United States v. Eminiano Reodica, Jr. ( 2018 )

FILED
NOT FOR PUBLICATION
OCT 03 2018
UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS MOLLY C. DWYER, CLERK
U.S. COURT OF APPEALS
FOR THE NINTH CIRCUIT
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, No. 17-50186
Plaintiff-Appellee, D.C. No.
2:94-cr-00121-SJO-1
v.
EMINIANO A. REODICA, Jr., AKA MEMORANDUM*
Roberto Coscolluela, AKA Jun Reodica,
AKA Seal A,
Defendant-Appellant.
Appeal from the United States District Court
for the Central District of California
S. James Otero, District Judge, Presiding
Argued and Submitted September 11, 2018
San Francisco, California
Before: WALLACE, RAWLINSON, and WATFORD, Circuit Judges.
Appellant Eminiano Reodica (Reodica) appeals from the district court’s
judgment of conviction based upon the denial of his motion to withdraw his guilty
plea, as well as the district court’s sentencing rulings concerning the losses
*
This disposition is not appropriate for publication and is not precedent
except as provided by Ninth Circuit Rule 36-3.
associated with Reodica’s scheme to defraud, denial of acceptance of responsibility
adjustment, and restitution.
1. The district court did not abuse its discretion in denying Reodica’s
motion to withdraw his guilty plea because Reodica failed to demonstrate “a fair
and just reason for requesting the withdrawal.” United States v. Yamashiro, 788
F.3d 1231, 1236 (9th Cir. 2015) (citation omitted). The transcript of the change of
plea proceedings reflects that Reodica was not impaired by any physical or mental
illness when he entered his guilty plea,1 that Reodica understood the factual bases
of the charges and felt “well enough” to enter his plea, that no mention was made
of any mental trauma associated with the illness of Reodica’s father, that Reodica
confirmed that his guilty plea was not the result of any threats, and that Reodica
received adequate legal representation. The district court correctly concluded that
Reodica failed to demonstrate that any statements by his counsel coerced Reodica
into pleading guilty, and properly considered Reodica’s delay in filing his motion
to withdraw his guilty plea as a factor supporting denial of the motion. See United
States v. Garcia, 401 F.3d 1008, 1013 (9th Cir. 2005) (explaining that delay in
filing the motion may be considered “as a barometer of the defendant’s candor
1
Although Reodica faults the district court for analyzing the voluntariness
of his plea, Reodica’s motion was premised in part on his contention that he did
not voluntarily enter his plea due to his mental and physical conditions.
2
with the court about his reasons for withdrawal”) (citations omitted). An
evidentiary hearing was not warranted because any factual disputes raised by
Reodica were resolved by the underlying record. See United States v. Mayweather,
634 F.3d 498, 505-06 (9th Cir. 2010) (concluding that an evidentiary hearing was
not required due to the lack of factual disputes concerning the defendant’s guilty
plea).
2. The district court did not clearly err in imposing an upward departure
of four levels pursuant to United States Sentencing Guideline § 2F1.1 cmt. n.10
(1987), based on extensive losses resulting from Reodica’s fraudulent conduct.
The government provided a summary of bank claims totaling $64,246,964.53 filed
in the course of associated bankruptcy proceedings. However, in its more
conservative estimation, the government relied on losses of $33.5 million provided
by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation based on a worksheet reflecting the
“total actual loss from the crime committed by” Reodica. These documents amply
supported the district court’s imposition of the four-level enhancement. See United
States v. Garro, 517 F.3d 1163, 1167 (9th Cir. 2008) (reviewing for clear error and
explaining that “[t]he loss need not be determined with precision, but need only be
3
a reasonable estimate given the available information”) (citation, alterations, and
internal quotation marks omitted).2
3. Neither was the district court’s denial of an acceptance of
responsibility reduction clearly erroneous. Although the district court mentioned
that Reodica delayed his trial through several continuances and did not plead guilty
until the day before his trial was scheduled to commence, the district court
emphasized that Reodica attempted to withdraw his guilty plea and did not express
remorse for his fraudulent conduct until the sentencing hearing. These were
sufficient reasons for denying Reodica’s request for an acceptance of responsibility
reduction. See United States v. Rodriguez, 851 F.3d 931, 949 (9th Cir. 2017)
(applying a clear error standard of review). We reject Reodica’s argument that his
sentence must be vacated because the district court considered impermissible
factors. See United States v. Rojas-Pedroza, 716 F.3d 1253, 1270 (9th Cir. 2013)
(“A district court does not commit reversible error, however, simply because it
notes the fact that the defendant went to trial, so long as the court bases its final
decision on the facts of the case and record as a whole.”).
2
Reodica also asserts that the district court erred in including interest in the
loss amount. However, even excluding interest, the district court’s loss calculation
would not be clearly erroneous given its conservative estimation of the amount of
loss.
4
4. Reodica asserts that the district court improperly ordered
restitution because the government failed to demonstrate that any losses to specific
victims were directly attributable to his fraudulent conduct. The government
agrees that the restitution order should be vacated and remanded to apply the
correct standard. See United States v. Rodrigues, 229 F.3d 842, 844 (9th Cir.
2000) (clarifying that “[a]lthough substantial amendments to the [Victim and
Witness Protection Act] were enacted in 1990, we apply the statute as it existed at
the time of the offense conduct”) (citations omitted). Reodica’s offense conduct
occurred prior to 1990, and a remand is warranted for the district court to apply the
pre-1990 standard permitting an award of restitution “only for the loss caused by
the specific conduct that is the basis of the offense of conviction.” Id. at 845(citations and footnote reference omitted).3
AFFIRMED in part, VACATED and REMANDED in part.
3
Reassignment to a different judge is not warranted because Reodica fails
to demonstrate any bias or unfairness warranting reassignment. See United States
v. Johnson, 812 F.3d 757, 765 (9th Cir. 2016) (rejecting request for reassignment
because “[r]eassignment [was] not needed to preserve justice or the appearance of
justice and would entail unnecessary waste and duplication”).
5