F I L E D United States Court of Appeals Tenth Circuit UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS DEC 19 1997 TENTH CIRCUIT PATRICK FISHER Clerk
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA,
Plaintiff-Appellee, No. 97-6166 v. (D.C. No. CR-93-234-C) (W.D. Okla.) STANLEY LAVELL LEVI,
Defendant-Appellant.
ORDER AND JUDGMENT *
Before BRORBY , EBEL , and KELLY , Circuit Judges.
Defendant-Appellant Stanley Lavell Levi challenged his sentence by filing
a motion under 28 U.S.C. § 2255 claiming ineffective assistance of counsel. The
district court denied Levi's motion and we affirm.
* After examining appellant’s brief and the appellate record, this panel has determined unanimously that oral argument would not materially assist the determination of this appeal. See Fed. R. App. P. 34(f) and 10th Cir. R. 34.1.9. The case is therefore ordered submitted without oral argument. This order and judgment is not binding precedent, except under the doctrines of law of the case, res judicata, and collateral estoppel. The court generally disfavors the citation of orders and judgments; nevertheless, an order and judgment may be cited under the terms and conditions of 10th Cir. R. 36.3. BACKGROUND
On November 17, 1994, Stanley L. Levi ("Levi") was indicted on nine
criminal counts, including one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to
distribute and conspiracy to distribute cocaine base, five counts of interstate
travel in aid of racketeering, and three counts of possession with intent to
distribute cocaine base. On May 9, 1994, Levi pled guilty under a plea agreement
to one count of possession with intent to distribute approximately 3 kilograms of
cocaine base in violation of 21 U.S.C. § 841(a)(1).
Based on evidence gathered from other individuals involved in Levi's drug
trafficking activities, the presentence report concluded that the cocaine base in
Levi's possession at the time of his arrest constituted "crack" cocaine for purposes
of sentencing under section 2D1.1 of the United States Sentencing Guidelines (the
"Guidelines"). The presentence report also concluded that Levi was responsible
for distributing in excess of 15 kilograms of cocaine base and used the 15
kilogram figure in the calculation of Levi's base offense as relevant conduct under
U.S.S.G. § 3B1.3. The presentence report determined Levi's offense level under
the Guidelines to be 38, but recommended a two-level downward adjustment for
Acceptance of Responsibility credit. The presentence report calculated the
sentence range at 210 to 262 months imprisonment based on a final offense level
of 36 and a criminal history category of II.
-2- Levi, through counsel, objected to each paragraph in the presentence report
which stated that the cocaine base involved in the offense was crack cocaine.
Despite Levi's objections, the district court concluded that adequate evidence
supported the factual findings made in the presentence report, and the district
court adopted those findings. The district court then sentenced Levi to 210
months imprisonment on January 24, 1995.
We affirmed Levi's conviction and sentence on direct appeal in United
States v. Levi , No. 95-6194, 1996 WL 194905 (10th Cir. Apr. 23, 1996)
(unpublished). On December 30, 1996, Levi filed a Motion to Set Aside or
Correct Sentence under 28 U.S.C. § 2255. The district court denied Levi's motion
in an order dated April 29, 1997. Levi now appeals.
DISCUSSION
The district court had jurisdiction to consider Levi's petition under 28
U.S.C. § 2255. Because Levi filed his motion in district court after April 24,
1996, the certificate of appealability requirements under the Antiterrorism and
Effective Death Penalty Act, 28 U.S.C.A. §§ 2254-66 (1996), apply to Levi's
appeal. The district court did not issue a certificate of appealability.
Nevertheless, we believe that Levi's appeal merits our review, and we hereby
issue a certificate of appealability for the issues discussed below.
-3- Levi raises two arguments on appeal. First, he challenges his sentence as a
violation of his due process rights. Second, he claims ineffective assistance of
counsel both at trial and on the direct appeal of his sentence and conviction. We
address each argument in turn.
Note (D) to section 2D1.1 of the Guidelines clarifies that "'Cocaine base,'
for the purposes of this guideline, means 'crack.' 'Crack' is the street name for a
form of cocaine base, usually prepared by processing cocaine hydrochloride and
sodium bicarbonate, and usually appearing in a lumpy, rocklike form." U.S.S.G.
§ 2D1.1, note (D) (1995). Levi contends that because he only pled guilty to
possession with intent to distribute cocaine base, when the court sentenced him
for possession with intent to distribute crack cocaine it violated his constitutional
rights to due process. However, Levi did not present this argument on direct
appeal. His failure to raise the issue on direct appeal bars him from presenting
the issue in his section 2255 motion unless "he can show cause excusing his
procedural default and actual prejudice resulting from the errors of which he
complains, or can show that a fundamental miscarriage of justice will occur if his
claim is not addressed." United States v. Cook , 997 F.2d 1312, 1320 (10th Cir.
