AMENDMENT 577
Section 2F1.1(b) is amended by striking subdivision (5) in its entirety as follows:
"(5) If the offense involved the use of foreign bank accounts or transactions to conceal the true nature or extent of the fraudulent conduct, and the offense level as determined above is less than level 12, increase to level 12.",
and inserting:
"(5) (A) If the defendant relocated, or participated in relocating, a fraudulent scheme to another jurisdiction to evade law enforcement or regulatory officials; (B) if a substantial part of a fraudulent scheme was committed from outside the United States; or (C) if the offense otherwise involved sophisticated concealment, increase by 2 levels. If the resulting offense level is less than level 12, increase to level 12.".
Section 2F1.1(b) is amended by adding at the end the following new subdivision:
"(7) If the offense was committed through mass-marketing, increase by 2 levels.".
The Commentary to §2F1.1 captioned "Application Notes" is amended by redesignating Notes 14 through 18, as Notes 15 through 19, respectively; and by inserting after Note 13 the following new Note 14:
"14. For purposes of subsection (b)(5)(B), ‘United States’ means each of the 50 states, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the United States Virgin Islands, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, and American Samoa.
For purposes of subsection (b)(5)(C), ‘sophisticated concealment’ means especially complex or especially intricate offense conduct in which deliberate steps are taken to make the offense, or its extent, difficult to detect. Conduct such as hiding assets or transactions, or both, through the use of fictitious entities, corporate shells, or offshore bank accounts ordinarily indicates sophisticated concealment.".
The Commentary to §2F1.1 captioned "Application Notes" is amended by adding at the end the following new note:
"20. ‘Mass-marketing,’ as used in subsection (b)(7), means a plan, program, promotion, or campaign that is conducted through solicitation by telephone, mail, the Internet, or other means to induce a large number of persons to (A) purchase goods or services; (B) participate in a contest or sweepstakes; or (C) invest for financial profit. The enhancement would apply, for example, if the defendant conducted or participated in a telemarketing campaign that solicited a large number of individuals to purchase fraudulent life insurance policies.".
Section 2T1.1(b) is amended by striking subdivision (2) in its entirety as follows:
"(2) If sophisticated means were used to impede discovery of the existence or extent of the offense, increase by 2 levels.",
and inserting the following:
"(2) If the offense involved sophisticated concealment, increase by 2 levels.".
The Commentary to §2T1.1 captioned "Application Notes" is amended by striking Note 4 in its entirety as follows:
"4. ‘Sophisticated means,’ as used in subsection (b)(2), includes conduct that is more complex or demonstrates greater intricacy or planning than a routine tax-evasion case. An enhancement would be applied, for example, where the defendant used offshore bank accounts, or transactions through corporate shells or fictitious entities.",
and inserting the following:
"4. For purposes of subsection (b)(2), ‘sophisticated concealment’ means especially complex or especially intricate offense conduct in which deliberate steps are taken to make the offense, or its extent, difficult to detect. Conduct such as hiding assets or transactions, or both, through the use of fictitious entities, corporate shells, or offshore bank accounts ordinarily indicates sophisticated concealment.".
Section 2T1.4(b) is amended by striking subdivision (2) in its entirety as follows:
"(2) If sophisticated means were used to impede discovery of the existence or extent of the offense, increase by 2 levels.",
and inserting the following:
"(2) If the offense involved sophisticated concealment, increase by 2 levels.".
The Commentary to §2T1.4 captioned "Application Notes" is amended by striking Note 3 in its entirety as follows:
"3. ‘Sophisticated means,’ as used in §2T1.4(b)(2), includes conduct that is more complex or demonstrates greater intricacy or planning than a routine tax-evasion case. An enhancement would be applied, for example, where the defendant used offshore bank accounts or transactions through corporate shells or fictitious entities.",
and inserting the following:
"3. For purposes of subsection (b)(2), ‘sophisticated concealment’ means especially complex or especially intricate offense conduct in which deliberate steps are taken to make the offense, or its extent, difficult to detect. Conduct such as hiding assets or transactions, or both, through the use of fictitious entities, corporate shells, or offshore bank accounts ordinarily indicates sophisticated concealment.".
Section 2T3.1(b) is amended by striking subdivision (1) in its entirety as follows:
"(1) If sophisticated means were used to impede discovery of the nature or existence of the offense, increase by 2 levels.",
and inserting the following:
"(1) If the offense involved sophisticated concealment, increase by 2 levels.".
The Commentary to §2T3.1 captioned "Application Notes" is amended by adding at the end the following new note:
"3. For purposes of subsection (b)(1), ‘sophisticated concealment’ means especially complex or especially intricate offense conduct in which deliberate steps are taken to make the offense, or its extent, difficult to detect. Conduct such as hiding assets or transactions, or both, through the use of fictitious entities, corporate shells, or offshore bank accounts ordinarily indicates sophisticated concealment.".
Reason for Amendment: This amendment has three purposes: (1) to provide an increase for fraud offenses that use mass-marketing to carry out the fraud; (2) to provide an increase for fraud offenses that involve conduct, such as sophisticated concealment, that makes it difficult for law enforcement authorities to discover the offense or apprehend the offender; and (3) to clarify and conform an existing enhancement that provides an increase for tax offenses that similarly involve sophisticated concealment.
First, this amendment adds a two-level enhancement in the fraud guideline for offenses that are committed through mass-marketing. The Commission identified mass-marketing as a central component of telemarketing fraud and also determined that there were other fraudulent schemes that relied on mass-marketing to perpetrate the offense (for example, Internet fraud). Accordingly, rather than provide a limited enhancement for telemarketing fraud only, the Commission determined that a generally applicable specific offense characteristic in the fraud guideline would better provide consistent and proportionate sentencing increases for similar types of fraud, while also ensuring increased sentences for persons who engage in mass-marketed telemarketing fraud.
Second, this amendment provides an increase for fraud offenses that involve conduct, such as sophisticated concealment, that makes it difficult for law enforcement authorities to discover the offense or apprehend the offenders. The new enhancement provides a two-level increase and a "floor" offense level of level 12 in the fraud guideline and replaces the current enhancement for "the use of foreign bank accounts or transactions to conceal the true nature or extent of fraudulent conduct." There are three alternative provisions to the enhancement. The first two prongs address conduct that the Commission has been informed often relates to telemarketing fraud, although the conduct also may occur in connection with fraudulent schemes perpetrated by other means. Specifically, the Commission has been informed that fraudulent telemarketers increasingly are conducting their operations from Canada and other locations outside the United States. Additionally, testimony offered at a Commission hearing on telemarketing fraud indicated that telemarketers often relocate their schemes to other jurisdictions once they know or suspect that enforcement authorities have discovered the scheme. Both types of conduct are specifically covered by the new enhancement. The third prong provides an increase if any offense covered by the fraud guideline otherwise involves sophisticated concealment. This prong addresses cases in which deliberate steps are taken to make the offense, or its extent, difficult to detect.
Third, this amendment provides a two-level enhancement for conduct related to sophisticated concealment of a tax offense. The primary purpose of this amendment is to conform the language of the current enhancement for “sophisticated means” in the tax guidelines to the essentially equivalent language of the new sophisticated concealment enhancement provided in the fraud guideline. Additionally, the amendment resolves a circuit conflict regarding whether the enhancement applies based on the personal conduct of the defendant or the overall offense conduct for which the defendant is accountable. Consistent with the usual relevant conduct rules, application of this new enhancement for sophisticated concealment accordingly is based on the overall offense conduct for which the defendant is accountable.
Effective Date: The effective date of this amendment is November 1, 1998.