United States v. David Tamman , 782 F.3d 543 ( 2015 )


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  •                      FOR PUBLICATION
    UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS
    FOR THE NINTH CIRCUIT
    UNITED STATES OF AMERICA,                      No. 13-50463
    Plaintiff-Appellee,
    D.C. No.
    v.                      2:11-cr-01165-PSG-2
    DAVID TAMMAN,
    Defendant-Appellant.                    OPINION
    Appeal from the United States District Court
    for the Central District of California
    Philip S. Gutierrez, District Judge, Presiding
    Argued and Submitted
    November 21, 2014—Pasadena, California
    Filed April 3, 2015
    Before: William A. Fletcher and Jay S. Bybee, Circuit
    Judges, and David Alan Ezra, District Judge.*
    Opinion by Judge Ezra
    *
    The Honorable David Alan Ezra, District Judge for the U.S. District
    Court for the District of Hawaii, sitting by designation.
    2                  UNITED STATES V. TAMMAN
    SUMMARY**
    Criminal Law
    The panel affirmed a conviction and sentence for
    conspiracy to obstruct justice, accessory after the fact to mail
    fraud and securities law violations, altering documents to
    influence a federal investigation, and aiding and abetting false
    testimony at an SEC deposition.
    The panel held that the Sentencing Guidelines
    commentary prohibiting simultaneous application of
    the Broker-Dealer enhancement under U.S.S.G.
    § 2B1.1(b)(18)(A) (2012) (2014 version at U.S.S.G.
    § 2B1.1(b)(19)(A)) and the Special Skill enhancement
    under U.S.S.G. § 3B1.3 does not apply when the Broker-
    Dealer enhancement pertains specifically to a principal’s
    offense and the Special Skill enhancement pertains to a
    defendant-accessory’s offense.
    The panel held that in calculating a loss figure greater
    than $20 million under U.S.S.G. § 2B1.1(b)(1), the district
    court correctly held that the full measure of the loss inflicted
    by a co-defendant’s crime would have been foreseeable to the
    defendant despite his status as a mere accessory to that crime.
    The panel likewise held that in finding that the defendant’s
    crime involved more than 50 victims under U.S.S.G.
    § 2B1.1(b)(2), the district court did not err by including
    victims of the co-defendant’s crime, where the defendant did
    **
    This summary constitutes no part of the opinion of the court. It has
    been prepared by court staff for the convenience of the reader.
    UNITED STATES V. TAMMAN                       3
    not have actual knowledge of those victims but the victims
    were reasonably foreseeable to him.
    The panel held that the district court did not err in finding
    that the defendant, a practicing attorney and partner at a
    major law firm, was competent to waive his jury trial and that
    his waiver was knowing and intelligent.
    The panel held that the district court did not plainly err
    (1) in excluding a non-lawyer’s testimony reciting facts and
    the legal conclusion that the defendant acted in conformity
    with unidentified SEC rules and regulations and otherwise did
    not break the law; (2) in determining that the district court
    was capable of understanding, through a written proffer in a
    trial brief rather than in live testimony in this bench trial, an
    expert’s opinion regarding the defendant’s professional and
    ethical duties as an attorney; and (3) in admitting
    coconspirator nonhearsay testimony.
    COUNSEL
    Alan M. Dershowitz (argued), Cambridge, Massachusetts;
    David Duncan, Zalkind Duncan & Bernstein LLP, Boston,
    Massachusetts; William J. Genego, Santa Monica, California,
    for Defendant-Appellant.
    Paul G. Stern (argued) and Elana Shavit Artson, Assistant
    United States Attorney, Office of the United States Attorney,
    Los Angeles, California, for Plaintiff-Appellee.
    4               UNITED STATES V. TAMMAN
    OPINION
    EZRA, District Judge:
    Appellant David Tamman raises five issues in his appeal
    from the district court’s judgment of conviction and sentence.
