Opinion
Case Number 2-CR-12-409
09-24-2012
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA v. HAMILTON SANCHEZ Defendant.
The defendant, HAMILTON SANCHEZ , was represented by Peter M. Weiner, Esq .
JUDGMENT IN A CRIMINAL CASE
(For Offenses Committed On or After November 1, 1987)
The defendant, HAMILTON SANCHEZ , was represented by Peter M. Weiner, Esq .
The defendant pled guilty to count(s) 1 of the Information on May 23, 2012. Accordingly, the court has adjudicated that the defendant is guilty of the following offense(s):
+-----------------------------------------------------------------------------+ ¦ ¦ ¦ ¦Count ¦ ¦Title & ¦Nature of Offense ¦Date of Offense¦ ¦ ¦Section ¦ ¦ ¦Number ¦ ¦ ¦ ¦ ¦(s) ¦ +------------+---------------------------------------+---------------+--------¦ ¦ ¦Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to ¦Feb. 15, 2012 ¦ ¦ ¦21 U.S.C. ¦Distribute ¦thru ¦1 ¦ ¦846 ¦ ¦ ¦ ¦ ¦ ¦Heroin. ¦April 10. 2012 ¦ ¦ +-----------------------------------------------------------------------------+
As pronounced on September 17, 2012, the defendant is sentenced as provided in pages 2 through 5 of this Judgment. The sentence is imposed pursuant to the Sentencing Reform Act of 1984.
It is ordered that the defendant shall pay to the United States a special assessment of $100, for count(s) 1, which shall be due immediately. Said special assessment shall be made payable to the Clerk, U.S. District Court.
It is further ordered that the defendant shall notify the United States Attorney for this district within 30 days of any change of name, residence, or mailing address until all fines, restitution, costs, and special assessments imposed by this Judgment are fully paid. If ordered to pay restitution, the defendant shall notify the court and United States Attorney of any material change in the defendant's economic circumstances.
______________________
DICKINSON R. DEBEVOISE
Senior United States District Judge
IMPRISONMENT
The defendant is hereby committed to the custody of the United States Bureau of Prisons to be imprisoned for a term of 37 Months.
The Court makes the following recommendations to the Bureau of Prisons: The Court recommends that defendant be confined in NY or NJ or as close to his home as possible sot as to be available to his family.
The defendant shall remain in custody pending service of sentence.
RETURN
I have executed this Judgment as follows:
____________
Defendant delivered on __ To __ At _, with a certified copy of this Judgment.
______________________
United States Marshal
By _
Deputy Marshal
SUPERVISED RELEASE
Upon release from imprisonment, the defendant shall be placed on supervised release for a term of 3 years.
Within 72 hours of release from custody of the Bureau of Prisons, the defendant shall report in person to the Probation Office in the district to which the defendant is released.
While on supervised release, the defendant shall comply with the standard conditions that have been adopted by this court as set forth below.
The defendant shall submit to one drug test within 15 days of commencement of supervised release and at least two tests thereafter as determined by the probation officer.
If this judgment imposes a fine, special assessment, costs, or restitution obligation, it shall be a condition of supervised release that the defendant pay any such fine, assessments, costs, and restitution that remains unpaid at the commencement of the term of supervised release and shall comply with the following special conditions:
ALCOHOL/DRUG TESTING AND TREATMENT
You shall refrain from the illegal possession and use of drugs, including prescription medication not prescribed in your name, and the use of alcohol, and shall submit to urinalysis or other forms of testing to ensure compliance. It is further ordered that you shall submit to evaluation and treatment, on an outpatient or inpatient basis, as approved by the U.S. Probation Office. You shall abide by the rules of any program and shall remain in treatment until satisfactorily discharged by the Court. You shall alert all medical professionals of any prior substance abuse history, including any prior history of prescription drug abuse. The Probation Officer shall supervise your compliance with this condition.
STANDARD CONDITIONS OF SUPERVISED RELEASE
While the defendant is on supervised release pursuant to this Judgment:
1) The defendant shall not commit another federal, state, or local crime during the term of supervision.
2) The defendant shall not illegally possess a controlled substance.
3) If convicted of a felony offense, the defendant shall not possess a firearm or destructive device.
4) The defendant shall not leave the judicial district without the permission of the court or probation officer.
5) The defendant shall report to the probation officer in a manner and frequency directed by the Court or probation officer.
6) The defendant shall answer truthfully all inquiries by the probation officer and follow the instructions of the probation officer.
7) The defendant shall support his or her dependents and meet other family responsibilities.
