Beruflich Dokumente
Kultur Dokumente
DISTRICT OF CONNECTICUT
I. Introduction
The defendant details the good deeds he has purportedly done helping his
family members, volunteering for his children’s sports teams and serving as a
devoted son, and a person who has given much to his community.” He then
argues that because of those good deeds, because he adopted two children, and
tragically, because one of his children died unexpectedly, that he should receive
But the defendant fails to offer facts required under Second Circuit law to justify
such a departure, namely, that he is the sole careprovider for his family or that he
departure based on a combination of factors either. Many of the very good deeds
purpose--they allowed the defendant to cultivate victims for his fraud scheme.
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Indeed, the defendant repeatedly stole money from members of his own family;
he stole from his church friends; and he even stole from the youth soccer club
might be appropriate “for a lesser man, a man more comfortable with the dark
side of the law.” However, stealing from family and friends and leaving retirees
A. Relevant Law
extraordinary circumstances.” United States v. Smith, 331 F.3d 292, 294 (2d Cir.
situations that are truly extraordinary.” United States v. Walker, 191 F.3d 326, 338
circumstances are not abuse of discretion where the defendant has a unique and
members. See United States v. Johnson, 964 F.2d 124, 128-30 (2d Cir. 1992) (no
abuse of discretion to depart where defendant had sole responsibility for raising
four young children); United States v. Alba, 933 F.2d 1117, 1122 (2d Cir. 1991) (no
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wife, two children, ages 4 and 11, and for disabled, dependant father and
Beyond such cases where the defendant has a unique and irreplaceable
role in caring for minors or disabled family members, the Second Circuit has
standard of review. In United States v. Smith, 331 F.3d 292 (2d Cir. 2003), the
close relationship with his two-year-old son and played a major role in caring for
him, including dropping him off at day care, feeding him dinner, bathing him, and
putting him to bed,” and where the defendant’s incarceration would result in his
wife having to discontinue her college studies. Id. at 293. The court observed
that the defendant was “not the sole caregiver or financial supporter of his [2-
year-old] son” and that the concerns for the son “may be alleviated by the
availability of Smith’s mother and half-sister for child care.” Id. at 294. To the
extent that the defendant’s college studies would be disrupted, the court noted
Similarly, in United States v. Madrigal, 331 F.3d 258, 260 (2d Cir. 2003), the
defendant’s relationship with her six children. Focusing again on the availability
of alternative caregivers, the Court observed the absence of evidence that the
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defendant was “the only person capable of providing adequate care for the
youngest children” and that “[t]here was also evidence that the family as a whole
remained cohesive, that [the defendant’s] three older children were doing well
and were available to care for their younger siblings, and that [the defendant’s]
extended family was also available for caregiving.” Id. at 260. Accordingly, the
are, they are not ‘extraordinary,’” and that “[t]hey are the common collateral
damage of imprisonment and are far enough removed from those circumstances
that existing case law has found exceptional that we must conclude that the
departures where the facts were far from exceptional. See United States v.
Carrasco, 313 F.3d 750, 756-57 (2d Cir. 2002) (reversing family-circumstance
departure for defendant who had three children and an ill father for whom he
sense an exceptional circumstance” and financial support for the father was not
Carrasco’s siblings”); United States v. Faria, 161 F.3d 761, 762-63 (2d Cir. 1998)
support to wife and three minor children; “although Faria pays child support, he
no longer lives with his children, and his ex-wife earns approximately $40,000 per
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year,” such that “we cannot conclude that Faria's family is uniquely dependent on
the support it currently receives from him”); United States v. Tejeda, 146 F.3d at
87-88 (reversing family-circumstances departure for defendant with wife and two
children; “the existence of a stable family (a wife and two children) – something
B. The Defendant Does Not Provide The Type Of Care That Justifies A
Departure Based on Family Circumstances
matter, while it is admirable that Garcia adopted two children, the fact that he is
argues. [Doc. #14 at 9]. The fact that one of Garcia’s daughters died of
should be construed as demeaning the magnitude of that loss in any way. But
to this offense.