    We begin by addressing an issue of first impression, that is,
    whether the district court erred at sentencing by applying both
    the “Broker-Dealer” enhancement under United States
    Sentencing Guideline Manual (U.S.S.G.) § 2B1.1(b)(18)(A)
    (2012) (2014 version at U.S.S.G. § 2B1.1(b)(19)(A)) and the
    “Special Skill” enhancement under U.S.S.G. § 3B1.3. We
    hold that the Sentencing Guidelines commentary prohibiting
    simultaneous application of the Broker-Dealer and Special
    Skill enhancements does not apply when the Broker-Dealer
    enhancement pertains specifically to a principal’s offense and
    the Special Skill enhancement pertains to a defendant-
    accessory’s offense.
    We then address Tamman’s additional bases for appeal:
    his arguments that (1) his waiver of his right to a jury trial
    was not knowing, voluntary, and intelligent; (2) the district
    court erred in excluding two proffered experts; (3) the district
    court erred in admitting the statement of an alleged
    coconspirator; and (4) the district court erred in calculating
    loss and victim amounts, as required under the Sentencing
    Guidelines. We affirm the district court’s conviction and
    sentence.
    I. Factual and Procedural History
    In 2003, Tamman, an attorney licensed in California,
    began performing work for NewPoint Financial Services,
    Inc., a company owned by John Farahi. To raise money
    UNITED STATES V. TAMMAN                     5
    through NewPoint, Farahi made private offerings of
    debentures. NewPoint did not register the debentures with
    the SEC, and while it took steps to make it appear that it was
    complying with federal securities law pertaining to
    unregistered securities—including hiring Tamman to prepare
    private placement memoranda (PPMs) for the debentures—it
    in fact regularly failed to disclose material information to
    investors, in violation of the securities laws.
    In 2003, Tamman prepared a PPM that failed to disclose
    all material risks and facts pertaining to the investment. In
    2004, when the National Association of Securities Dealers,
    now known as the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority
    (FINRA), began an examination of NewPoint that required
    disclosure of the 2003 PPM, Tamman made substantial
    changes to the 2003 PPM and provided the new, backdated
    version to FINRA without disclosing that any changes had
    been made.
    From 2005 to 2009, Farahi raised over $30 million from
    investors through debentures. Although he represented to the
    investors that these debentures were low-risk investments,
    Farahi used the funds for various undisclosed purposes,
    including payment of his own personal expenses, principal
    repayments to previous investors, and higher-risk futures
    options trading. In 2008, his loss of approximately $26
    million from option trading significantly hampered his ability
    to repay NewPoint investors and creditors. Nevertheless, he
    continued to assure investors that their funds were safe and
    began to raise additional money to pay back prior investors,
    sustain his personal expenses, and engage in options trading.
    In 2009, the SEC visited NewPoint’s offices while
    investigating a tip that Farahi was running a Ponzi scheme.
    6                UNITED STATES V. TAMMAN
    After meeting with Farahi, Tamman created more backdated
    versions of PPMs with added disclosures. Throughout the
    SEC investigation, Tamman continued to edit backdated
    PPMs and promissory notes.
    In 2012, Tamman was indicted and charged with one
    count of conspiracy to obstruct justice, one count of accessory
    after the fact to mail fraud and securities law violations, five
    counts of altering documents to influence a federal
    investigation, and three counts of aiding and abetting Farahi’s
    false testimony at an SEC deposition. On October 5, 2012,
    Tamman waived his right to a jury trial and opted for a bench
    trial. During in limine hearings on October 1, 2012, and
    October 15, 2012, the district court excluded Tamman’s
    experts, Mason Dinehart and Stanley Lamport. The district
    court offered Tamman the chance to revise Dinehart’s report
    and requested that the substance of Lamport’s report be
    included in a trial brief. His case proceeded to trial on
    October 31, 2012.
    In November 2012, the district court found Tamman
    guilty, and in September 2013, sentenced him to 84 months
    of imprisonment, well below the calculated Sentencing
    Guidelines sentencing range of 151 to 188 months.
