IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
FOR THE DISTRICT OF NORTH DAKOTA
NORTHWESTERN DIVISION
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA,
Plaintiff,
v.
TIFFANY SHANICE ANDERSON,
Defendant.
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)
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)
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Case No. 4:13-cr-010
UNITED STATES SENTENCING
MEMORANDUM
The United States of America by Timothy Q. Purdon, United States Attorney for
the District of North Dakota, and Rick L. Volk, Assistant United States Attorney, submits
this Sentencing Memorandum to provide the Court with a sentencing recommendation in
this case.
The Presentence Investigation Report (PSR) determined a total offense level 15
and criminal history category II, with a resulting advisory guideline sentencing range of
21 27 months in Zone D of the sentencing table. This Guideline range is an appropriate
range within which to sentence Anderson based upon the offense conduct, the
circumstances surrounding the offense, and her past history.
Andersons conduct in this case can only be described as extreme. Over the
course of two full months (October December 2012), Anderson contacted locations on
or within the Minot Air Force Base to engage in harassing and threatening conduct,
stopping only after she was finally arrested on December 20, 2012, following issuance of
a criminal complaint in this case. The harassing and threatening conduct continued
despite her arrest in the State of California in early November 2012 following the initial
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threat call to the Minot Air Force Base. Thus, the threat of potential incarceration did
nothing to alter her behavior. Instead, Anderson chose to thumb her nose at authorities,
and continue to disrupt lives on the Minot Air Force Base. The final threat threatening
to shoot children at the Head Start was particularly cruel and disruptive, coming mere
days after the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting in Newtown, Connecticut. While
the harassing conduct (calling the MAFB emergency line hundreds of times in October
2012) initially involved Anderson utilizing her own name, Andersons conduct
progressed to sophisticated manipulation and deception, laying groundwork to make it
appear her ex-boyfriend was behind the threatening conduct in an effort to ruin his life.
The Defendants sentencing memorandum indicating the only blemish on
Andersons record is an unlawful fighting conviction in 2010 fails to recognize the
myriad of troubling behavior engaged in by Anderson through her young life. The PSR
notes two violent episodes as a juvenile, one involving a fight at a basketball game at
which Anderson was cheerleading, and the other for striking her mother. The adult
conviction involved causing bodily injury to another person as well. The PSR refers to
other deviant behavior as well, including scratching her mothers car, arguing with a
former boyfriend and his mother, and breaking a window. This behavior concerned
Andersons mother to the extent she sought out mental health treatment for Anderson.
The PSR documents other deviant behavior directed at those Anderson has been in a
relationship with, such as ordering cellular phones in the name of her ex-boyfriend and
engaging in harassing conduct toward her ex-boyfriends parents. Further, the PSR notes
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Andersons mental health counseling records document repeated deviant behavior toward
her mother, and conflict regarding relationships with boyfriends, former boyfriends,
coworkers and others, and difficulty with honesty. Relationship issues continue to cause
Anderson problems, as Anderson acknowledges her desire to get her ex-boyfriend in
trouble motivated her conduct in this case. Andersons historical inability to utilize
healthy means of dealing with stress in her relations with other persons should give this
Court concern about her ability to comply with conditions of supervision.
The Defendant has requested a variance, specifically asking for a sentence of time
served. This, in part, appears to be motivated by a matter of convenience, in that her
mother intends to be present for sentencing and desires to return to California with
Anderson on the day of sentencing. Given Andersons conduct in this case, sentencing
should not be meted out based on convenience. One can hardly say that Anderson was
concerned in any way with convenience to the Minot Air Force Base personnel who had
to react to her false threats on multiple occasions, or for the convenience of the parents of
the Head Start children who had to wait outside the locked-down school wondering what
was happening with their children, or for the teaching staff at the Head Start whose day
was entirely disrupted by Andersons conduct. Under these circumstances, a sentence
based on the convenience to Anderson and her family rings hollow.
Anderson has requested this Court find that her criminal history is overstated.
While the United States believes the PSR has correctly calculated Andersons criminal
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history score, and that the score adequately reflects her criminal history, the United States
takes no position with respect to the request as it intends to recommend a sentence within
the range that would otherwise apply.
A sentence of 24 months imprisonment (the middle of the calculated sentencing
range, or high end of a reduced sentencing range) is reasonable and appropriate based on
the seriousness of Andersons conduct and her past behavior.
Dated this 20th day of February, 2014.
TIMOTHY Q. PURDON
United States Attorney
By: /s/ Rick L. Volk
RICK L. VOLK
Assistant United States Attorney
P. O. Box 699
Bismarck, ND 58502-0699
(701) 530-2420
N.D. Bar Board ID No. 04913
Attorney for United States
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IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
FOR THE DISTRICT OF NORTH DAKOTA
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, )
)
Plaintiff, )
)
-vs- )
)
TIFFANY SHANICE ANDERSON, )
)
Defendant. )
Criminal No. 4:13-cr-010
CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE
I hereby certify that on February 20, 2014, the following documents:
United States Sentencing Memorandum
Certificate of Service
were filed electronically with the Clerk of Court through ECF, and that ECF will send a
Notice of Electronic Filing (NEF) to the following:
William D. Schmidt:
[email protected] I further certify that a copy of the foregoing documents and the Notice of Electronic
Filing will be mailed by first class mail, postage paid, to the following: (N/A)
Dated: February 20, 2014 /s/ Rick L. Volk
Rick L. Volk
Assistant United States Attorney
Case 4:13-cr-00010-DLH Document 51 Filed 02/20/14 Page 5 of 5
