, 122 S.Ct. 2428, 153 L.Ed.2d 556 (2002); (2) whether the district court erred in calculating Defendant’s sentence; and (3) whether the district court erred in requiring Defendant to pay restitution.

II. Analysis

A. Apprendi

The gist of Defendant’s first argument is as follows. The offense-defining statute, 18 U.S.C. § 1956, has a maximum sentence of twenty years. However, the operation of the offense-defining statute in conjunction with § 2S1.1 of the sentencing guidelines results in a relevant maximum sentence of twelve months. The guidelines must be considered in determining the relevant maximum sentence because 18 U.S.C. § 3553(a)(4)(A) mandates the application of the sentencing guidelines. In other words, every factor which increases a defendant’s sentence, including the application of the guideline sentencing enhancements, must be charged in the indictment and proven to a jury beyond a reasonable doubt.

In Apprendi, the Supreme Court held that “[ojther than the fact of a prior conviction, any fact that increases the penalty for a crime beyond the prescribed statutory maximum must be submitted to a jury, and proved beyond a reasonable doubt.” Apprendi, 530 U.S. at 490 (emphasis added). In Harris v. United States, 536 U.S. 545, 122 S.Ct. 2406, 153 L.Ed.2d 524 (2002), the Supreme Court held that anything that increases the statutory minimum is a sentencing factor and not an element, and not subject to the rule of Apprendi. The majority in Harris stated in relevant part:

[wjhether chosen by the judge or the legislature, the facts guiding judicial discretion below the statutory maximum need not be alleged in the indictment, submitted to the jury, or proved beyond a reasonable doubt. When a judge sentences the defendant to a mandatory minimum, no less than when the judge chooses a sentence within the range, the grand and petit juries already have found all the facts necessary to authorize the Government to impose the sentence. The judge may impose the minimum, the maximum, or any other sentence within the range without [787]*787seeking further authorization from those juries-and without contradicting Apprendi

Id. at 565 (emphasis added).

Relying on Harris, this Court has already ruled Apprendi does not apply to sentencing enhancements within the guideline range. United States v.

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

Chilingirian v. United States
543 U.S. 1098 (Supreme Court, 2005)
Mitrione v. United States
543 U.S. 1097 (Supreme Court, 2005)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
95 F. App'x 782, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/united-states-v-chilingirian-ca6-2004.