    II. Discussion
    On appeal, Tamman argues that his conviction was the
    result of an unconstitutional jury waiver and expert testimony
    exclusion, as well as inadmissible hearsay. He also argues
    that three errors at sentencing—simultaneous application of
    the Broker-Dealer and Special Skill enhancements, and
    UNITED STATES V. TAMMAN                  7
    calculation of loss and number of victims—necessitate
    remand. We disagree.1
    A. Alleged Sentencing Errors
    The district court sentenced Tamman as an accessory after
    the fact to Farahi’s crimes of mail fraud and unregulated offer
    and sale of securities, pursuant to U.S.S.G. § 2X3.1. That
    Sentencing Guideline provides that the applicable base
    offense level for a defendant-accessory is the total offense
    level of the principal’s crime, including any applicable
    special offense characteristics that were known or reasonably
    should have been known by the defendant-accessory, less six
    levels. U.S.S.G. § 2X3.1 cmt. n.1. Once the district court
    determines the base offense level, the district court must also
    apply any specific offense characteristics applicable to the
    defendant-accessory’s conduct.
    In Tamman’s case, the base offense level was therefore
    the total offense level for Farahi’s mail fraud and securities
    crimes, which is prescribed by U.S.S.G. § 2B1.1, less six
    levels. Farahi’s mail fraud and securities crimes included the
    following special offense characteristics: a 22-level
    enhancement for loss under § 2B1.1(b)(1)(L); a four-level
    enhancement under § 2B1.1(b)(2)(B) because the crime
    involved 50 or more victims; and a four-level enhancement
    for Farahi’s role as an investment adviser during the
    commission of a securities law violation under
    § 2B1.1(b)(18)(A). The district court found that the total
    offense level for Farahi’s mail and securities crimes,
    including applicable special offense characteristics, was 37.
    Pursuant to U.S.S.G. § 2X3.1(a), the district court reduced the
    1
    We have jurisdiction pursuant to 
    28 U.S.C. § 1291
    .
    8               UNITED STATES V. TAMMAN
    total offense level by 6 to ascertain Tamman’s base offense
    level for his accessory after the fact crime. However, because
    § 2X3.1 caps the maximum base offense level at 30, the
    district court determined that Tamman’s base offense level
    was 30.
    Upon calculating the total offense level for Farahi’s crime
    and subtracting the requisite levels, the district court then
    added special offense characteristics specific to Tamman: a
    two-level enhancement for Tamman’s use of his lawyering
    skills to commit the crime under § 3B1.3 and a two-level
    enhancement for Tamman’s role in impeding the SEC
    investigation under § 3C1.1. After applying the Special Skill
    and Obstruction of Justice enhancements, the district court
    calculated Tamman’s total offense level as 34.
    Tamman challenges the dual application of the Broker-
    Dealer and Special Skill enhancements, as well as the district
    court’s factual findings as to the total loss amount and total
    number of victims.         We review the district court’s
    interpretation of the Sentencing Guidelines de novo and its
    findings of fact at sentencing for clear error. United States v.
    Gadson, 
    763 F.3d 1189
    , 1219 (9th Cir. 2014).
    1. Application of Broker-Dealer and Special
    Skills Enhancements
    Tamman contends that the dual application of the Broker-
    Dealer enhancement and the Special Skills enhancement was
    improper and barred by the Sentencing Guidelines. In
    support, Tamman cites the Sentencing Guideline Application
    Note to § 2B1.1(b)(18)(A), which states, “[i]f subsection
    (b)(18) applies, do not apply § 3B1.3.” U.S.S.G. § 2B1.1
    cmt. n.14(C) (2012) (2014 version at cmt. n.15(C)).
    UNITED STATES V. TAMMAN                     9
    As this court has long acknowledged, the Sentencing
    Guidelines recognize the problems inherent in double
    counting and, in an effort to avoid increasing a defendant’s
    sentence for a harm that has already been fully taken into
    account, expressly prohibit the dual application of Sentencing
    Guidelines that account for the same harm. United States v.
