United States v. Hohn

293 F. App'x 395
Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit·Decided August 20, 2008·No. 04-4468·Unpublished·Cited by 3 cases

Opinion

AMENDED OPINION

ROGERS, Circuit Judge.

This case is part of a consolidated appeal involving thirteen defendants who were members of the Outlaw Motorcycle Club (“OMC”), an international motorcycle club with chapters across the country and around the world. In 1997, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and state law enforcement agencies began an investigation into the Green region of the OMC, which consists of chapters in Dayton, Ohio; Fort Wayne, Indiana; Louisville, Kentucky; Indianapolis, Indiana; and Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. As a result of the investigation, a grand jury in the Northern District of Ohio returned a 40-count indictment in 2003 charging the defendants with various federal offenses, including Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (“RICO”), drug trafficking, and firearms offenses. The defendants were tried together before an anonymous jury.

Defendant Gary T. Hohn was a member and former president of the OMC’s Dayton chapter. Following trial, Hohn was convicted on one count of substantive RICO, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1962(c), one count of RICO conspiracy, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1962(d), one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute narcotics, in violation of 21 U.S.C. § 846, one count of conspiracy to use or carry a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime or crime of violence, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 924(o), one count of possessing with intent to distribute LSD, in violation of 21 U.S.C. § 841(a), and one count of attempted collection of extensions of credit by extortion, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 894. On November 3, 2004, Hohn was sentenced to 121 months’ imprisonment on the RICO, drug trafficking conspiracy, possession with intent to distribute, and extortion counts, and 60 months’ imprisonment on the firearms conspiracy count, to run consecutively.

Hohn presents three challenges to his conviction: (1) that he was indicted in violation of the statute of limitations set out in 18 U.S.C. § 3282; (2) that the evidence *397 was insufficient to convict him on all counts; and (3) that the district court committed reversible error in admitting evidence of crimes unrelated to the charges against him. These contentions lack merit. Additionally, Hohn appeals his sentence. The district court erred in applying the sentencing guidelines as mandatory and in applying the mandatory and consecutive sentencing provisions of 18 U.S.C. § 924(c). 1

L

As an initial matter, Hohn’s indictment did not violate the statute of limitations set out in 18 U.S.C. § 3282. Although Hohn claims to have raised this issue in the district court, the record indicates otherwise. Accordingly, plain error review applies to Hohn’s statute of limitations claim. “To establish plain error, a defendant must show (1) that an error occurred in the district court; (2) that the error was plain, i.e., obvious or clear; (3) that the error affected defendant’s substantial rights; and (4) that this adverse impact seriously affected the fairness, integrity or public reputation of the judicial proceedings.” United States v. Schulte, 264 F.3d 656, 660 (6th Cir.2001). Review of the record indicates that no error, plain or otherwise, occurred with respect to the statute of limitations.

Because the indictment in this case was returned on April 8, 2003, the relevant question is whether the charges against Hohn were based upon conduct that occurred on or after April 8, 1998. 2 With respect to the substantive RICO count, the statute of limitations is satisfied if Hohn “committed at least one predicate act within the five-year limitations period.” United States v. Saadey, 393 F.3d 669, 677 (6th Cir.2005). The jury found that Hohn committed Racketeering Acts 1(A), 2, 19(A), and 19(B). Racketeering Act 1(A) was alleged to have occurred from 1990 through the date of the indictment, April 8, 2003. That racketeering act incorporated by reference the indictment’s drug conspiracy count, which alleged over 200 acts occurring after April 8, 1998. Further, Racketeering Act 2 alleged that Hohn engaged in the distribution of drugs on June 20, 1998. This conduct clearly occurred after the relevant limitations date. Because the record establishes that Hohn committed these predicate acts within the statute of limitations period set out in 18 U.S.C. § 3282, Hohn’s indictment for the substantive RICO offense was proper.

With respect to the RICO conspiracy and drug trafficking conspiracy counts, the statute of limitations is satisfied if the government “alleges and proves that the conspiracy continued into the limitations period.” United States v. Harriston, 329 F.3d 779, 783 (11th Cir.2003). “A conspiracy is deemed to have continued as long as the purposes of the conspiracy have neither been abandoned nor accomplished and the defendant has not made an affirmative showing that the conspiracy has terminated.” Id. Continuing participation can be rebutted with evidence that the defendant “affirmatively withdrew *398 from the conspiracy or that the final act in furtherance of the conspiracy has occurred.” Id. It is clear from the record and indictment that the RICO and drug trafficking conspiracies alleged and proved by the government continued well past April 8,1998. As there is no evidence, and Hohn does not argue on appeal, that Hohn withdrew from the conspiracy prior to April 8, 1998, the prosecution of Hohn for RICO conspiracy and drug trafficking conspiracy was proper.

Finally, with respect to the remaining counts (firearms conspiracy, possession with intent to distribute, and extortion), the government alleged in the indictment conduct that occurred after April 8, 1998 with respect to all three counts. Hohn’s statute of limitations claim is therefore without merit.

II.

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United States v. Hohn, 293 F. App'x 395 (6th Cir. 2008).

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