United States v. Douglas Eugene Morse

983 F.2d 851, 1993 U.S. App. LEXIS 32
CourtCourt of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit
DecidedJanuary 5, 1993
Docket91-3305
StatusPublished
Cited by27 cases

This text of 983 F.2d 851 (United States v. Douglas Eugene Morse) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals for the Eighth 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. Douglas Eugene Morse, 983 F.2d 851, 1993 U.S. App. LEXIS 32 (8th Cir. 1993).

Opinions

FLOYD R. GIBSON, Senior Circuit Judge.

Douglas Morse pleaded guilty to possessing more than fifteen unauthorized access devices with intent to defraud in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1029 (1988). The district court1 sentenced Morse to thirty-six months imprisonment. Morse appeals his sentence and we affirm.

I. BACKGROUND

On April 10th, 1991, police executed a search warrant at Morse’s apartment and found numerous credit cards, instant cash cards, social security cards and drivers licenses that were not issued in Morse’s name. Morse pleaded guilty to possession of more than fifteen unauthorized access devices with intent to defraud. The Pre-sentence Report (PSR) indicated that Morse’s base offense level was six and his criminal history category was III. Morse’s base offense level was adjusted under Section 2F1.1 of the United States Sentencing Guidelines (“U.S.S.G.”) to level 12; it was increased four levels because the victims’ loss exceeded $20,000, and was increased two more levels because Morse’s scheme involved more than minimal planning. At sentencing, the court applied the criminal livelihood provision of U.S.S.G. § 4B1.3, which increased Morse’s base offense level to 13, resulting in a sentencing range of 12 to 24 months. The court then departed upward and sentenced Morse to 36 months based on its finding that Morse’s criminal history was not adequately reflected, past penalties had not deterred Morse, and pending state charges added weight to his criminal history. Morse appeals the court’s application of the criminal livelihood provision and its upward departure from the Guideline sentencing range.

II. DISCUSSION

A. Application of the Sentencing Guidelines

1. Criminal Livelihood Provision

Morse contends the court erred in applying U.S.S.G. § 4B1.3 to increase his base offense level to 13. Section 4B1.3 provides that a defendant’s offense level will be increased to 13 “[i]f the defendant committed an offense as part of a pattern of criminal conduct engaged in as a livelihood.” U.S.S.G. § 4B1.3 (1991). Thus, the court has a two-part inquiry to determine whether the section is applicable: first, whether the defendant committed the offense “as part of a pattern of criminal conduct,” and (2) whether the defendant “derived a substantial portion of his income” from that conduct. United States v. Hewitt, 719 F.Supp. 199, 201 (S.D.N.Y.1989).

The Guidelines define the phrase “pattern of criminal conduct” as “planned criminal acts occurring over a substantial period of time.” U.S.S.G. § 4B1.1, com[853]*853ment. (n.l). It is evident from the vast number of credit cards, cash cards and drivers licenses in Morse’s possession that he had devised an extensive scheme to use these cards to fraudulently obtain money. Furthermore, Morse’s previous convictions for forgery, possession of stolen property, and theft by cheek date back to 1981, thus establishing a long pattern of fraudulent activity.

The second part of the inquiry requires the district court to consider whether Morse engaged in the conduct as his livelihood. In order to satisfy the “engaged in as a livelihood” element of the inquiry, the court must find that “(1) the defendant derived income from the pattern of criminal conduct that in any twelvemonth period exceeded 2,000 times the then existing hourly minimum wage under federal law; and (2) the totality of circumstances shows that such criminal conduct was the defendant’s primary occupation in that twelve-month period.” U.S.S.G. § 4B1.3, comment, (n.2). We give deference to the district court’s findings of fact concerning the amount of loss and we review under the clearly erroneous standard. United States v. Cryer, 925 F.2d 828, 830 (5th Cir.1991). Morse argues the Guideline is inapplicable because there is insufficient evidence that he earned $8500 (2,000 times the $4.25 hourly minimum wage) from his scheme during the last year. In calculating the amount of loss to victims, Morse argues the court should not consider $8,000 obtained from a checking account opened by an unidentified female using an altered drivers license. Although Morse admitted that the victim’s identification was found in his apartment, he argues he was not involved in the scheme and did not receive any money from the checking account. Even assuming Morse did not receive any money from this particular account, the PSR detailed numerous transactions that totalled losses over $20,000; thus, without the $8,000 factored in, $12,000 could be attributed to Morse’s conduct. Given the deference we give to these factual findings, we hold the court did not err in its determination that Morse received at least $8500 in the last twelve months from his scheme. Cryer, 925 F.2d at 830.

Finally, the court found that “[a]fter reviewing the defendant’s instant offense, prior record and employment record, there is no indication that he has done anything else to attain a steady form of income.” The court found, and Morse admitted, that he had a gambling addiction and no steady source of income. Morse was last employed in 1980 for one year as a laborer, and the court found no evidence that Morse’s freelance video work was financially profitable. We hold that based on these findings, the court did not err in applying the criminal livelihood provision of § 4B1.3 of the Guidelines.

2. Upward Departure

Morse argues the court erred in departing upward from the Guidelines as authorized by 18 U.S.C. § 3553(b). Under this provision, a court may impose a sentence outside the guideline range if “the court finds that there exists an aggravating or mitigating circumstance ... not adequately taken into consideration by the Sentencing Commission in formulating the guidelines that should result in a sentence different from that described.” 18 U.S.C. § 3553(b). The court stated the following reasons for its departure:

The criminal history category does not adequately reflect the seriousness of the defendant’s past criminal conduct or the likelihood that the defendant will commit other crimes. The defendant is pending trial on two similar offenses. Defendant had over 50 victims’ identifications in his possession at the time he was arrested for the instant offense. Defendant’s pri- or convictions and imposed sentences have not deterred defendant from repeating this crime.

We review the district court’s decision to depart upward based on circumstances not adequately considered by the Guidelines under an abuse of discretion standard. United States v. Perkins, 929 F.2d 436, 438 (8th Cir.1991). Because the district court’s determination of a sentence is a “judgment call,” we must give due [854]*854regard to the “district court’s superior ‘feel for the case.’ ” United States v. Snover, 900 F.2d 1207, 1211 (8th Cir.1990). We will affirm a departure from the guideline range unless it is “unreasonable.” United States v.

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Bluebook (online)
983 F.2d 851, 1993 U.S. App. LEXIS 32, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/united-states-v-douglas-eugene-morse-ca8-1993.