    Smith, 
    719 F.3d 1120
    , 1124 (9th Cir. 2013) (citing United
    States v. Rosas, 
    615 F.3d 1058
    , 1065 (9th Cir. 2010); United
    States v. Holt, 
    510 F.3d 1007
    , 1011 (9th Cir. 2007)).
    “However, ‘when each invocation of the behavior serves a
    unique purpose under the Guidelines,’ we conclude that the
    Commission ‘authorized and intended’ the cumulative
    application of both provisions.” 
    Id.
     (quoting Holt, 
    510 F.3d at 1011
    ).
    In 2003, the Sentencing Commission amended the
    Broker-Dealer enhancement to cover registered brokers and
    dealers, associated persons of a broker or dealer, investment
    advisers, and associated persons of an investment adviser.
    U.S.S.G. app. C, vol. II, at 367 (amend. 653) (2014). The
    rationale accompanying the amendment explains:
    The Commission concluded that a four level
    enhancement appropriately reflects the
    culpability of offenders who occupy such
    positions and who are subject to heightened
    fiduciary duties imposed by securities law or
    commodities law similar to duties imposed on
    officers and directors of publicly traded
    corporations. Accordingly, the court is not
    required to determine specifically whether the
    defendant abused a position of trust in order
    for the enhancement to apply, and a
    corresponding application note provides that,
    10              UNITED STATES V. TAMMAN
    in cases in which the new, four level
    enhancement applies, the existing two level
    enhancement for abuse of position of trust at
    §3B1.3 (Abuse of Position of Trust or Use of
    Special Skill) shall not apply.
    Id.
    As the Commentary makes clear, the prohibition on the
    dual application of the Broker-Dealer and Special Skill
    enhancements reflects the Commission’s view that the
    Broker-Dealer enhancement already accounts for the Broker-
    Dealer’s role and that application of both enhancements
    would amount to double counting. However, we hold that
    this rationale does not apply in cases like the one at hand,
    where the Broker-Dealer enhancement reflects the behavior
    of the principal and the Special Skill enhancement reflects
    separate and distinct behavior of the defendant-accessory. In
    that situation, application of both special offense
    characteristics is not double counting; it reflects different
    conduct committed by two different parties. We therefore
    affirm the district court’s application of both enhancements
    in this case.
    2. Calculation of Loss Amount
    Next, Tamman argues that the district court erred in
    calculating a loss figure greater than $20 million under
    U.S.S.G. § 2B1.1(b)(1) because he was only aware of $11
    million in loss. According to Tamman, the extent of the loss
    was not an essential element of Farahi’s crime and he
    therefore cannot be charged with knowledge of that loss
    amount by his mere status as accessory to that crime.
    UNITED STATES V. TAMMAN                      11
    U.S.S.G. § 2B1.1(b)(1) requires a sentencing court to
    increase the base offense level in accordance with the amount
    of actual or intended loss that the crime inflicted. Actual loss
    includes the amount of pecuniary harm that the “defendant
    knew or, under the circumstances, reasonably should have
    known, was a potential result of the offense.” U.S.S.G.
    § 2B1.1 cmt. n.3(A)(I), (iv). Under U.S.S.G. § 2X3.1, the
    amount of loss is limited to the amount of which the
    defendant-accessory knew or should have reasonably known.
    Id. § 2X3.1 cmt. n.1.
    Although Tamman is correct that the extent of loss was
    not an essential element of Farahi’s crime, the district court
    did not end its loss examination there. First, the district court
    examined the PPMs that Tamman backdated. It credited the
    amounts disclosed therein because Tamman had altered the
    disclosures so that it would appear that the disclosures
    originally made to investors matched the current financial
    situation of NewPoint. Given that the purpose of revising the
    PPMs was to reflect NewPoint’s actual financial condition,
    the district court did not clearly err by relying on the amounts
    disclosed in the revised PPMs. Second, the district court
    properly credited the testimony of Elaheh Amouei, Farahi’s
    bookkeeper, which indicated that Tamman had substantial
    knowledge of Farahi’s activities. Based on this combination
    of evidence, the district court correctly held that the full
    measure of Farahi’s loss would have been foreseeable to
    Tamman.
