TENTATIVE FINDINGS

RICHARD G. KOPF, Senior District Judge.

I am in receipt of the presentence investigation report in this case. There are no objections, but a variance motion has been filed by the defendant.

IT IS ORDERED that:

(1) The undersigned will consult and follow or deviate from the Guidelines to the extent permitted and required by United States v. Booker, 543 U.S. 220(2005) and subsequent cases. In this regard, the undersigned gives notice that, unless otherwise ordered, he will (a) give the advisory Guidelines such weight as they deserve within the context of each individual case and will filter the Guidelines general advice through §3553(a)'s list of factors; (b) resolve all factual disputes relevant to sentencing by the greater weight of the evidence and without the aid of a jury; (c) impose upon the government the burden of proof on all Guideline-enhancements; (d) impose upon the defendant the burden of proof on all Guideline-mitigators; (e) depart from the advisory Guidelines, if appropriate, using pre-Booker departure theory; and (f) in cases where a departure using pre-Booker departure theory is not warranted, deviate or vary from the Guidelines when there is a principled reason for doing so. I no longer give the Guidelines "substantial weight."

(2) There are no objections or motions. That said, I intend to grant the two-level variance recommended by the Probation Officer.

(3) Except to the extent (if at all) that I have sustained an objection or granted a motion or reserved an issue for later resolution in the preceding paragraph, the parties are herewith notified that my tentative findings are that the presentence report is correct in all respects.

(4) Any objection to these Tentative Findings may be asserted orally at sentencing.