As for his role as caregiver, based on the facts of the PSR, defendant does
not have the type of unique and irreplaceably vital role in caring for his son or his
father that would justify a departure. The defendant argues that “the surviving
#14 at 9]. The Government does not dispute that the defendant’s son (the
1
Garcia’s sentencing memo at one point refers to the death as a “suicide”
[Doc. 14 at 10] but the PSR states that the death was due to myocarditis, an
inflammation of the heart muscle. PSR, ¶ 40.
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sibling certainly would. Moreover, it seems obvious that the child would prefer to
have his father present as a caregiver than not. But there is no assertion that the
defendant is the sole caretaker for his children or that he provides a type of care
that no one else can. In fact, the defendant’s wife lives in the family home and
provides care for the children. PSR, ¶¶ 40-42. Further, as discussed below, the
family is awaiting a treatment placement to address the son’s needs. PSR, ¶ 40.
position as caretaker for his elderly father,” and that he plays a “pivotal role” in
his care. [Doc. # 14 at 7, 9]. However, the nature of the care the defendant
provides to his father is not specified anywhere in the PSR. Defendant cites PSR
¶ 34, but that paragraph merely states that his father is 73, a resident of
sole caregiver or gave him a unique kind of care that no one else could, this
would be a relevant fact to consider, but it is simply not borne out by the PSR. In
any event, it is clear that the defendant is not his father’s sole or primary
caretaker as the defendant’s father lives in Bridgeport while the defendant lives
At its core, defendant’s argument is that being separated from his family
difficulty that is inherent in the punishment of incarceration and one that all
defendants sentenced to federal prison face, including those who face far more
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concomitant difficulties for those who depend on the defendant, are inherent in
the punishment of incarceration.” United States v. Tejeda, 146 F.3d 84, 87 (2d Cir.
1998) (per curium) (quoting United States v. Johnson, 964 F.2d 124, 128 (2d Cir.
downward departure under U.S.S.G. § 5K2.0. [Doc. #14 at 9-14]. The Second
Circuit has made clear that a departure based on a combination of factors should
be reserved for truly “extraordinary” cases. See, e.g., United States v. Cornielle,
171 F.3d 748, 754 (2d Cir. 1999) (upholding “limited” departure in light of the four-
college).
made friends at church and through his children’s sporting activities and later
defrauded them. His conduct was not aberrant, and his tax evasion offense, far
from being outside the heartland, was a classic case of failure to file. The sum
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factors” grounds.
including “the mental health needs of his wife, adopted child and natural child.”
[Doc. #14 at 10]. The defendant’s son is reportedly facing “two significant mental
health issues relating to the death of his sister” (PSR ¶ 40), obviously a challenge
to any family. The PSR indicates that the family is “awaiting a treatment
placement to address this issue”–an occurrence that would assist the family in
providing care. Such a placement would presumably reduce the need for any
mental health care the defendant is providing to his son–care that is not specified
As for the defendant’s wife, the PSR does not mention any “mental health
needs” on her part at all. The PSR affirmatively states that the defendant’s other
daughter is not receiving treatment and would only receive treatment “in the
event [such services] become necessary.’ PSR ¶ 40. For the defendant to argue
that he deserves a departure because of the “mental health needs” of his entire
B. Number of Victims
The defendant also argues that the number of victims overstates the harm
in this case. [Doc. #14 at 11]. Defendant stipulated to the number of victims in
this case and that a two-point increase in his guidelines level should apply, so
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Guidelines plainly define “victim” as “any person who sustained any part of the
actual loss . . .“ (U.S.S.G. § 2B1.1, Application Note 1), and makes no mention of
work in the community and other volunteer activities. PSR, § 39. However,
crimes, civic and charitable works are the expectation, not the exception, and
accordingly will rarely merit a downward departure. For example, the First Circuit
defendant was “a member of a church, tithe[d] ten percent of his income, and
devote[d] hours every week to unpaid service with the church in a variety of
positions,” and had taken family members and others into his home. United
States v. Thurston, 358 F.3d 51, 79 (1st Cir. 2004), judgment vacated and
remanded for reconsideration in light of Booker, 543 U.S. 1097 (2005).2 The First
Circuit held that the businessman’s charitable works were “hardly surprising” in
2
See also Thurston, 358 F.3d at 79 (“Letters from his fellow congregants
characterize him as a man of principle and impeccable character –
characterizations undermined, of course, by the jury’s finding of guilt.”); id. (“In
addition to his church activities, Thurston has taken family members and others
into his home and has been helpful to his neighbors. For example, the parents of
a woman undergoing rehabilitation at a local medical center stayed at Thurston’s
home for several weeks. On another occasion, Thurston and his family laid sod
for an infirm neighbor. Save for his crime, Thurston appears to have lived a
creditworthy life.”).