    3. Calculation of Number of Victims
    Finally, Tamman argues that the district court erred in
    finding that the crime involved more than 50 victims under
    § 2B1.1(b)(2) because Tamman was only aware of at most 43
    12              UNITED STATES V. TAMMAN
    investors. According to Tamman, the evidence only
    demonstrates that he knew of 30 investors from the 2008
    offering and 13 investors from previous offerings.
    U.S.S.G. § 2B1.1(b)(2) requires the district court to
    increase the base offense level in accordance with the number
    of victims that the offense involved. Once again, because of
    § 2X3.1’s knowledge requirement, the court can only count
    the number of victims about whom the defendant-accessory
    knew or reasonably should have known. U.S.S.G. § 2X3.1
    cmt. n.1.
    Although Tamman is correct that the evidence only
    proves that Tamman had actual knowledge of 43 victims, the
    district court did not err in finding that Tamman could have
    reasonably foreseen the additional 41 victims of Farahi’s
    crime. The district court considered that Tamman, as an
    accessory after the fact to Farahi, had knowledge of Farahi’s
    mail fraud and Ponzi scheme. The mere fact that his actual
    knowledge may have been limited to 43 victims does not
    preclude a finding that all of the victims were reasonably
    foreseeable to him. Accordingly, the district court did not
    clearly err in calculating the number of victims under
    § 2B1.1(b)(2).
    B. Jury Waiver
    Tamman’s second claim on appeal is that the district court
    failed to make an adequate inquiry or provide sufficient
    information to Tamman to ensure his jury waiver was
    knowing, voluntary, and intelligent. Tamman contends that,
    upon learning that Tamman took medications and that
    Tamman was unsure as to whether he was “under the
    influence,” the district court had the duty to conduct an in-
    UNITED STATES V. TAMMAN                      13
    depth colloquy to assess Tamman’s competence.
    Additionally, Tamman argues that because the district court
    gave him less time than he originally requested to decide
    whether to waive a jury, his stress and anxiety may have
    exacerbated the impact of his conditions and medications.
    Finally, Tamman argues that the district court failed to
    sufficiently inform him of the rights he would relinquish
    pursuant to a jury waiver, as required under United States v.
    Cochran, 
    770 F.2d 850
    , 853 (9th Cir. 1985). “We review the
    adequacy of a jury-trial waiver de novo.” United States v.
    Shorty, 
    741 F.3d 961
    , 965 (9th Cir. 2013).
    1. Adequacy of the Inquiry
    A criminal defendant may waive his right to trial by jury
    if there is (1) a written waiver that is knowing and intelligent,
    (2) governmental consent, and (3) court approval. Fed. R.
    Crim. P. 23(a); United States v. Duarte-Higareda, 
    113 F.3d 1000
    , 1002 (9th Cir. 1997). Although written waivers are
    presumptively knowing and intelligent, a district court must
    nevertheless conduct an in-depth colloquy if “the defendant’s
    mental or emotional state is a substantial issue.” United
    States v. Christensen, 
    18 F.3d 822
    , 825 (9th Cir. 1994). In
    other words, “[t]he suspected presence of mental or emotional
    instability eliminates any presumption that a written waiver
    is voluntary, knowing or intelligent.” 
    Id. at 826
    .
    Here, when Tamman stated that he was unsure whether he
    was under the influence of his medications, the district court
    carefully inquired whether those medications affected his
    understanding of the proceedings and the nature of the right
    that he was waiving. Tamman responded that they did not.
    Moreover, Tamman’s behavior and responses to questions
    throughout the proceeding indicated that he was competent to
    14              UNITED STATES V. TAMMAN
    waive his right to jury trial, and Tamman’s attorney
    represented to the district court that Tamman was competent
    to make the waiver. Tamman presents no evidence that the
    expedited time frame for the jury waiver would have had any
    effect on his competence.
