ARTHUR J. TARNOW, Senior District Judge.
Before the Court is Defendant's Objection to Garnishment [6], filed on March 6, 2012. On April 17, 2012, Magistrate Judge Komives issued a Report and Recommendation ("R&R") [11] recommending that Defendant's Objection be DENIED. Defendant filed an Objection [12] to the R&R on April 26, 2012. Plaintiff filed a Response [13] on May 4, 2012.
For the reasons stated below, the Report and Recommendation is ADOPTED. Plaintiff's Objection to Garnishment is DENIED.
The R&R provides a detailed description of the facts in this case. The court adopts the facts as set out in the R&R. The facts discussed below are those pertinent to Defendant's objection.
On November 3, 2006, Defendant Walter John Bates was found guilty of two counts: Conspiracy to Commit Bank Robbery and Aiding and Abetting a Bank Robbery. The court imposed a prison term of 70 months for each count, to run concurrently, criminal monetary penalties in the form of a $200 assessment, and $26,666.54 in restitution. Although Defendant was only charged with aiding and abetting the robbery on October 4, 2002, the restitution order included the losses from all fourteen (14) robberies because the court found that the other robberies were within the scope of the conspiracy. Thus, Defendant was jointly and severally liable for the entire restitution obligation with Kevin Foster-Bey and Albert Bates, the other Defendants in the original case. On January 12, 2009, the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit affirmed the conviction and sentence of Defendant. On August 20, 2009, this Court denied Defendant's motion to vacate his sentence pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 2255, stating that:
On March 20, 2007, Plaintiff filed an application for a writ of continuing garnishment. However, Defendant's restitution was stayed pending Defendant's appeal. On February 22, 2012, Plaintiff filed another application for a writ of continuing garnishment, which was issued on February 23, 2012. Defendant objected to the garnishment and requested a hearing on March 6, 2012. The hearing took place before Magistrate Judge Paul Komives on April 10, 2012.
Objections to a Magistrate Judge's R&R are reviewed de novo. 28 U.S.C. §636(b)(1); Flournoy v. Marshall, 842 F.2d 875, 875-76 (6th Cir. 1998) (holding that the standard of review for magistrate judges' report and recommendations is de novo review, not clearly erroneous). Making some objections to a Magistrate Judge's R&R, but failing to raise others, will not preserve all objections a party may have to the R&R. McClanahan v. Comm'r of Soc. Sec., 474 F.3d 830, 837 (6th Cir. 2006). Objections that are filed must be specific. Frontier Ins. Co. v. Blaty, 454 F.3d 590, 596 (6th Cir. 2006).
Defendant advances one objection to the R&R. Defendant argues that it was error for the court to order him to pay $26,666.54 in restitution, the total losses from all the robberies encompassed by the conspiracy. Instead, Defendant argues that he should only have to pay restitution for the robbery on October 4, 2002, the only robbery for which he was charged with aiding and abetting.
Before turning to Defendant's Objection, it should be noted that Defendant's Objection could be construed as a second motion to correct or vacate his original judgment.
Even if the timing were proper for a motion to vacate or correct sentence, Defendant's Objection must be denied because Defendant's sentence was proper. Although Defendant only physically participated in the robbery on October 4, 2002, under his conspiracy charge Defendant can be held liable for the acts of his co-conspirators that were in the scope of Defendant's agreement and foreseeable to the Defendant. See United States Sentencing Guidelines Manual § 1B1.3(a)(1)(B); Pinkerton v. United States, 328 U.S. 640, 646 (1946) (holding that Defendant Daniel Pinkerton could be liable for the substantive offenses of his co-defendant when the offenses were in the scope of their conspiracy, although he did not directly participate in those offenses). In this case, the evidence with respect to the scope of Defendant's agreement and the foreseeability of his co-conspirators actions
Although Defendant's Objection seems to request a correction or elimination of his original sentence, which would be inconsistent with an Objection to the Writ of Garnishment, 28 U.S.C. § 3202(d), pro se allegations are held to less stringent standards than formal complaints drafted by lawyers. Haines v. Kerner, 404 U.S. 519, 520 (1972). Defendant's Objection could be construed as a motion to modify the payment terms of his restitution "because of a material change in the Defendant's economic circumstances" pursuant to 18 U.S.C. § 3664(k). Some courts have interpreted 18 U.S.C. § 3664(k) to only allow for an adjustment of the payment schedule. See United States v. Banks, 430 F. App'x 179, 181 (3d Cir. 2011); United States v. Best, No. 04-CR-80879, 2008 WL 553241, at *2 (E.D.Mich. Feb. 28, 2008). Others have interpreted18 U.S.C. § 3664(k) to allow for a reduction of restitution. See United States v. Bernard, 351 F.3d 360, 361 n.2 (8th Cir. 2003); United States v. Turner, 312 F.3d 1137, 1143 (9th Cir. 2002). Regardless, Defendant has not alleged a material change in his economic circumstances and as Defendant is still in prison it is not likely that such a change has occurred.
Finally, Defendant's Objection could be construed as a claim for exemption from garnishment pursuant to 18 U.S.C. § 3613(a)(1). Defendant attached a "Claim for Exemption Form" to his original Objection, claiming that his pension from the Detroit Police Department should be exempt from garnishment as:
18 U.S.C. § 6334(a)(6).
Defendant's pension from the Detroit Police Department does not seem to be exempt from garnishment under this statute and Defendant has failed to demonstrate how the statute would apply to his pension.
The Court having reviewed the record in this case, the Report and Recommendation of the Magistrate Judge is hereby