2021 Guidelines Manual - ussc.gov

1 UNITED STATES SENTENCING COMMISSION Guidelines Manual 2021 CHARLES R. BREYER Acting Chair PATRICIA K. CUSHWA Commissioner, Ex-officio JONATHAN J. WROBLEWSKI Commissioner, Ex-officio This document contains the text of the Guidelines Manual incorporating amendments effective November 1, 2018, and earlier. An updated version of Appendix B (containing the principal statutory provisions governing sentencing, the Commission, and the drafting of sentencing Guidelines as of August 1, 2021) is enclosed as a separate volume. CITATION FORM ii Guidelines Manual (November 1, 2021) RECOMMENDED CITATION FORM United States Sentencing Commission Guidelines , Policy Statements, and Commentary may be cited as follows: I. Full citation form United States Sentencing Commission, Guidelines Manual , (Nov.)

2 2021) II. Abbreviated citation form [using USSG as the designated short form for United States Sentencing Guidelines ] a guideline USSG a policy statement USSG , commentary designated as an application note USSG , comment. ( ) commentary designated as background USSG , comment. (backg d.) commentary designated as an introduction USSG , , intro. comment. commentary designated as a conclusion USSG , , concl. comment. an appendix to the Guidelines Manual USSG App. C TABLE OF CONTENTS Gui delines Manual (November 1, 2021) iiiTABLE OF CONTENTS CHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTION, AUTHORITY, AND GENERAL APPLICATION PRINCIPLES .. 1 Part A Introduction and Authority.

3 1 1. Original Introduction to the Guidelines Manual ..1 2. Continuing Evolution and Role of the Guidelines .. 13 3. Authority .. 16 Part B General Application Principles .. 17 CHAPTER TWO offense CONDUCT .. 50 Part A Offenses Against the Person .. 50 1. Homicide .. 50 2. Assault .. 53 3. Criminal Sexual Abuse and Offenses Related to Registration as a Sex Offender .. 59 4. Kidnapping, Abduction, or Unlawful Restraint .. 72 5. Air Piracy and Offenses Against Mass Transportation Systems .. 75 6. Threatening or Harassing Communications, Hoaxes, Stalking, and Domestic Violence .. 77 Part B Basic Economic Offenses .. 82 1. Theft, Embezzlement, Receipt of Stolen Property, Property Destruction, and Offenses involving Fraud or Deceit.

4 82 2. Burglary and Trespass .. 111 3. Robbery, Extortion, and Blackmail .. 115 4. Commercial Bribery and Kickbacks .. 121 5. Counterfeiting and Infringement of Copyright or Trademark .. 124 6. Motor Vehicle Identification Numbers .. 130 Part C Offenses involving Public Officials and Violations of Federal Election Campaign Laws .. 131 Part D Offenses involving Drugs and Narco- terrorism .. 142 1. Unlawful Manufacturing, Importing, Exporting, Trafficking, or Possession; Continuing Criminal Enterprise .. 142 2. Unlawful Possession .. 189 3. Regulatory Violations .. 191 Part E Offenses involving Criminal Enterprises and Racketeering .. 193 1. Racketeering .. 193 2. Extortionate Extension of Credit .. 196 3. Gambling.

5 197 4. Trafficking in Contraband Cigarettes and Smokeless Tobacco .. 199 5. Labor Racketeering .. 199 TABLE OF CONTENTS iv Guidelines Manual (November 1, 2021) Part F [Deleted] .. 203 Part G Offenses involving Commercial Sex Acts, Sexual Exploitation of Minors, and Obscenity .. 204 1. Promoting a Commercial Sex Act or Prohibited Sexual Conduct .. 204 2. Sexual Exploitation of a Minor .. 211 3. Obscenity .. 221 Part H Offenses involving Individual Rights .. 225 1. Civil Rights .. 225 2. Political Rights .. 227 3. Privacy and Eavesdropping .. 228 4. Peonage, Involuntary Servitude, Slave Trade, and Child Soldiers .. 231 Part I [Not Used] .. 233 Part J Offenses involving the Administration Of Justice.