    The only evidence upon which the district court could
    rely were the responses Tamman provided to its questions, his
    behavior throughout the hearing, and the representations
    made by his attorney. That evidence indicated that Tamman
    was competent to waive his jury trial, and this court affirms
    the district court’s finding.
    2. Sufficiency of the Colloquy
    Before a defendant waives his right to a jury, the district
    court must ensure that he knows what the right guarantees.
    Cochran, 
    770 F.2d at 853
    . Accordingly, district courts are
    strongly encouraged, although not required, to inform
    defendants that “twelve members of the community compose
    a jury,” that “the defendant may take part in jury selection,”
    that “jury verdicts must be unanimous,” and that “the court
    alone decides guilt or innocence if the defendant waives a
    jury trial.” 
    Id.
     However, the sufficiency of the colloquy is
    highly dependent on the education and legal sophistication of
    the defendant, and shorter colloquies can be sufficient to
    ascertain whether the waiver is knowing and voluntary. See
    Shorty, 741 F.3d at 968 (noting that an abbreviated colloquy
    might have been sufficient had the defendant been
    “intellectually sophisticated and highly educated”).
    Here, as a practicing attorney and partner at a major law
    firm, Tamman was well aware of the rights that a jury trial
    would entail. The district court reasonably concluded that
    UNITED STATES V. TAMMAN                               15
    Tamman’s competence, background, and experience ensured
    that he understood the mechanics of a jury trial and the rights
    he was waiving, even without an in-depth colloquy or a
    recitation of the four facts mentioned in Cochran.
    Accordingly, this court affirms the district court’s finding of
    knowing and intelligent waiver.
    C. Evidentiary Errors
    Finally, Tamman challenges the district court’s exclusion
    of expert testimony from Mason Dinehart and Stanley
    Lamport, as well as the admission of a statement from
    Amouei. Because Tamman did not preserve these evidentiary
    objections, the court reviews for plain error.2
    2
    When excluding Dinehart’s opinions, the district court specifically
    indicated that it only excluded Dinehart’s testimony as written and gave
    Tamman the opportunity to revise and resubmit the opinions, making it
    clear that the ruling was provisional. To preserve the error for appeal,
    Tamman would have needed to make an offer of proof to the district court,
    outlining the testimony that was excluded. Because Tamman did not do
    so, he failed to preserve the error on the exclusion of Dinehart’s testimony
    and the court reviews for plain error. See United States v. Archdale,
    
    229 F.3d 861
    , 864 (9th Cir. 2000) (“[The] contention that the mere filing
    of a motion in limine preserves for appeal the issue of the admissibility of
    the evidence to which the motion is directed is without merit.”).
    Similarly, the district court was clear when it excluded Lamport’s
    expert report that Tamman was to revisit the admissibility of Lamport’s
    testimony in both his trial brief and during the course of trial. Because the
    district court’s in limine ruling excluding Lamport was not definitive and
    because Tamman failed to revisit the issue or present a subsequent offer
    of proof, the court reviews the district court’s decision for plain error.
    United States v. Bishop, 
    291 F.3d 1100
    , 1108 (9th Cir. 2002) (“In the
    absence of an offer of proof . . . reversal will lie only where there is plain
    error.” (internal quotation marks omitted)).
    16                  UNITED STATES V. TAMMAN
    1. Expert Opinions
    In general, an expert may only testify as to “scientific,
    technical, or other specialized knowledge [that] will assist the
    trier of fact to understand the evidence or determine a fact in
    issue”; an expert cannot testify to a matter of law amounting
    to a legal conclusion. Fed. R. Evid. 702(a); Aguilar v. Int’l
    Longshoremen’s Union Local No. 10, 
    966 F.2d 443
    , 447 (9th
    Cir. 1992).
