United States v. Fred Dalicandro

711 F. App'x 38
CourtCourt of Appeals for the Second Circuit
DecidedOctober 11, 2017
Docket16-261
StatusUnpublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 711 F. App'x 38 (United States v. Fred Dalicandro) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals for the Second 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. Fred Dalicandro, 711 F. App'x 38 (2d Cir. 2017).

Opinion

SUMMARY ORDER

Defendant Fred Dalicandro, who pleaded guilty to one. count of wire fraud in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1343, appeals from a January 16,2016 restitution order imposing joint and several liability. Dalicandro argues (1) that the District Court lacked authority to issue its restitution order years after the original sentencing, and (2) that the District Court erred in not ordering apportionment between Dalicandro and another , participant in the fraudulent scheme to reflect the greater role of defendant Raymond Termini, pursuant to 18 U.S.C. § 3664(h). We assume the parties’ familiarity with the underlying facts, the procedural history, and the issues presented for review.

1, The government argues that the appeal waiver contained in Dalicandro’s Plea Agreement forecloses, review. The plea agreement, signed on November 3, 2009, provides in relevant part that Dalicandro waived appeal or collateral attack if his “sentence does not exceed 33 months, a three year term of supervised release, restitution and a fine ...” Joint App’x at 16. Assuming that the waiver is unenforceable and that we may reach the merits of Dali-candro’s challenge, we affirm the judgment ■ of the District Court..

2. Dalicandro challenges the District Court’s authority to issue restitution four years after the initial sentencing. He argues that: (1) since the victim’s losses were identifiable 10 days prior to sentencing, 18 U.S.C. § 3664(d)(6) is not applicable; (2) the District Court did not make clear prior to the 90-day- deadline set by 18 U.S.C. § 3664(d)(6) that restitution would be ordered, and therefore could not order restitution years later; and (3) even if restitution had been properly ordered, he was sufficiently prejudiced by the delay to justify vacating the restitution order.

“Federal courts have no inherent power to order restitution. Such authority must be conferred by Congress.” United States v. Helmsley, 941 F.2d 71, 101 (2d Cir. 1991). At issue here is the Mandatory Victim Restoration Act (“MVRA”), 18 U.S.C. §§ 3663A, 3664, which mandates that the sentencing court “shall order, in addition to ... any other penalty authorized by law,” defendants convicted of certain enumerated offenses to “make restitution to the victim of the offense.” United States v. Gushlak, 728 F.3d 184, 190 (2d Cir. 2013) (quoting 18 U.S.C. §§ 3663A(a)(1)). One such offense is wire fraud. 18 U.S.C. § 1343.

As to timing of restitution orders under the MVRA: when the victim’s losses/amount of restitution is not ascertainable ten days prior to sentencing, the district court “shall set a date for the final determination of the victim’s losses, not to exceed 90 days after sentencing.” 18 U.S.C. §' 3664(d)(5). If the amount is ascertainable prior to ten days before sentencing, then “when sentencing a defendant ... the court shall order ... that the defendant make restitution to the victim of the offense”; e.g., the restitution shall be ordered at the sentencing. 18 U.S.C. § 366SA(a)(l). The restitution ordered will not take into account “the economic circumstances of the defendant,” and “[i]f the court finds that more than 1 defendant has contributed to the loss of a victim, the court may make each defendant liable for payment of the full amount of restitution or may apportion liability among the defendants to reflect the level of contribution to the victim’s loss and economic circumstances of each defendant.” 18 U.S.C. § 3664(f)(1), (h).

“We generally review a district court’s order of restitution for abuse of discretion, reversing its ruling only if it rests on an error of law, a clearly erroneous finding of fact, or otherwise cannot be located within the range of permissible decisions.” United States v. Rivernider, 828 F.3d 91, 114-15 (2d Cir.), cert. denied sub nom. Ponte v. United States, — U.S. -, 137 S.Ct. 456, 196 L.Ed.2d 336 (2016) (internal citation and quotation marks omitted). “When a defendant’s challenge to a restitution order raises an issue of law, we review that challenge de novo.” Id. at 115 (internal citation omitted); see also United States v. Vilar, 729 F.3d 62, 96 (2d Cir. 2013); United States v. Boccagna, 450 F.3d 107, 113 (2d Cir. 2006). However, if no objection to the restitution order is raised in the district court, we review only for plain error. Rivernider, 828 F.3d at 115. Under the plain error standard, the defendant bears the burden to prove that “(1) there is an error; (2) the error is clear or obvious, rather than subject to reasonable dispute; (3) the error affected the appellant’s substantial rights, which in the ordinary case means it affected the outcome of the district court proceedings; and (4) the error seriously affects the fairness, integrity or public reputation of judicial proceedings.” United States v. Tulsiram, 815 F.3d 114, 119-20 (2d Cir. 2016).

Dalicandro points out that the presen-tence report stated that “[rjestitution in the amount of $956,090 is owed to Omega Healthcare Investors” (the victim), and that the court could thus ascertain the restitution amount prior to sentencing. Dalicandro br. at 16-17. Accordingly, he argues, the court was required to enter the restitution order at sentencing, and lacked authority under § 3664(d)(5) to do so at a later time.

Dalicandro’s argument lacks merit. The judge recited at the outset of the sentencing hearing that Dalicandro “faces a restitution order in this case, and again, the amount being sought is $956,090.” Joint App’x at 27. But Dalicandro’s counsel responded that further time was needed:

I would accept the court’s gracious offer to submit a brief [on restitution] and request a hearing because I sat in the back and watched part of [Termini’s] restitution hearing and frankly I don’t believe that all the information that is necessary for the court to consider whether, consider whether, in fact, Omega is truly a victim, first of all, for restitution has been presented to the court and I would offer evidence. But I would agree with Your Honor a subsequent proceeding may be the appropriate vehicle to allow the court to at least hear my position and Mr. Dalicandro’s position.

Id. at 38.

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Bluebook (online)
711 F. App'x 38, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/united-states-v-fred-dalicandro-ca2-2017.