Filed: Feb. 11, 2020
Latest Update: Mar. 03, 2020
Summary: NOT FOR PUBLICATION FILED UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS FEB 11 2020 MOLLY C. DWYER, CLERK U.S. COURT OF APPEALS FOR THE NINTH CIRCUIT UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, No. 19-10200 Plaintiff-Appellee, D.C. No. 1:18-cr-00019-LEK-1 v. MEMORANDUM* CORINNE ARAKAWA, Defendant-Appellant. Appeal from the United States District Court for District of Hawaii Leslie E. Kobayashi, District Judge, Presiding Submitted February 4, 2020** Before: FERNANDEZ, SILVERMAN, and TALLMAN, Circuit Judges. Corinne Arakawa appea
Summary: NOT FOR PUBLICATION FILED UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS FEB 11 2020 MOLLY C. DWYER, CLERK U.S. COURT OF APPEALS FOR THE NINTH CIRCUIT UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, No. 19-10200 Plaintiff-Appellee, D.C. No. 1:18-cr-00019-LEK-1 v. MEMORANDUM* CORINNE ARAKAWA, Defendant-Appellant. Appeal from the United States District Court for District of Hawaii Leslie E. Kobayashi, District Judge, Presiding Submitted February 4, 2020** Before: FERNANDEZ, SILVERMAN, and TALLMAN, Circuit Judges. Corinne Arakawa appeal..
More
NOT FOR PUBLICATION FILED
UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS FEB 11 2020
MOLLY C. DWYER, CLERK
U.S. COURT OF APPEALS
FOR THE NINTH CIRCUIT
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, No. 19-10200
Plaintiff-Appellee, D.C. No. 1:18-cr-00019-LEK-1
v.
MEMORANDUM*
CORINNE ARAKAWA,
Defendant-Appellant.
Appeal from the United States District Court
for District of Hawaii
Leslie E. Kobayashi, District Judge, Presiding
Submitted February 4, 2020**
Before: FERNANDEZ, SILVERMAN, and TALLMAN, Circuit Judges.
Corinne Arakawa appeals from the district court’s judgment and challenges
the 108-month sentence imposed following her guilty-plea conviction for
conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine,
possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute, and attempted
*
This disposition is not appropriate for publication and is not precedent
except as provided by Ninth Circuit Rule 36-3.
**
The panel unanimously concludes this case is suitable for decision
without oral argument. See Fed. R. App. P. 34(a)(2).
distribution of methamphetamine, in violation of 21 U.S.C. §§ 841(a)(1),
841(b)(1)(A) and 846. We have jurisdiction under 28 U.S.C. § 1291, and we
affirm.
Arakawa contends that the district court erred by applying an aggravating
role enhancement pursuant to U.S.S.G. § 3B1.1(a). We review the district court’s
factual findings for clear error and its application of the Guidelines to the facts for
abuse of discretion. See United States v. Gasca-Ruiz,
852 F.3d 1167, 1170 (9th
Cir. 2017) (en banc). The undisputed record reflects that Arakawa procured the
narcotics involved in the conspiracy, sold those narcotics to other co-conspirators
at a profit, and encouraged her co-conspirators to coordinate prices for distribution.
Contrary to Arakawa’s argument, this evidence shows that she was more than a
source of supply, and it supports the district court’s conclusion that she acted as an
organizer or leader of the criminal conspiracy. See U.S.S.G. § 3B1.1 cmt. n.4;
United States v. Rivera,
527 F.3d 891, 9009 (9th Cir. 2008) (enhancement
supported where evidence established that defendant “exercised decision making
authority in the procurement and distribution of narcotics”); United States v.
Garcia,
497 F.3d 964, 969-70 (9th Cir. 2007) (section 3B1.1(a) enhancement is
supported where the evidence shows that the defendant exercised some degree of
control or organizational authority).
AFFIRMED.
2 19-10200