United States v. Chavez, No. 15-2007 (8th Cir. 2016)
Annotate this CaseDefendant was found guilty of conspiring to distribute, possessing with the intent to distribute, and distributing methamphetamine. On appeal, defendant challenged his sentence of 96 months in prison. The court concluded that the district court's application of a two-level increase, pursuant to USSG 3C1.1, for obstruction of justice was justified where defendant lived abroad and resettled across the country, delaying the resolution of his case by almost a decade. The court also concluded that the district court did not err in denying defendant a two-level decrease in his sentence for acceptance of responsibility, pursuant to USSG 3E1.1(a), where defendant put the government to its burden of proof at trial by denying the essential elements of guilt. Accordingly, the court affirmed the sentence.
Court Description: Riley, Author, with Colloton and Kelly, Circuit Judges] Criminal case - Sentencing. The district court did not err in imposing a two-level increase under Guidelines Sec. 3C1.1 for obstruction of justice where defendant fled the U.S. and lived abroad, delaying resolution of his case for almost ten years; no error in denying defendant an acceptance-of-responsibility reduction.
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