    The district court concluded that Dinehart’s opinion
    provided only a recitation of facts and the legal conclusion
    that Tamman acted in conformity with unidentified SEC rules
    and regulations and otherwise did not break the law. This is
    not a proper expert opinion. Moreover, as the district court
    noted, Dinehart, who is not a lawyer, does not appear to be
    qualified to offer the opinions that he presented.
    Accordingly, the district court did not plainly err in excluding
    Dinehart’s testimony.
    The district court excluded Lamport’s opinion regarding
    Tamman’s professional and ethical duties as an attorney in
    Finally, Tamman did not object to Amouei’s payment testimony at the
    time it was elicited. He argues that his objection to earlier testimony by
    Amouei, on the grounds that she was not a coconspirator, was sufficient
    to preserve an objection to her later payment testimony. However, the
    payment testimony is completely distinct from the earlier testimony, and
    the district court did not make a blanket ruling that any hearsay statement
    from Amouei automatically qualified as being in the course of and in
    furtherance of the conspiracy. Accordingly, Tamman did not preserve the
    error for appeal, and the court reviews the district court’s decision for
    plain error. See United States v. Bridgeforth, 
    441 F.3d 864
    , 869 (9th Cir.
    2006) (noting that if a party does not “object at trial to the district court’s
    decision to admit a co-conspirator’s statements, [the court] review[s] their
    admission for plain error”).
    UNITED STATES V. TAMMAN                      17
    part because the trial had shifted from a jury trial to a bench
    trial and the district court did not believe live testimony was
    necessary on the issues presented in Lamport’s report.
    Instead, the district court concluded that the applicable ethical
    standards could be presented in a trial brief. Because a
    district judge has the discretion as to the necessity of expert
    testimony, the district judge’s determination that he was
    capable of understanding Lamport’s testimony through a
    written proffer in a trial brief was not plain error. See Hooper
    v. Lockheed Martin Corp., 
    688 F.3d 1037
    , 1053 (9th Cir.
    2012) (“[E]ven if expert testimony may assist the trier of fact,
    the trial court has broad discretion to admit or exclude it.”
    (alteration and internal quotation marks omitted) (quoting
    Beech Aircraft Corp. v. United States, 
    51 F.3d 834
    , 842 (9th
    Cir. 1995) (per curiam)).
    2. Amouei’s Statement
    Under Federal Rule of Evidence 801(d)(2)(E), a statement
    of one coconspirator is admissible nonhearsay against other
    coconspirators as an admission of a party-opponent, if the
    statement was made during the course of and in furtherance
    of the common objectives of the conspiracy. “Although mere
    conversations or narrative declarations between
    coconspirators are not in themselves sufficient to invoke the
    exception to the hearsay rule, statements made to keep
    coconspirators abreast of an ongoing conspiracy’s activities
    satisfy the ‘in furtherance of’ requirement.” United States v.
    Williams, 
    989 F.2d 1061
    , 1068 (9th Cir. 1993).
    In the statement at issue, Amouei testified that Farahi told
    her that he had previously settled one of Tamman’s legal bills
    by paying Tamman in cash. Farahi’s statement informed
    Amouei of the state of the conspiracy and the bookkeeping
    18              UNITED STATES V. TAMMAN
    necessarily associated with the conspiracy, and it took place
    while the conspiracy was ongoing. Moreover, the statement
    helped further the conspiracy by informing Amouei about the
    transfer of money within the conspiracy, which ensured that
    the bookkeeping of the conspiracy was accurate. The
    testimony is therefore coconspirator nonhearsay and the
    district court did not plainly err in admitting the statement.
    III.     Conclusion
    In conclusion, we affirm the district court’s dual
    application of the Broker-Dealer and Special Skill
    enhancements under the facts of this case, since the former
    reflected the principal’s conduct and the latter reflected the
    defendant-accessory’s conduct. Additionally, we hold that
    the district court did not err in calculating the loss or victim
    figures at sentencing. Finally, we affirm the district court’s
    finding of jury waiver and its evidentiary rulings.
    AFFIRMED.