United States v. Julie Beasley , 355 F. App'x 78 ( 2009 )


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  •                       United States Court of Appeals
    FOR THE EIGHTH CIRCUIT
    ___________
    No. 09-1227
    ___________
    United States of America,               *
    *
    Plaintiff – Appellee,      *
    * Appeal from the United States
    v.                               * District Court for the
    * Southern District of Iowa.
    Julie Beasley, also known as Julie A.   *
    Beasley,                                * [UNPUBLISHED]
    *
    Defendant – Appellant.     *
    ___________
    Submitted: November 20, 2009
    Filed: December 4, 2009
    ___________
    Before MURPHY, SMITH, and BENTON, Circuit Judges.
    ___________
    PER CURIAM.
    A jury found Julie Beasley guilty of conspiracy to commit mail fraud, mail
    fraud, engaging in a transaction in criminally derived property, and conspiracy to
    commit money laundering. The district court1 sentenced her to 96 months. Beasley
    appeals her conviction and sentence, arguing that the evidence presented at trial was
    insufficient to support the jury's verdict and that the district court erred by denying her
    1
    The Honorable John A. Jarvey, United States District Judge for the Southern
    District of Iowa.
    motion for a downward variance and granting the government's motion for an upward
    variance.
    Beasley does not dispute that a mail fraud and money laundering scheme
    occurred at the Quad City Times, but she contends that there was insufficient evidence
    that she had knowledge of the crimes and of any agreement to commit the crimes. We
    review the sufficiency of the evidence de novo, viewing the evidence and inferences
    therefrom in the light most favorable to the government. United States v. Santana,
    
    524 F.3d 851
    , 853 (8th Cir. 2008). We will reverse a conviction "only if we conclude
    that no reasonable jury could have found the accused guilty beyond a reasonable
    doubt." 
    Id. The jury
    heard evidence that Beasley rented and paid for the post office boxes
    used to receive the mail fraud proceeds, she opened the bank accounts for the two
    shell companies at two separate banks, she retrieved and endorsed the checks from the
    post office boxes, and she obtained and paid for advertising for the shell companies
    using a fictitious address. The government also presented testimony that Beasley told
    multiple loan officers that she owned and operated the shell companies. The evidence
    was sufficient for a reasonable jury to have found that Beasley had knowledge of a
    conspiracy to commit mail fraud and money laundering, that she acted in furtherance
    of the conspiracy, and that she engaged in mail fraud and a transaction in criminally
    derived property.
    Beasley also challenges the reasonableness of her sentence, arguing that the
    district court abused its discretion by denying her request for a downward variance
    and granting the government's request for an upward variance. We review a district
    court's sentence, "whether inside or outside the guidelines range, for reasonableness
    under an abuse of discretion standard." United States v. Ruvalcava-Perez, 
    561 F.3d 883
    , 886 (8th Cir. 2009). A district court does not automatically abuse its discretion
    by varying upward from the advisory guidelines range. When a district court varies
    -2-
    upward, we "may consider the extent of the deviation, but must give due deference to
    the district court's decision that the § 3553(a) factors, on a whole, justify the extent of
    the variance." Gall v. United States, 
    552 U.S. 38
    (2007).
    Beasley argues that the district court abused its discretion by not giving
    sufficient weight to the mitigating factors she presented: her lack of criminal history,
    her degree in nursing, the large amount of restitution she now owes, and the fact that
    she has a young daughter at home. The record reflects that the district court properly
    considered Beasley's request, but declined to vary downward based upon the
    seriousness of her crimes and her conduct since the indictment.
    Finally, Beasley challenges the district court's upward variance of nine months
    from the guideline range. She does not assert that the district court failed to take the
    § 3553(a) factors into account, but that the upward variance was redundant because
    the district court had already imposed a two level enhancement for obstruction of
    justice. At sentencing, the court focused on the seriousness of her crimes, noting that
    they were "long-standing", "sophisticated", "preyed on the trust" of Beasley's
    employer, and were motivated by greed. The district court also found that Beasley's
    obstructionist efforts had exceeded her perjury at trial, which was the basis of her
    enhancement. While her case was pending, Beasley hoarded forfeitable assets,
    stripped her residence of fixtures, wrote a letter to the court in which she lied to the
    judge, and fraudulently used another's credit card without permission. We conclude
    that the district court did not err by imposing the enhancement and did not abuse its
    discretion in varying upward under all the circumstances.
    Accordingly, the judgment of the district court is affirmed.
    ______________________________
    -3-
    

Document Info

Docket Number: 09-1227

Citation Numbers: 355 F. App'x 78

Judges: Murphy, Smith, Benton

Filed Date: 12/4/2009

Precedential Status: Non-Precedential

Modified Date: 11/5/2024