1993). As a result, we only need consider Levi's ineffective assistance of counsel
claim because that claim is the sole cause Levi advances for failing to include on
direct appeal the issues now presented in his 2255 motion.
-4- Levi argues that his defense counsel should have contested the sentence on
the grounds that crack cocaine and cocaine base are not identical and that Levi
only pled guilty to possession of cocaine base, not of crack cocaine. See, e.g. ,
United States v. Munoz-Realpe , 21 F.3d 375, 377-78 (11th Cir. 1994) (sentence
enhancements under section 2D1.1 of the Guidelines related to trafficking of
"cocaine base" only apply to cocaine that qualifies as "crack" cocaine). To
establish a claim of ineffective assistance of counsel, "a defendant must show (1)
that his attorney's performance was deficient and (2) that the deficient
performance prejudiced his defense." Strickland v. Washington , 466 U.S. 668,
687 (1984). "Under the prejudice aspect of Strickland we inquire whether 'there
is a reasonable probability that, but for counsel's unprofessional errors, the result
of the proceeding would have been different.'" Rogers v. United States , 91 F.3d
1388, 1392 (10th Cir. 1996) (quoting United States v. Kissick , 69 F.3d 1048,
1055 (10th Cir. 1995)), cert. denied , 117 S. Ct. 1000 (1997).
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F I L E D United States Court of Appeals Tenth Circuit UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS DEC 19 1997 TENTH CIRCUIT PATRICK FISHER Clerk
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA,
Plaintiff-Appellee, No. 97-6166 v. (D.C. No. CR-93-234-C) (W.D. Okla.) STANLEY LAVELL LEVI,
Defendant-Appellant.
ORDER AND JUDGMENT *
Before BRORBY , EBEL , and KELLY , Circuit Judges.
Defendant-Appellant Stanley Lavell Levi challenged his sentence by filing
a motion under 28 U.S.C. § 2255 claiming ineffective assistance of counsel. The
district court denied Levi's motion and we affirm.
* After examining appellant’s brief and the appellate record, this panel has determined unanimously that oral argument would not materially assist the determination of this appeal. See Fed. R. App. P. 34(f) and 10th Cir. R. 34.1.9. The case is therefore ordered submitted without oral argument. This order and judgment is not binding precedent, except under the doctrines of law of the case, res judicata, and collateral estoppel. The court generally disfavors the citation of orders and judgments; nevertheless, an order and judgment may be cited under the terms and conditions of 10th Cir. R. 36.3. BACKGROUND
On November 17, 1994, Stanley L. Levi ("Levi") was indicted on nine
criminal counts, including one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to
distribute and conspiracy to distribute cocaine base, five counts of interstate
travel in aid of racketeering, and three counts of possession with intent to
distribute cocaine base. On May 9, 1994, Levi pled guilty under a plea agreement
to one count of possession with intent to distribute approximately 3 kilograms of
cocaine base in violation of 21 U.S.C. § 841(a)(1).
Based on evidence gathered from other individuals involved in Levi's drug
trafficking activities, the presentence report concluded that the cocaine base in
Levi's possession at the time of his arrest constituted "crack" cocaine for purposes
of sentencing under section 2D1.1 of the United States Sentencing Guidelines (the
"Guidelines"). The presentence report also concluded that Levi was responsible
for distributing in excess of 15 kilograms of cocaine base and used the 15
kilogram figure in the calculation of Levi's base offense as relevant conduct under
U.S.S.G. § 3B1.3. The presentence report determined Levi's offense level under
the Guidelines to be 38, but recommended a two-level downward adjustment for
Acceptance of Responsibility credit. The presentence report calculated the
sentence range at 210 to 262 months imprisonment based on a final offense level
of 36 and a criminal history category of II.
-2- Levi, through counsel, objected to each paragraph in the presentence report
which stated that the cocaine base involved in the offense was crack cocaine.
Despite Levi's objections, the district court concluded that adequate evidence
supported the factual findings made in the presentence report, and the district
court adopted those findings. The district court then sentenced Levi to 210
months imprisonment on January 24, 1995.
We affirmed Levi's conviction and sentence on direct appeal in United
States v. Levi , No. 95-6194, 1996 WL 194905 (10th Cir. Apr. 23, 1996)
(unpublished). On December 30, 1996, Levi filed a Motion to Set Aside or
Correct Sentence under 28 U.S.C. § 2255. The district court denied Levi's motion
in an order dated April 29, 1997. Levi now appeals.