8) The defendant shall work regularly at a lawful occupation unless excused by the probation officer for schooling, training, or other acceptable reasons.
9) The defendant shall notify the probation officer within seventy-two hours of any change in residence or employment.
10) The defendant shall refrain from excessive use of alcohol and shall not purchase, possess, use, distribute or administer any narcotic or other controlled substance, or any paraphernalia related to such substances.
11) The defendant shall not frequent places where controlled substances are illegally sold, used, distributed, or administered.
12) The defendant shall not associate with any persons engaged in criminal activity, and shall not associate with any person convicted of a felony unless granted permission to do so by the probation officer.
13) The defendant shall permit a probation officer to visit him or her at any time at home or elsewhere and shall permit confiscation of any contraband observed in plain view by the probation officer.
14) The defendant shall notify the probation officer within seventy-two hours of being arrested or questioned by a law enforcement officer.
15) The defendant shall not enter into any agreement to act as an informer or a special agent of a law enforcement agency without the permission of the court.
16) As directed by the probation officer, the defendant shall notify third parties of risks that may be occasioned by the defendant's criminal record or personal history or characteristics, and shall permit the probation officer to make such notifications and to confirm the defendant's compliance with such notification requirement.
(17) You shall cooperate in the collection of DNA as directed by the Probation Officer.
(This standard condition would apply when the current offense or a prior federal offense is either a felony, any offense under Chapter 109 A of Title 18(i.e., §§ 2241-2248, any crime of violence [as defined in 18U.S.C. § 16], any attempt or conspiracy to commit the above, an offense under the Uniform Code of Military Justice for which a sentence of confinement of more than one year may be imposed, or any other offense under the Uniform Code that is comparable to a qualifying federal offense);
(18) Upon request, you shall provide the U.S. Probation Office with full disclosure of your financial records, including co-mingled income, expenses, assets and liabilities, to include yearly income tax returns. With the exception of the financial accounts reported and noted within the presentence report, you are prohibited from maintaining and/or opening any additional individual and/or joint checking, savings, or other financial accounts, for either personal or business purposes, without the knowledge and approval of the U.S. Probation Office. You shall cooperate with the Probation Officer in the investigation of your financial dealings and shall provide truthful monthly statements of your income. You shall cooperate in the signing of any necessary authorization to release information forms permitting the U.S. Probation Office access to your financial information and records;
(19) As directed by the U.S. Probation Office, you shall participate in and complete any educational, vocational, cognitive or any other enrichment program offered by the U.S. Probation Office or any outside agency or establishment while under supervision;
(20) You shall not operate any motor vehicle without a valid driver's license issued by the State of New Jersey, or in the state in which you are supervised. You shall comply with all motor vehicle laws and ordinances and must report all motor vehicle infractions (including any court appearances) within 72 hours to the U.S. Probation Office;
For Official Use Only- U.S. Probation Office
Upon a finding of a violation of probation or supervised release, I understand that the Court may (1) revoke , supervision or (2) extend the term of supervision and/or modify the conditions of supervision.
These conditions have been read to me. I fully understand the conditions, and have been provided a copy of | them.
You shall carry out all rules, in addition to the above, as prescribed by the Chief U.S. Probation Officer, or any I of his associate Probation Officers.
(Signed) ___
Defendant
______________________
U.S. Probation Officer/Designated Witness Date
RIDER A
Defendant, Hamilton Sanchez was born November 16, 1974 in Puerto Rico. Neither his mother nor his father played positive roles in his early life, and he was raised by his grandparents. He engaged in several criminal ventures. He did not graduate from high school, and his sporadic employment was interrupted by time in jail.
The presentence report gives a detailed account of a vicious murder of a father mother and their two daughters in which a co-perpetrator implicated defendant, but the evidence against defendant was ruled inadmissible and the prosecution against him was dropped. Consequently this crime will not be considered in sentencing Defendant for the current offenses.
The current offense is for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute heroin. Defendant and co-conspirator Juan Rodriguez were equal participants in the heroin venture. The crime was a serious one. There is no dispute concerning the calculation of the Guideline score which results in a Total Offense Level of 17, a Criminal History Category of III and a sentencing range of 30-37 months.
Neither party seeks a departure or variance, and the Court sees no basis for an upward departure or variance because it cannot take into account the murder in which it appears Defendant participated.
Defendant's extensive criminal record and the recurring nature of Defendant's offense leads the conclusion that both individual and general deterrence will be served by a sentence at the to of the Guidelines. There are no personal needs of Defendant that would be served by a lower sentence. Consequently the sentence will be 37 months, which is the Guideline maximum.