Document ID: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-ca8-09-01156/USCOURTS-ca8-09-01156-0/pdf.json

Parties Involved:
Jorge Rios Roman
Appellant
United States of America
Appellee

Document Text:

1

The Honorable James M. Rosenbaum, United States District Judge for District

of Minnesota.

United States Court of Appeals

FOR THE EIGHTH CIRCUIT

___________

No. 09-1156

___________

United States of America, *

*

Appellee, *

* Appeal from the United States

v. * District Court for the 

* District of Minnesota.

Jorge Rios Roman, *

* [UNPUBLISHED]

Appellant. *

___________

Submitted: October 21, 2009

Filed: March 9, 2010

___________

Before MELLOY, SMITH, and SHEPHERD, Circuit Judges.

___________

PER CURIAM.

Jorge Roman pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute

methamphetamine (Count 1) in violation of 21 U.S.C. §§ 841(a)(1) and 841(b)(1)(A).

Roman also pleaded guilty to one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of

a drug trafficking crime (Count 2) in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 924(c)(1)(A). The

district court1

 imposed a 144-month sentence. On appeal, Roman maintains that this

sentence is substantively unreasonable. For the following reasons we disagree and

affirm the judgment of the district court.

Appellate Case: 09-1156 Page: 1 Date Filed: 03/09/2010 Entry ID: 3642123
-2-

I. Background

On January 30, 2008, law enforcement officers apprehended Roman and

recovered approximately 614 grams of methamphetamine, a loaded ITECH, MAC 10

.22 caliber submachine gun, several stolen hunting rifles, and more than $10,000 in

cash, including prerecorded buy funds. After his arrest, Roman provided substantial

assistance to the government. At sentencing, the district court calculated the applicable

Guidelines range to be 211 to 248 months (151 to 188 months for Count 1 and the

statutory mandatory minimum 60 months for Count 2). The district court then granted

the government's substantial assistance motion and sentenced Roman to 84 months'

imprisonment for Count 1—36 months below the statutory mandatory minimum of

120 months. The court ordered the 60-month sentence for Count 2 to run

consecutively. The total resulting sentence of 144 months' imprisonment reflects a

reduction of 32 percent from the low end of the applicable Guidelines range. 

II. Discussion

On appeal, Roman maintains that the district court abused its discretion in

imposing a Guidelines sentence of 84 months for Count 1. Roman contends that the

court did not consider safety risks he assumed nor the extent of his cooperation in

imposing his sentence. He argues that, given the amount of cooperation he provided

and the potential danger the cooperation created, the district court should have

departed further from the statutory 120-month minimum. Roman also submits that the

district court did not consider the U.S.S.G. § 5K1.1 factors. 

When a criminal defendant challenges his sentence as unreasonable, the court

must review that sentence for an abuse of discretion. Gall v. United States, 552 U.S.

38, 51 (2007). "[T]he extent of a downward departure in the defendant's favor lies

within the district court's discretion and is virtually unreviewable on a defendant's

appeal, absent an unconstitutional motive animating the district court." United States

v. Dalton, 478 F.3d 879, 881 (8th Cir. 2007).

Appellate Case: 09-1156 Page: 2 Date Filed: 03/09/2010 Entry ID: 3642123
-3-

Roman's arguments are unavailing. "A district court's departure or reduction

pursuant to § 5K1.1 or § 3553(e) can be based only on assistance-related

considerations." United States v. Plaza, 471 F.3d 928, 930 (8th Cir. 2006) (internal

quotations and citations omitted). The record reflects that the district court adequately

considered Roman's assistance and the § 5K1.1 factors in imposing his sentence.

Finally, no unconstitutional motive is present or even alleged in this case.

III. Conclusion

The judgment of the district court is affirmed.

______________________________

Appellate Case: 09-1156 Page: 3 Date Filed: 03/09/2010 Entry ID: 3642123