DISCUSSION
The district court had jurisdiction to consider Levi's petition under 28
U.S.C. § 2255. Because Levi filed his motion in district court after April 24,
1996, the certificate of appealability requirements under the Antiterrorism and
Effective Death Penalty Act, 28 U.S.C.A. §§ 2254-66 (1996), apply to Levi's
appeal. The district court did not issue a certificate of appealability.
Nevertheless, we believe that Levi's appeal merits our review, and we hereby
issue a certificate of appealability for the issues discussed below.
-3- Levi raises two arguments on appeal. First, he challenges his sentence as a
violation of his due process rights. Second, he claims ineffective assistance of
counsel both at trial and on the direct appeal of his sentence and conviction. We
address each argument in turn.
Note (D) to section 2D1.1 of the Guidelines clarifies that "'Cocaine base,'
for the purposes of this guideline, means 'crack.' 'Crack' is the street name for a
form of cocaine base, usually prepared by processing cocaine hydrochloride and
sodium bicarbonate, and usually appearing in a lumpy, rocklike form." U.S.S.G.
§ 2D1.1, note (D) (1995). Levi contends that because he only pled guilty to
possession with intent to distribute cocaine base, when the court sentenced him
for possession with intent to distribute crack cocaine it violated his constitutional
rights to due process. However, Levi did not present this argument on direct
appeal. His failure to raise the issue on direct appeal bars him from presenting
the issue in his section 2255 motion unless "he can show cause excusing his
procedural default and actual prejudice resulting from the errors of which he
complains, or can show that a fundamental miscarriage of justice will occur if his
claim is not addressed." United States v. Cook , 997 F.2d 1312, 1320 (10th Cir.
1993). As a result, we only need consider Levi's ineffective assistance of counsel
claim because that claim is the sole cause Levi advances for failing to include on
direct appeal the issues now presented in his 2255 motion.
-4- Levi argues that his defense counsel should have contested the sentence on
the grounds that crack cocaine and cocaine base are not identical and that Levi
only pled guilty to possession of cocaine base, not of crack cocaine. See, e.g. ,
United States v. Munoz-Realpe , 21 F.3d 375, 377-78 (11th Cir. 1994) (sentence
enhancements under section 2D1.1 of the Guidelines related to trafficking of
"cocaine base" only apply to cocaine that qualifies as "crack" cocaine). To
establish a claim of ineffective assistance of counsel, "a defendant must show (1)
that his attorney's performance was deficient and (2) that the deficient
performance prejudiced his defense." Strickland v. Washington , 466 U.S. 668,
687 (1984). "Under the prejudice aspect of Strickland we inquire whether 'there
is a reasonable probability that, but for counsel's unprofessional errors, the result
of the proceeding would have been different.'" Rogers v. United States , 91 F.3d
1388, 1392 (10th Cir. 1996) (quoting United States v. Kissick , 69 F.3d 1048,
1055 (10th Cir. 1995)), cert. denied , 117 S. Ct. 1000 (1997). We find that Levi's
claim fails to satisfy the prejudice prong of the Strickland test. Thus, we do not
address the question of whether Levi's counsel acted improperly by failing to raise
the issue.
The government only needed to prove by a preponderance of the evidence
that the cocaine base in Levi's possession was in fact crack cocaine for sentencing
purposes under the Guidelines. United States v. Adams , 125 F.3d 586, 592 (7th
-5- Cir. 1997). We review "the sentencing court's factual findings under a clearly
erroneous standard." Id. at 578. The presentence report included extensive
evidence that Levi possessed crack cocaine. Levi offers no evidence to support
his contention that he did not possess crack cocaine. Thus, this record establishes
that Levi possessed crack cocaine, and Levi cannot show how he was prejudiced
by counsel's failure to raise the issue on direct appeal.
Levi also objects to the type of evidence in the presentence report
describing the seized cocaine base as crack cocaine. Specifically, he claims that
the presentence report includes inadmissible hearsay evidence that should not
have been considered by the district court when it adopted the presentence report's
findings that Levi possessed crack cocaine. Nevertheless, the district court "may
consider any reliable information, including hearsay," to evaluate a defendant's
criminal conduct for sentencing purposes. United States v. Mays , 902 F.2d 1501,
1503 (10th Cir. 1990). Thus, any objection by Levi's counsel on this point also
would not have changed the final disposition of Levi's sentence.
For these reasons, we AFFIRM the order of the district court.
The mandate shall issue forthwith.
ENTERED FOR THE COURT
David M. Ebel Circuit Judge
-6-