St. Augustine Planning and Zoning Board's former Vice Chair, Deltra Long, is being sentenced Tuesday, April 30, 2019 at 2 pm in the courtroom of U.S. District Judge Brian J. Davis. Deltra Long has pled guilty to FEMA fraud and requests probation.
In accepting her plea, the U.S. Attorney agreed not to object to a request for probation or supervised release. Ms. Long misrepresented a flooded rental house as her primary residence, receiving some $10,000 in federal funds after Hurricane Matthew, which she regrets and which her attorney calls a "self-inflicted injury."
Here is her sentencing memorandum, filed by her lawyer, Hank Coxe:
SENTENCING MEMORANDUM
DefendantDeltraLongfilesthismemorandumtoassisttheCourtin preparation for the sentencing scheduled for 2:00pm on April 30,2019.
OnDecember,Defendantenteredapleaofguiltytoasinglecountcharging her with violation of 18 U.S.C. § 287, Making a False Claim Against the Government, in connection with a claim for FEMA disaster assistance benefits arising out of damages to a residence which she owned, but did not use as her primary residence. Doc.42.
ThisSentencingMemorandumwillexplainwhyasentenceofprobationis “sufficientbutnotgreaterthannecessary”tomeetthepurposesof18U.S.C.A.
§ 3553(a).
Ithasbeenuniformandconstantinthefederaljudicial tradition for the sentencing judge to consider every convictedpersonasanindividualandeverycaseasa unique study in the human failings that sometimes mitigate, sometimes magnify, the crime and the punishment toensue.
Koon v. United States, 518 U.S. 81, 113 (1996).
SENTENCING GUIDELINES1
The PSIR Calculation
The PSIR, Doc. 50, using the 2018 Guidelines Manual, calculates a Total OffenseLevelof8,which,withthecalculatedcriminalhistory(CHI),resultsinan advisoryGuidelinesrangeof0-6months.¶64.Imprisonmentisnotrequiredunder this calculation. Seeid.
CONSIDERATION OF § 3353(a) FACTORS
Circumstances and Characteristics
Under 18 U.S.C. § 3553(a)(1), a sentencing court must consider “the nature and circumstances of the offense and the history and characteristics of the defen- dant.”
1TheusualpatternisfortheCourttoreviewthePSIRinlightofanyunresolvedobjections, correctlycalculatetheapplicableGuidelinesrangeunder§3553(a)(4),considerargumentsfordepar- tures,andthenexamineeachoftheother§3553(a)factorsasabasisforvariance.ThisMemorandum will follow thatpattern.
ThesefactorsshowthataprobationarysentenceisappropriateforMs.Long,
assheisalongtermresidentofSt.Augustine,withnopreviousissueswiththelaw, whohaslivedanexemplarylife,asdescribedinthePSIRandtheletterssubmitted on her behalf. See Ex.A.
From the late 1970s until retirement, Ms. Long served as an educational counselor. Ms. Long was a high school counselor in the Hillsborough County SchoolDistrict,thenanacademicadvisorattheUniversityofSouthFlorida,then, whenshereturnedtoSt.Augustineinthelate1980s,aguidancecounselorintheSt. Johns County School District for over 20 years until her retirement in 2008. She nowsupportsherselfthoughtherentalpropertiesshehasacquiredovertheyears.
ThedishonestywhichbringsMs.LongbeforethisCourtseemsclearlyto havebeenanaberrationfromherbehavioroverherlife,andthosewhoknowher welldescribeher“excellentreputationasanhonest,compassionateanddevoted citizen,”findinghertobe“caringandhonest,”andapersonacting“withintegrity
andconcernforothers.”See,e.g.,Ex.A(respectivelytheBlow,Peterson,Wiles letters).
Asnumerousletterwritersnote,herlifehasbeencharacterizedbyserviceina myriad of public and privatesettings:
- The Betty GriffinHouse
•The City of St. Augustine Diversity AccountabilityBoard
See,e.g.,Ex.A(lettersofBlow,Davis,Parker,Peterson,Ponder-Stansel,White, Wiles).
The letter writers describe her “grace and determination,” her “commitment to participate or spearhead organizations and programs to improve the community withaheartfeltconcernandsympathyforthosesheishelping,”andher“character, integrity,andcommitmenttothewelfareandimprovementofSt.Augustine.”Ex. A (respectively the Davis, Parker,White).
Undersuchcircumstances,asentenceofprobationwouldbe“sufficientbut notgreaterthannecessary”tomeetthepurposesof18U.S.C.A.§3553(a).Indeed, thePleaAgreementnotesthattheUnitedStates“willnotobjecttotheDefendant’s request for asentence of probation or supervised release.” Id. At 7.
