[DO NOT PUBLISH]
IN THE UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS
FILED
FOR THE ELEVENTH CIRCUIT U.S. COURT OF APPEALS
________________________ ELEVENTH CIRCUIT
OCT 16, 2008
No. 07-11165 THOMAS K. KAHN
Non-Argument Calendar CLERK
________________________
D. C. Docket No. 06-20628-CR-JAL
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA,
Plaintiff-Appellee,
versus
IVAN D. FERMIN,
Defendant-Appellant.
________________________
Appeal from the United States District Court
for the Southern District of Florida
_________________________
(October 16, 2008)
Before BIRCH, DUBINA and CARNES, Circuit Judges.
PER CURIAM:
Ivan Fermin appeals his 21-month sentence for conspiracy to commit mail
and bank fraud, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1349. He contends that the district
court incorrectly applied Sentencing Guidelines § 2B1.1 because the court simply
relied on Fermin’s admissions at the change of plea hearing and the undisputed
facts in the presentence investigation report (PSR) in determining the intended loss
amount, instead of making its own fact findings.
At sentencing, Fermin’s only objection to being sentenced on the basis of the
calculated loss amount was that no dollar amount had been included in the
indictment and the amount stated in the PSR exceeded the amount mentioned in
the plea agreement. He did not argue that the amount stated in the PSR, and which
he had admitted to during the plea colloquy, was factually inaccurate. Where a
defendant presses on appeal a ground of objection that he did not clearly articulate
in the district court, our review is only for plain error. See United States v.
Massey, 443 F.3d 814, 818 (11th Cir. 2006); United States v. Aguillard, 217 F.3d
1319, 1320 (11th Cir. 2000). To establish plain error, an appealing defendant must
show (1) an error (2) that is plain, (3) that affects substantial rights, and (4) that
seriously affects the fairness, integrity, or public reputation of judicial proceedings.
United States v. Olano, 507 U.S. 725, 732, 113 S.Ct. 1770, 1776 (1993).
At sentencing, the government must prove by a preponderance of the
evidence any fact to be considered by the district court, United States v. Duncan,
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400 F.3d 1297, 1304 (11th Cir. 2005), including the applicability of any guidelines
enhancements, United States v. Ndiaye, 434 F.3d 1270, 1300 (11th Cir. 2006).
One such fact is the amount of loss to be attributed to the defendant in a fraud case.
United States v. Cabrera, 172 F.3d 1287, 1292-94 (11th Cir. 1999). “The findings
of fact of the sentencing court may be based on evidence heard during trial, facts
admitted by a defendant’s plea of guilty, undisputed statements in the presentence
report, or evidence presented at the sentencing hearing.” United States v.
Saunders, 318 F.3d 1257, 1271 n.22 (11th Cir. 2003) (quoting United States v.
Wilson, 884 F.2d 1355, 1356 (11th Cir. 1989)). However, the failure to object to a
factual allegation in the PSR constitutes an admission for sentencing purposes, and
failure to object to a sentencing court’s findings of fact on the specific ground
raised on appeal ordinarily precludes us from concluding that the findings were
clearly erroneous. United States v. Wade, 458 F.3d 1273, 1277 (11th Cir.), cert.
denied, 127 S.Ct. 2096 (2007).
Fermin not only failed to object in the district court to the factual statements
contained in the PSR on which the loss calculation was based, he had affirmatively
admitted to the loss amount at the plea hearing. The district court discussed the
loss amount and, referring to the plea colloquy, explained: “Based upon the
factual proffer and the Defendant’s admitting to facts as stated by the prosecutor, I
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find that the 12-level increase under 2(b)1.1(b)(Government) as the intended loss
of $317,300 is appropriate in this matter.” The district court committed no error,
plain or otherwise, when it based its finding as to the amount of the loss on
Fermin’s explicit admissions in the plea colloquy and on his implicit admissions
arising from his attorney’s failure to argue at sentencing that the amount stated in
the PSR was factually inaccurate.
AFFIRMED.
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