Sabrina Giles
#21893-051
Federal Sentence: 12 years
Offense: Conspiracy to Possess WITD over 50 Grams of Meth; Possession WITD over 5 Grams of Meth
Priors: None
Sentenced: 2004
Year of Birth: 1982
Projected Release Date: 5/22/2014
Nature of Offense: Sabrina’s trouble began when as a 19-year-old she fell in love with a man thirteen years her senior. He was a methamphetamine dealer in New Mexico and introduced the drug to Sabrina. In 2002, her boyfriend had two encounters with the Pecos Valley Drug Task Force, each time involving deals at a Motel 6. On April 30, 2002 police officers went to Sabrina’s home to arrest her boyfriend—he had been living there since his release three days earlier. Moments before police took him into custody, he placed 0.79 grams of methamphetamine into Sabrina’s waistband as he hugged her, which police confiscated. Then they searched her house and found a total of 49.95 grams of methamphetamine and 21.1 grams of marijuana along with a handgun in the kitchen drawer, bags, scales, and a drug ledger which belonged to Sabrina’s boyfriend. Sabrina says she kept the gun for protection. Police arrested Sabrina along with her boyfriend. Sabrina pleaded guilty and was sentenced to a term of twelve years.
Probation Officer’s Remarks: Sabrina’s probation officer commented that her family circumstances could warrant a lesser sentence:
“…the Court could consider a downward departure based on extraordinary family ties and responsibilities. The defendant has a four-year-old daughter who is currently in the custody of the defendant’s mother. However, there is a concern that the defendant’s mother may not be able to care for the child for the length of time the defendant could be imprisoned. Although the child does have her father, he is currently an absconder from parole supervision. The defendant was gainfully employed and providing financial support for her daughter prior to her arrest. In addition, the defendant has no prior arrests or convictions and 144 months is an extensive period of time for the defendant’s child to be away from her mother.”
Guideline Sentence: The government held Sabrina responsible for a weight of methamphetamine between 500 and 1.5 kg of methamphetamine. This amount produces a base offense level of 32. However, because of Sabrina's minor role in the offense, she began with a base offense level of 30 and received a two-level reduction which was further decreased by by three points for her acceptance of responsibility. Sabrina's handgun raised her offense level by two points, resulting in a total offense level of 27. With no criminal history, Sabrina’s guideline range was 70 to 87 months.
However, her two counts grouped together carry a mandatory minimum term of 10 years (120 months) that overruled her guideline sentence. In addition a third count for possessing a gun during a drug trafficking offense would have necessitated a consecutive 5-year mandatory minimum sentence, totaling 15 years. The government dropped this charge in the plea agreement [Rule 11(c)(1)(C)] in exchange for a sentence of 12 years (144 months), 10 of which are a mandatory minimum sentence while the remaining two years are derived from the guidelines.
Sentences of Others Involved: Sabrina’s boyfriend was sentenced to 15 years.
Personal Background: Sabrina was born to working class parents. Her father is employed with oil companies and her mother is a housekeeper for motels. They both suffered from substance abuse problems, leading to her father’s incarceration for trafficking marijuana when Sabrina was 10, at which point her parents ended their relationship. Prior to their dissolution, Sabrina’s father physically abused her mother although he never abused Sabrina or her younger sister.
Sabrina’s battle with substance abuse began at age 12 when she started smoking marijuana. In the 10th grade, she became pregnant and dropped out of school. The father of her child was extremely volatile and abusive to Sabrina, and is currently imprisoned due to absconding from parole for a credit card theft charge. Sabrina’s elderly mother currently cares for Sabrina's daughter, Alexis, but the child’s father will gain custody if Sabrina's mother becomes unable to provide care for her granddaughter.
Compiled from PSR, plea agreement, and prisoner information. JC 1/31/05