United States v. Kolkman

Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit·Decided December 9, 2022·No. 22-8004·Unpublished

Opinion

FILED

United States Court of Appeals UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS Tenth Circuit

FOR THE TENTH CIRCUIT December 9, 2022

Christopher M. Wolpert

Clerk of Court

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA,

Plaintiff - Appellee,

v. No. 22-8004 (D.C. No. 21-CR-00008-ABJ-S)

CHAD ROBERT KOLKMAN, (D. Wyo.)

Defendant - Appellant.

ORDER AND JUDGMENT*

Before McHUGH, BALDOCK, and BRISCOE, Circuit Judges.

Defendant Chad Kolkman pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, in violation of 21 U.S.C. §§ 846 and 841(a)(1), (b)(1)(A). In calculating Kolkman’s criminal history score and category under the United States Sentencing Guidelines, the district court counted a Wyoming state conviction for delivery of marijuana that Kolkman sustained in August of 2000. The district court did so because it determined, after considering evidence presented by the government at Kolkman’s sentencing hearing, that Kolkman’s incarceration for that conviction ended less than fifteen years prior to his commencement of the

*

This order and judgment is not binding precedent, except under the doctrines of law of the case, res judicata, and collateral estoppel. It may be cited, however, for its persuasive value consistent with Fed. R. App. P. 32.1 and 10th Cir. R. 32.1.

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federal conspiracy offense. The district court in turn concluded that its treatment of the 2000 conviction as a countable offense under the Sentencing Guidelines effectively rendered Kolkman ineligible for safety-valve relief pursuant to 18 U.S.C. § 3553(f)(1). The district court sentenced Kolkman to a statutory mandatory minimum sentence of 120 months, to be followed by a five-year term of supervised release.

Kolkman now appeals, arguing that (1) the district court plainly erred in the manner in which it interpreted the safety-valve provision of § 3553(f)(1), and (2) in any event, the district court erred in relying on unreliable hearsay evidence presented by the government at the sentencing hearing and, as a result, erroneously considered his 2000 conviction in calculating his sentence and in determining the applicability of § 3553(f)(1). Exercising jurisdiction pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1291, we reject his arguments and affirm the judgment of the district court.

I

Factual background

In January 2020, the Cheyenne (Wyoming) Police Department identified five individuals whom they believed had been distributing methamphetamine in the Cheyenne area since approximately August 2019. Those five individuals were John Butler, Elizabeth Hastings, Joshua Eslick, Jiovonne Ayala, and Kolkman. Based on interviews, surveillance, and search warrants of cell phones and internet service providers, law enforcement officials believed that Butler was providing

methamphetamine to Hastings, who then distributed the methamphetamine to Eslick, Ayala and Kolkman for further distribution in the community.

Law enforcement officials continued their investigation through November 2020. In October and November 2020, law enforcement officials, acting pursuant to a warrant issued by the United States District Court for the District of Wyoming, intercepted wire and electronic communications to and from Eslick’s and Butler’s phones. The intercepted calls and text messages revealed that Butler and Eslick discussed methamphetamine on multiple occasions, and Butler and Eslick each discussed with other individuals the redistribution of methamphetamine in the Cheyenne area. On two occasions in November 2020, Kolkman and Butler spoke by phone about methamphetamine; during one of those calls, Butler agreed to sell two ounces of methamphetamine to Kolkman and also reminded Kolkman that he owed Butler $150.00.

Multiple sources of information obtained by law enforcement officials identified Kolkman as a source of methamphetamine in the Cheyenne area. Further, law enforcement officials performing surveillance observed Kolkman with Butler. Finally, sources of information obtained by law enforcement confirmed that Kolkman purchased approximately ten pounds of methamphetamine from Butler and in turn sold methamphetamine to individuals in the Cheyenne area.

In November and December 2020, law enforcement officials interviewed multiple individuals about Kolkman’s drug distribution activities. All of these individuals identified Kolkman as a source of methamphetamine, prescription

opiates, marijuana, and/or heroin. Witnesses also reported observing Kolkman in possession of a handgun and rifle on multiple occasions.

Procedural background

On January 13, 2021, a federal grand jury indicted Kolkman and seven other defendants, including Butler, Hastings, Eslick, and Ayala, for their part in a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine in violation of 21 U.S.C. §§ 846 and 841(a)(1), (b)(1)(A). Four of the named defendants, not including Kolkman, were charged with additional offenses (e.g., possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, felon in possession of a firearm, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime).

On March 24, 2021, a federal grand jury returned a superseding indictment against Kolkman and nine other individuals, including the seven codefendants named in the original indictment and two new defendants. Count One of the superseding indictment charged all ten defendants, including Kolkman, with conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, in violation of 21 U.S.C. §§ 846 and 841(a)(1), (b)(1)(A). The superseding indictment alleged, more specifically, that the conspiracy ran “[f]rom about August 2019, through and including on or about November 29, 2020.” ROA, Vol. I at 39. Four of the named defendants, not including Kolkman, were charged with additional related crimes.

On July 7, 2021, Kolkman entered into a written plea agreement with the government. Under the terms of that agreement, Kolkman agreed to plead guilty to the conspiracy charge contained in the superseding indictment. The government

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agreed “to recommend” that Kolkman “receive a two-offense-level reduction for acceptance of responsibility,” and also “to recommend a sentence at the low end of the applicable advisory Sentencing Guidelines range.” ROA, Vol. II at 14–15.

On July 19, 2021, the district court conducted a change-of-plea hearing for Kolkman. During that hearing, Kolkman formally pleaded guilty to Count One of the superseding indictment. Kolkman admitted that he was part of the conspiracy and that “his relevant conduct [involved] at least 500 grams or more of a mixture containing methamphetamine.” Id. at 39. In discussing his activities, Kolkman stated that he had been “living a normal life,” but started drinking again in February 2019 “and then . . . two months later, . . . on . . . Friday, April 20th,” 2019, he “relapsed on meth” and at some unidentified point thereafter began selling drugs. Supp. ROA, Vol. 2 at 31.

On August 16, 2021, the probation department prepared and submitted to the district court and the parties a presentence investigation report (the PSR). The PSR, in computing Kolkman’s offense level, began by applying a base offense level of 32 pursuant to U.S.S.G. § 2D1.1. The PSR then applied a two-level enhancement pursuant to U.S.S.G. § 2D1.1(b)(1) because “[m]ultiple independent sources indicate[d] [Kolkman] possessed a rifle type weapon that shoots rubber bullets which is a dangerous weapon as defined by U.S.S.G. § 1B1.1.” ROA, Vol. II at 39. The PSR then applied a two-level decrease pursuant to U.S.S.G. § 3E1.1(a) for Kolkman “clearly demonstrat[ing] acceptance of responsibility,” and a one-level decrease pursuant to U.S.S.G. § 3E1.1(b) because Kolkman “assisted authorities in the

Appellate Case: 22-8004 Document: 010110779852 Date Filed: 12/09/2022 Page: 6

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