Document ID: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-ca8-03-03871/USCOURTS-ca8-03-03871-0/pdf.json

Parties Involved:
Jose Ventura De Avila-Muro
Appellant
United States of America
Appellee

Document Text:

United States Court of Appeals

FOR THE EIGHTH CIRCUIT

___________

No. 03-3871

___________

United States of America, *

*

Appellee, *

* Appeal from the United States

v. * District Court for the

* Southern District of Iowa.

Jose Ventura De Avila-Muro, *

* [UNPUBLISHED]

Appellant. *

___________

Submitted: October 26, 2004

Filed: November 8, 2004

___________

Before MURPHY, FAGG, and SMITH, Circuit Judges.

___________

PER CURIAM.

Jose Ventura De Avila-Muro (Muro) pleaded guilty to possessing with intent

to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine and 500 grams or more of a

mixture containing methamphetamine, in violation of 21 U.S.C. § 841(a)(1) and

(b)(1)(A)(viii). Muro testified at his plea hearing that on April 14, 2003, he had

possessed about 10 pounds of a mixture he knew contained methamphetamine and

that he had intended to deliver it to an individual who, unbeknownst to Muro, was

working as a confidential informant (CI) for law enforcement authorities. Muro

further testified that he had been tricked because the CI had not revealed that he was

an informant and had insisted for about a year that Muro sell him drugs. Muro’s

Appellate Case: 03-3871 Page: 1 Date Filed: 11/08/2004 Entry ID: 1831319 
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The Honorable Harold D. Vietor, United States District Judge for the Southern

District of Iowa.

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counsel assured the court that he had considered and rejected an entrapment defense;

and Muro indicated that he was pleading guilty voluntarily, and not because of any

threats or promises. The district court1

 later sentenced Muro to 135 months

imprisonment and 5 years supervised release.

On appeal, Muro’s counsel has moved to withdraw and filed a brief under

Anders v. California, 386 U.S. 738 (1967), arguing that Muro asserted an entrapment

defense at his plea hearing and thus his guilty plea was not voluntary and lacked a

factual basis. In his pro se supplemental brief, Muro echoes counsel’s arguments and

asserts that he was entitled to safety-valve relief and a minor-role reduction. 

We review the district court’s findings of fact for clear error and its conclusions

of law de novo. See United States v. Kanatzar, 370 F.3d 810, 814 (8th Cir. 2004).

The plea hearing transcript, which reveals the court’s careful and lengthy questioning

of Muro, supports that Muro’s guilty plea was knowing and voluntary. See United

States v. Brown, 715 F.2d 387, 388 (8th Cir. 1983) (finding guilty plea was voluntary

where defendant’s responses to district court’s questions indicated he was pleading

guilty voluntarily). We also note that Muro did not move to withdraw his guilty plea

in the district court. See United States v. Murphy, 899 F.2d 714, 716 (8th Cir. 1990).

We hold that Muro’s plea-hearing admissions amply established a factual basis for

the offense, see United States v. Tomberlin, 130 F.3d 1318, 1319 (8th Cir. 1997)

(elements of possession with intent to distribute); that, by his guilty plea, Muro

waived the right to raise entrapment as a defense, see United States v. Beck, 250 F.3d

1163, 1166 (8th Cir. 2001) (valid guilty plea waives all non-jurisdictional defects);

and that he was not entitled to safety-valve relief, see U.S.S.G. § 5C1.2(a)

(requirements for relief), or a mitigating-role reduction, see U.S.S.G. § 3B1.2,

comment. (n.2). 

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Having found no nonfrivolous issues after reviewing the record independently

under Penson v. Ohio, 488 U.S. 75 (1988), we affirm. Counsel’s motion to withdraw

will be considered upon certification that he has advised the appellant of the

procedures for filing a petition for writ of certiorari in compliance with Part V of our

court’s plan to implement the Criminal Justice Act.

______________________________

Appellate Case: 03-3871 Page: 3 Date Filed: 11/08/2004 Entry ID: 1831319