United States v. Neil E. Campbell Paul Carpenter Rickey D. Jones

279 F.3d 392
CourtCourt of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit
DecidedFebruary 1, 2002
Docket00-3089, 00-3233 and 00-3235
StatusPublished
Cited by199 cases

This text of 279 F.3d 392 (United States v. Neil E. Campbell Paul Carpenter Rickey D. Jones) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals for the Sixth 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. Neil E. Campbell Paul Carpenter Rickey D. Jones, 279 F.3d 392 (6th Cir. 2002).

Opinions

KEITH, J., delivered the opinion of the court, in which MOORE, J., joined.

[395]*395BOGGS, J. (p. 402), delivered a separate opinion concurring in part and dissenting in part.

OPINION

KEITH, Circuit Judge.

Defendants-Appellants Neil E. Campbell (“Campbell”), Rickey D. Jones (“Jones”), and Paul Carpenter (“Carpenter”) appeal their convictions and sentences entered on guilty pleas for use of a telephone to facilitate a narcotics conspiracy. Campbell raises a single issue in his appeal: whether the district court erred when it held that Campbell did not carry his burden in showing that he was entitled to a downward adjustment pursuant to the “Mitigating Role” provision of United States Sentencing Guidelines (“U.S.S.G.”) § 3B1.2. Jones raises two issues on appeal: (1) whether the district court violated his constitutional rights to due process and a jury trial by sentencing him to 120 months in prison, in light of the Supreme Court’s recent decision in Apprendi v. New Jersey, 530 U.S. 466, 120 S.Ct. 2348, 147 L.Ed.2d 435 (2000); and (2) whether Count One of Jones’ indictment, which charged him with conspiracy to distribute marijuana, cocaine, and crack cocaine, was a duplicitous indictment in violation of his Sixth Amendment right to jury unanimity. Carpenter raises two issues on appeal: (1) whether the district court erred when it held Carpenter responsible for the conspiracy’s total distribution of fifteen kilograms of cocaine pursuant to the “Relevant Conduct” provision of U.S.S.G. § 1B1.3; and (2) whether the district court violated his constitutional rights established in Apprendi by sentencing him to 120 months in prison.

For the reasons set forth below, we AFFIRM the district court’s order with respect to Campbell. We VACATE Jones’ 120-month sentence and REMAND to the district court for resentencing. We also VACATE Carpenter’s sentence and REMAND to the district court with the instruction that it make particularized findings on whether the acts of Carpenter’s co-conspirators were within the scope of his agreement to jointly undertake in the conspiracy’s illegal activities.

I. FACTUAL AND PROCEDURAL HISTORY

From early 1996 to May 1999, Davon Rodriguez and his brother, Josué, operated a cocaine distribution network in the Butler County area of Ohio. During these three years, the Rodriguez brothers participated in obtaining and reselling approximately fifteen kilograms of cocaine. In April 1999, agents of the Drug Enforcement Agency (“DEA”) began a 30-day authorized wiretap of Davon Rodriguez’s cellular telephone. Based on these conversations, DEA agents identified Appellants Jones and Carpenter as core members of the Rodriguez cocaine conspiracy. Appellant Campbell was identified as a customer.

A federal grand jury charged all three Appellants with conspiracy to distribute marijuana, cocaine, and crack cocaine in violation of 21 U.S.C. §§ 841(a)(1) and 841(b)(1)(A). Moreover, Campbell was charged with two counts of using a telephone to facilitate the commission of a felony, in violation of 21 U.S.C. § 843(b). Jones and Carpenter were charged with two and three telephone counts, respectively.

All three Appellants pled guilty to various charges in exchange for dismissal of the remaining charges. Campbell pled guilty to the two telephone counts, Jones pled guilty to the conspiracy charge, and Carpenter pled guilty to three telephone counts. The district court sentenced Campbell to twenty-four months in prison, [396]*396a $1,000 fíne, and a one-year term of supervised release. Jones was sentenced to 120 months in prison, a $4,000 fíne, and a five-year term of supervised release. Carpenter was sentenced to eighty-seven months in prison, a $3,000 fine, and a one-year term of supervised release. The Appellants each filed timely notices of appeals.

II. ANALYSIS

Campbell’s Appeal

Campbell argues that the district court erred when it refused to grant him a downward adjustment pursuant to the “Mitigating Role” provision of U.S.S.G. § 3B1.2. Whether a defendant is entitled to a downward departure under § 3B1.2 depends heavily on factual determinations, which we review only for clear error. United States v. Searan, 259 F.3d 434, 447 (6th Cir.2001). For the reasons stated below, we hold that the district court did not commit clear error in refusing to grant Campbell’s request for a downward adjustment pursuant to § 3B1.2.

For sentencing purposes, “[t]he salient issue is the role the defendant played in relation to the activity for which the court held him or her accountable.” United States v. Salgado, 250 F.3d 438, 458 (6th Cir.2001) (quoting United States v. Roper, 135 F.3d 430, 434 (6th Cir.), cert. denied, 524 U.S. 920, 118 S.Ct. 2306, 141 L.Ed.2d 165 (1998)). Defendants may be minimal or minor participants in relation to the scope of the conspiracy as a whole, but they are not entitled to a mitigating role reduction if they are held accountable only for the quantities of drugs attributable to them. United States v. Walton, 908 F.2d 1289, 1303 (6th Cir.), cert. denied, 498 U.S. 990, 111 S.Ct. 532, 112 L.Ed.2d 542 (1990); see also United States v. Welch, 97 F.3d 142, 152 (6th Cir.1996).

In this case, the district court held Campbell accountable for at least 100, but less than 200 grams of cocaine, which was the “amount of drugs that [Campbell] actually purchased and distributed or used.” (Joint Appendix (“J.A.”) at 159). The full amount of cocaine involved in the conspiracy was fifteen kilograms. Because the district court held Campbell accountable only for the quantity of drugs attributable to him, we hold that the district court correctly denied his request for a downward adjustment pursuant to U.S.S.G. § 3B1.2.

Moreover, we have held that downward departures under § 3B1.2 are available only to a party who is “less culpable than most other participants” and “substantially less culpable than the average participant.” United States v. Lloyd, 10 F.3d 1197, 1220 (6th Cir.1993) (citing U.S.S.G. § 3B1.2 (2001), cmt. n. 3 and background). In light of our holding, the district court concluded that:

While Defendant Campbell may establish that he was less culpable than Da-von and Josué Rodriguez, who acted as suppliers of cocaine, he is equally culpable as or more culpable than several of the other non-supplier participants. At best, the Defendant may be less culpable than approximately one-half of the participants in the offenses underlying this case. Accordingly, the Court concludes that

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Bluebook (online)
279 F.3d 392, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/united-states-v-neil-e-campbell-paul-carpenter-rickey-d-jones-ca6-2002.