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Other circuits have reached similar conclusions. See, e.g., United States v.
Morken, 133 F.3d 628, 629-30 (8th Cir.1998) (reversing downward departure for
organizations, and church efforts.” ); United States v. Haversat, 22 F.3d 790, 796
(8th Cir. 1994) (reversing downward departure: “It would appear that high-level
violations, also enjoy sufficient income and community status so that they have
excellent character references are not out of the ordinary for an executive who
elevated position in business if people did not think highly of him or her.”
United States v. McClatchey, 316 F.3d 1122, 1135 (10th Cir. 2003).
What defendant leaves out of all of this is that his charitable activities and
volunteer work actually served to facilitate his fraud scheme. For example,
defendant cites that he was the chairman of the Board of Deacons for the First
Congregational Church of Guilford from 2004 through 2010, PSR ¶ 39, but leaves
out the fact that he used his church to find additional victims. Indeed, the Victim
Impact Statement submitted by A.B. and B.B. expresses their disbelief as to how
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the defendant could, as a deacon and chairman of the Board of Deacons, “prey
coach for his children’s sports teams. Again however, what the defendant leaves
out is that while he was acting as the treasurer for the Guilford Soccer Club, he
stole $80,000 from the club coffers. PSR, ¶ 12. Once the club reported him to the
police, the defendant returned the money with an additional $10,000, reporting
that the extra money was “interest.” Id. Now that the local police are no longer
pursuing the matter and the soccer club is not a loss victim in this case,
defendant has demanded that the soccer club pay him back the money,
characterizing the money as merely a “loan,” and threatening to use “any and all
legal means available “ and that he is “more than willing to file multiple claims
against the club and against all officers individually, past and present.”3 This
sort of charitable activity and volunteer work is something the community could
well do without.
loving husband, a devoted son, and a person who has given much to his
3
A redacted copy of a letter dated November 17, 2010 (about two weeks
after defendant entered his plea in this case on November 4, 2010) from the
defendant to the Guilford Soccer Club is filed herewith. The attached copy is the
best copy available to the Government.
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does not, however, show an exceptional case. Defendant’s arguments here are
306, 307 (S.D.N.Y. 2009), by a securities and wire fraud defendant at sentencing.