Respect for the Law andDeterrence
Under § 3553(a)(2), the sentencing court must also consider the need for the sentence imposed—
- toreflecttheseriousnessoftheoffense,topromote respectforthelaw,andtoprovidejustpunishmentforthe offense;
- to afford adequate deterrence to criminalconduct;
- toprotectthepublicfromfurthercrimesofthe defendant;and
- to provide the defendant with needed educationalor vocationaltraining,medicalcare,orothercorrectionaltreat- ment in the most effectivemanner.
InthecaseofMs.Long,evenasentenceofprobationwillcarrytheintense shameofapleatoafederalfelonyofmoralturpitude.Asapersonwhohaslong spokenwithmoralauthorityinhercommunity,2thiseventhasshakenher,and causedhertorecommitherselftotheprinciplesshehaslivedby.Sheiswellaware thatheractionafterHurricaneMatthewcausedaself-inflictedinjury.
2Thisissomethingwell-describedinthelettersinExhibit,A,particularlythatofSusan Ponder-Stansel:
Deltraisalwayswiltingtospeakupandtakepositionsthatdon’t makeeveryone,particularlythepowerful,happy,becauseshehas her own internal moral compass. She has spoken truth to power manytimesinsomeofCity’spoliticalstrugglesaroundracialand equityissues,whichhasnotalwaysmadeherpopular,butcertainly earned her the respect of many, includingme.
Accordingly, she recognized the seriousness of her offense, and was
determinedtodotherightthingbypleadingguilty.Thereisnoreasonwhatsoever to expect any future criminal behavior. There is no need here for any training, medicalcareorcorrectionaltreatment.Nosentenceofimprisonmentisnecessaryto meet the purposes of 18 U.S.C.A. §3553(a).
Available Sentences
Under § 3553(a)(3), the sentencing court must also consider “the kinds of sentences available.” The Plea Agreement notes that the United States “will not objecttotheDefendant’srequestforasentenceofprobationorsupervisedrelease.” Doc. 42 at 7. The PSR notes that no sentence of imprisonment is required. ¶64.
Asentenceofprobationwouldbe“sufficientbutnotgreaterthannecessary” to meet the purposes of 18 U.S.C.A. §3553(a).
Sentencing Policy
Under§3553(a)(5),thesentencingcourtshouldconsider“anypertinent policystatement”issuedbytheSentencingCommission(orotherwiseineffect). Undersigned counsel is aware of no such policystatements.
Avoiding Disparities
Under § 3553(a)(6), the sentencing court must also consider “the need to avoid unwarranted sentence disparities” among similarly situated defendants. In the
present case, the 18 U.S.C. § 3553(a)(6) factor does not weigh against the imposition of a probationary sentence.
Restitution
Under § 3553(a)(7), the sentencing court must also consider “the need to providerestitutiontoanyvictimsoftheoffense.”Inthepresentcase,the18U.S.C.
§3553(a)(7)factordoesnotweighagainsttheimpositionofaprobationary sentence.
SUMMARY
Insummary,thereareseveralfactorswhichsuggestthataprobationarysentence isappropriate:
- Ms. Long’s remorse for herconduct
- Her acceptance ofresponsibility
- Her lack of any prior criminalrecord
- Her long history as an upstanding citizen in thecommunity
Inlightoftheseconsiderations,Defendantsuggeststhataprobationarysentence wouldbe“sufficientbutnotgreaterthannecessary”tomeetthepurposesof18
U.S.C.A. § 3553(a).
CONCLUSION
Forthereasonsstatedabove,andbasedonthePleaAgreement,thePSIR,and the other materials before the Court, Defendant requests that the Court impose a sentence of twelve monthsprobation.
DATED at Jacksonville, Florida this 24th day of April, 2019.
BEDELL, DITTMAR, DeVAULT, PILLANS & COXE
ProfessionalAssociation By:s/Henry M. CoxeIII
Henry M. Coxe III Florida Bar No. 0155193
101 East AdamsStreet Jacksonville, FL32202
(904)353-0211
(904) 353-9307 Facsimile Attorney for Defendant Deltra Long
CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE
IcertifythatacopyofthisdocumenthasbeendeliveredbyusingtheCM/ECFsystem which will send a notice of electronic filing to the following:
Jay Carl Taylor, Esquire Assistant U.S. Attorney United States Attorney’sOffice
300 N. Hogan Street, Suite 700
Jacksonville, FL 32202-4270
By:s/Henry M. Coxe III Henry M. CoxeIII
Exhibits
- Letters on Behalf ofDefendant
- SueAgresta
- John CarlBlow
- Brad and DawnDavis
- SusanParker
- Gary and FayPeterson
- Susan PonderStansel
- NathanWhite
- DougWiles