United States v. Peterson

285 F. App'x 290
CourtCourt of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit
DecidedAugust 5, 2008
DocketNo. 07-3311
StatusPublished

This text of 285 F. App'x 290 (United States v. Peterson) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals for the Seventh 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. Peterson, 285 F. App'x 290 (7th Cir. 2008).

Opinion

ORDER

Pursuant to a plea agreement, Adam Peterson pleaded guilty to wire fraud in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1343. Peterson filed his milder version of the crime he committed. As a result, the government withdrew its recommendation for a reduction for acceptance of responsibility in Peterson’s offense level under the United States Sentencing Guidelines and sought a two-level enhancement for obstruction of justice. The district court sentenced Peterson based on the government’s revised sentencing recommendation, and Peterson appeals. We AFFIRM.

I.

Peterson was the president and chief executive officer of Atlas Financial Corporation (“Atlas”). Atlas contracted with Automatic Data Processing (“ADP”) to provide payroll direct deposit service for Atlas’s three employees, one of whom was Peterson. Under Atlas’s contract with ADP, ADP would deposit funds via a wire transfer directly to the individual employee’s bank account. In exchange, Atlas was required, through its contract, to have sufficient funds to cover the cost of each ADP wire transfer prior to making any request for funds. Once ADP made the transfer, Atlas was responsible for repaying the cost of each deposit.

By November 2001, Atlas encountered financial difficulties and was regularly carrying a negative balance on its bank account. Apparently the employees had not been paid for several months. At Peterson’s direction, another Atlas employee contacted ADP and requested that a total of $394,075.91 be directly deposited into the Atlas employees’ bank accounts as well as separate tax withholding accounts. Peterson knew at that time Atlas did not have the funds to cover the transfer. Af[292]*292ter making the transfers on November 7, 2001, ADP contacted Atlas on November 14, 2001, about the funds. Although Peterson knew that Atlas did not have the money, he assured ADP that it would be paid for the transfer. On or about November 26, 2001, Peterson faxed ADP a fraudulent wire transfer form that showed that funds had been wired to ADP’s bank account to cover the funds Atlas owed ADP. Peterson knew, however, that Atlas had not transferred any funds into ADP’s bank account.

Peterson was later charged by indictment with four counts of wire fraud in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1348 and pleaded guilty on April 19, 2007. As part of the plea agreement, Peterson stated that he was admitting the facts set forth in the plea agreement (“agreement”). The agreement also set forth a preliminary sentencing Guideline calculation with a range of 18-24 months, as well as noting that Peterson had

clearly demonstrated a recognition and affirmative acceptance of personal responsibility for his criminal conduct. If the government does not receive additional evidence in conflict with this provision, and if the defendant continues to accept responsibility for his actions within the meaning of Guideline § 3El.l(a), including by furnishing the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the Probation Office with all requested financial information relevant to his ability to satisfy any fine or restitution that may be imposed in this case, a two-level reduction in the offense level is appropriate.

The government agreed that it would recommend an appropriate sentence within the Guideline range. Finally, the agreement set forth that “it shall be a breach of this Plea Agreement for either party to present or advocate a position inconsistent with the agreed calculations set forth [in the preceding agreement paragraphs].”

The district court ordered the parties to file their versions of the offense conduct by May 4, 2007. In his statement, Peterson, through his attorney, noted that “[d]uring this period of time [when he committed the underlying crime], [he] was negotiating with lenders to obtain a bridge loan to cover operating funds for Atlas, as well as give it sufficient capital to put down payments on certain apartment properties it wished to purchase.” He went on to state that “[w]hile [he] knew there was not sufficient money in Atlas’ bank account to reimburse ADP, he was confident that the cash infusion for which he had been negotiating was imminent and that he would have the funds shortly to cover the deposits made to ADP.” Peterson described financing negotiations for a $3.5 million “working capital line” and a $100 million “warehouse line” that occurred between Michael Sidebottom, acting on his behalf, and Ridgely Potter of Arbor Commercial Mortgage (“Arbor”).

The government responded with its own version of the offense conduct and a sentencing memorandum in which it asserted that Peterson’s representations about relying on an impending loan were false. Specifically, the government pointed to details from a Secret Service investigation that showed that Arbor was not in the business of making the type of loans Peterson claimed he sought from it, much less that there was a pending loan. In light of this information, the government noted that it would be withdrawing its recommendation for a reduction in Peterson’s offense level for acceptance of responsibility and that it would be seeking an enhancement for obstruction of justice according to United States Sentencing Guideline § 3C1.1. The government also stated that it would present additional information at sentencing [293]*293regarding Peterson’s untruthfulness. The government filed a second sentencing memorandum in which it disclosed information regarding Peterson’s involvement with a forgery relating to a $65 million deal, past embezzlement involving a $1.2 million wire transfer, and deception relating to finances and a forged court order submitted to his wife during the course of their divorce proceeding. In addition to requesting a two-level enhancement to Peterson’s Guideline offense level under to § 3C1.1 for obstruction of justice, the government reiterated its intention to withdraw the recommendation for a three-level reduction it had planned to recommend for acceptance of responsibility pursuant to § 3E1.1.

Before Peterson and the government filed their versions of the offense conduct, the United States Probation Office had recommended that Peterson be assessed a total offense level of fifteen, which included a base offense level of six, six-level enhancement for a fraudulent scheme involving more than $200,000, a two-level reduction for acceptance of responsibility, and a one level reduction for cooperation and entry of a plea. With a Criminal History Category I, the resulting Guideline range was eighteen to twenty-four months’ imprisonment. Following the parties’ filings, the probation office amended its presentence report and recommended that Peterson be assessed a total offense level of twenty-four which included the a base offense level of six, a specific offense level of sixteen, and a two-level increase for obstruction of justice with no reduction for acceptance of responsibility. The specific offense level recommendation took into account the $1.2 million wire transfer as relevant conduct under § 1B1.3. With Criminal History Category I, the resulting Guideline range was fifty-one to sixty-three months’ imprisonment.

At sentencing, the district court heard argument from the parties. Peterson’s attorney objected to the government’s position arguing that it violated the plea agreement. The district court did not rule on Peterson’s breach argument, but instead addressed the issues relating to relevant conduct under § 1B1.3.

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Bluebook (online)
285 F. App'x 290, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/united-states-v-peterson-ca7-2008.