There, the district court recognized, in sentencing the defendant to 100 months
imprisonment:
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flawed in what it omits, namely, several other circumstances the Court is required
to consider under § 3553. For example, “with regard to the severity of the crime,
the common white collar appeal for leniency tends to understate the gravity of the
The defendant makes that claim here, emphasizing that this is his “first and
only offense” and that “there is no evidence to suggest that he is a hardened and
conviction, it is not as if the offense here was his first taste of fraud. The
defendant was fired from Paine Webber in or around 2001 after defrauding his
spin this as him having “left to begin his own business as an investment
manager,” he did not share with any of his new clients (or with Probation) the
In this case, the defendant was defrauding his victims for years, during
which time he took money from more than 10 victims, and committed hundreds of
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straight, law-abiding life--the fraud was his way of life, and nothing could be more
habitual than that. United States v. Altman, 48 F.3d 96, 105 (2d Cir. 1995) (where
attorney embezzled $500,000 over four year period, court held that “the repeated
and long-lasting criminal conduct involved here cannot under any circumstances
an upright citizen who simply went astray minimizes a deeply disturbing aspect
of his conduct. Specifically, the defendant used the mantle of respectability that
philanthropic boards, a solid member of the community, and a family man with a
nice wife and kids, to earn his victims’ trust. Indeed, Victims A.B. and B.B. detail
the defendant having invited A.B. over to his house more than once in order to
impress A.B. with his nice home and expensive business equipment. Those very
qualities that the defendant presents as weighing in favor of leniency were the
essential tools he used to facilitate his fraud. That fact makes defendant’s
conduct here more, not less, blameworthy and demonstrates a characteristic that
justifies a sentence within the guidelines range. See Regensberg, 635 F. Supp. at
309 (defendant’s use of his clean outward appearance, “all make his conduct that
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been somewhat passive in this fraud scheme, stating that he “permitted himself
lengths to cover up his fraud by ginning up fake paperwork to backup his false
claims and string his victims along. This was not a matter of investments
the defendant was trying hard to right course, living modestly so that he could
pay people back. He spent the money he stole to sustain a lifestyle he could not
afford, including a nice car, a 5,000 square foot home, and a $1,100,000 mortgage.
Indeed, Victims A.B. and B.B. put it best, saying “Carlos and his family always
conservatively.”
The defendant insists that his “fall from grace” and the fact that he has
“lost his standing in the community” has left him a “shattered man” and that
12-13]. However, the value of specific deterrence should not be dismissed that
easily. Defendant had what was in all respects what appeared to be a good life–a
nice family, beautiful home, social status, and a professional career. Despite
these advantages, defendant chose to steal from those who trusted him most,
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and to do so repeatedly. The defendant still appears to believe that the fraud
somehow just happened to him and resulted from no more than an unfortunate
set of circumstances beyond his control. Indeed, he appears to suggest that this
investigation (rather than his own fraud) caused the collapse of his business.
[Doc. # 14 at 10] (stating that “After law enforcement began to investigate the
defendant, his business folded.”). Although the government does not quarrel
does not seem to fully grasp that this scheme was entirely his own making. That
the fact that he is required to pay significant restitution in this case and
victims.” [Doc. # 14 at 13]. Defendant goes so far as to state that “[P]rison for
Mr. Garcia deprives both his son and his victims of the support they need.” [Doc.
#14 at 14]. As the Second Circuit has well recognized however, restitution
obligations do not justify a more lenient sentence because it would “subvert the
principle that the court should ‘avoid unwarranted sentence disparities among
defendants with similar records who have been found guilty of similar conduct.’”
See Untied States v. Cutler, 520 F.3d 136, 167 (2d Cir. 2008) (quoting 18 U.S.C. §
3553(a)(6)), receded from on other grounds, United States v. Cavera, 550 F.3d 180,
188 (2d Cir. 2008). Indeed, imposing a shorter sentence because defendant
would otherwise be unable to pay restitution “would imply that virtually all
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defendants who are required to pay restitution in amounts exceeding their net
Finally, this Court may well take issue with the defendant’s insistence that
“hardness” to take the life savings from a woman (Victim H.C.) who was 72 years
old at the time she started investing and gave the defendant money she earned
the hard way--by working and saving for 41 years. PSR, ¶ 6. It is also quite
hardened to steal from those you worship with and from members of your own
but not more than necessary, to address the sentencing considerations under §
3553.
V. CONCLUSION
For the reasons set forth above, the Government respectfully requests that
imprisonment.
Respectfully submitted,
DAVID B. FEIN
UNITED STATES ATTORNEY
CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE
I HEREBY CERTIFY that on January 15, 2011, a copy of the foregoing was
filed electronically and served by mail on anyone unable to accept electronic
filing. Notice of this filing will be sent by e-mail to all parties by operation of the
Court’s electronic filing system or by mail to anyone unable to accept electronic
filing as indicated on the Notice of Electronic Filing. Parties may access this
filing through the Court’s CM/ECF System.