Case Explained: Summary Calendar United States of America Plaintiff— v. Eric Braziel Defendant—

Court: United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit Filed: 2026-07-24 The Fifth Circuit affirmed the district court’s imposition of a two-level sentencing enhancement under U.S.S.G. § 2B1.1(b)(10)(C) for the use of sophisticated means in Eric Braziel’s conspiracy to commit wire fraud conviction. The court applied the clear error standard of review, finding that the district court’s determination was plausible given the record. Specifically, the court noted that after a fraudulent Economic Injury Disaster Loan application was denied, Braziel submitted documents under a fictitious business name, along with fraudulent tax and bank account records, for a Paycheck Protection Program loan. The court reasoned that these actions allowed the district court to infer an intentional effort to make the fraud more difficult to detect, consistent with prior Fifth Circuit precedent. The practical consequence is that Braziel’s sentence stands as imposed by the district court. Do It For The Case Law is a news reporting service. Nothing in this episode constitutes legal advice.