6 234 Part K Offenses involving Public Safety .. 243 1. Explosives and Arson .. 243 2. Firearms .. 250 3. Mailing Injurious Articles .. 263 Part L Offenses involving Immigration, Naturalization, and Passports .. 265 1. Immigration .. 265 2. Naturalization and Passports .. 273 Part M Offenses involving National Defense and Weapons of Mass Destruction .. 278 1. Treason .. 278 2. Sabotage .. 278 3. Espionage and Related Offenses .. 279 4. Evasion of Military Service .. 284 5. Prohibited Financial Transactions and Exports, and Providing Material Support to Designated Foreign Terrorist Organizations .. 285 6. Nuclear, Biological, and Chemical Weapons and Materials, and Other Weapons of Mass Destruction .. 288 Part N Offenses involving Food, Drugs, Agricultural Products, Consumer Products, and Odometer Laws.

7 292 1. Tampering with Consumer Products .. 292 2. Food, Drugs, Agricultural Products, and Consumer Products .. 294 3. Odometer Laws and 295 Part O [Not Used] .. 296 Part P Offenses involving Prisons and Correctional Facilities .. 297 Part Q Offenses involving the Environment .. 301 1. 301 2. Conservation and Wildlife .. 308 Part R Antitrust Offenses .. 311 Part S Money Laundering and Monetary Transaction Reporting .. 315 TABLE OF CONTENTS Guidelines Manual (November 1, 2021) vPart T Offenses involving Taxation .. 321 Taxes, Employment Taxes, Estate Taxes, Gift Taxes,and Excise Taxes (Other Than Alcohol, Tobacco, and CustomsTaxes) .. 321 and Tobacco Taxes .. 330 Taxes .. 331 Table .. 333 Part U [Not Used].

8 334 Part V [Not Used] .. 334 Part W [Not Used] .. 334 Part X Other Offenses .. 335 , Attempts, Solicitations .. 335 and Abetting .. 338 After the Fact .. 338 of Felony .. 339 Other Felony Offenses and Class A Misdemeanors .. 340 involving Use of a Minor in a Crime of Violence .. 342 involving Border Tunnels and Submersible andSemi-Submersible Vessels .. 343 Part Y [Not Used] .. 344 Part Z [Not Used] .. 344 CHAPTER THREE ADJUSTMENTS .. 345 Part A Victim-Related Adjustments .. 345 Part B Role in the offense .. 351 Part C Obstruction and Related Adjustments .. 359 Part D Multiple Counts .. 364 Part E Acceptance of Responsibility .. 376 CHAPTER FOUR CRIMINAL HISTORY AND CRIMINAL LIVELIHOOD .. 379 Part A Criminal History.

9 379 Part B Career Offenders and Criminal Livelihood ..395 CHAPTER FIVE DETERMINING THE SENTENCE .. 406 Part A Sentencing Table .. 406 Part B Probation .. 409 Part C Imprisonment .. 418 TABLE OF CONTENTS vi Guidelines Manual (November 1, 2021) Part D Supervised Release .. 424 Part E Restitution, Fines, Assessments, Forfeitures .. 435 Part F Sentencing Options .. 443 Part G Implementing the Total Sentence of Imprisonment .. 449 Part H Specific Offender Characteristics .. 458 Part I [Not Used] .. 465 Part J Relief From Disability .. 466 Part K Departures .. 467 1. Substantial Assistance to Authorities .. 467 2. Other Grounds for Departure .. 468 3. Early Disposition Programs .. 486 CHAPTER SIX SENTENCING PROCEDURES, PLEA AGREEMENTS, AND CRIME VICTIMS RIGHTS.

10 487 Part A Sentencing Procedures .. 487 Part B Plea Agreements .. 491 CHAPTER SEVEN VIOLATIONS OF PROBATION AND SUPERVISED RELEASE .. 496 Part A Introduction to Chapter Seven .. 496 Part B Probation and Supervised Release Violations .. 501 CHAPTER EIGHT SENTENCING OF ORGANIZATIONS .. 509 Part A General Application Principles .. 510 Part B Remedying Harm from Criminal Conduct, and Effective Compliance and Ethics Program .. 514 1. Remedying Harm from Criminal Conduct .. 514 2. Effective Compliance and Ethics Program .. 517 Part C Fines .. 523 1. Determining the Fine Criminal Purpose Organizations .. 523 2. Determining the Fine Other Organizations .. 523 3. Implementing the Sentence of a Fine .. 540 4. Departures from the Guideline Fine Range.