(a) Base Offense Level (Apply the greatest):
(1) 26;
(2) 22, if the offense involved (A) a threat to tamper with a public water system; and (B) any conduct evidencing an intent to carry out the threat; or
(3) 16, if the offense involved a threat to tamper with a public water system but did not involve any conduct evidencing an intent to carry out the threat.
(b) Specific Offense Characteristics
(1) If (A) any victim sustained permanent or life-threatening bodily injury, increase by 4 levels; (B) any victim sustained serious bodily injury, increase by 2 levels; or (C) the degree of injury is between that specified in subdivisions (A) and (B), increase by 3 levels.
(2) If the offense resulted in (A) a substantial disruption of public, governmental, or business functions or services; or (B) a substantial expenditure of funds to clean up, decontaminate, or otherwise respond to the offense, increase by 4 levels.
(3) If the offense resulted in an ongoing, continuous, or repetitive release of a contaminant into a public water system or lasted for a substantial period of time, increase by 2 levels.
(c) Cross References
(1) If the offense resulted in death, apply §2A1.1 (First Degree Murder) if the death was caused intentionally or knowingly, or §2A1.2 (Second Degree Murder) in any other case, if the resulting offense level is greater than that determined above.
(2) If the offense was tantamount to attempted murder, apply §2A2.1 (Assault with Intent to Commit Murder; Attempted Murder) if the resulting offense level is greater than that determined above.
(3) If the offense involved extortion, apply §2B3.2 (Extortion by Force or Threat of Injury or Serious Damage) if the resulting offense level is greater than that determined above.
(d) Special Instruction
(1) If the defendant is convicted of a single count involving (A) the death or permanent, life-threatening, or serious bodily injury of more than one victim; or (B) conduct tantamount to the attempted murder of more than one victim, Chapter Three, Part D (Multiple Counts) shall be applied as if the defendant had been convicted of a separate count for each such victim.
Statutory Provision: 42 U.S.C. § 300i-1.
Application Notes:
1. Definitions.—For purposes of this guideline, “permanent or life-threatening bodily injury” and “serious bodily injury” have the meaning given those terms in Note 1 of the Commentary to §1B1.1 (Application Instructions).
2. Application of Special Instruction.—Subsection (d) applies in any case in which the defendant is convicted of a single count involving (A) the death or permanent, life-threatening, or serious bodily injury of more than one victim; or (B) conduct tantamount to the attempted murder of more than one victim, regardless of whether the offense level is determined under this guideline or under another guideline in Chapter Two (Offense Conduct) by use of a cross reference under subsection (c).
3. Departure Provisions.—
(A) Downward Departure Provision.—The base offense level in subsection (a)(1) reflects that offenses covered by that subsection typically pose a risk of death or serious bodily injury to one or more victims, or cause, or are intended to cause, bodily injury. In the unusual case in which such an offense did not cause a risk of death or serious bodily injury, and neither caused nor was intended to cause bodily injury, a downward departure may be warranted.
(B) Upward Departure Provisions.—If the offense caused extreme psychological injury, or caused substantial property damage or monetary loss, an upward departure may be warranted.
If the offense was calculated to influence or affect the conduct of government by intimidation or coercion, or to retaliate against government conduct, an upward departure would be warranted. See Application Note 4 of §3A1.4 (Terrorism).