Document ID: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-ca8-05-03315/USCOURTS-ca8-05-03315-0/pdf.json

Parties Involved:
Lucio Martinez-Morfin
Appellant
United States of America
Appellee

Document Text:

1

The Honorable James E. Gritzner, United States District Judge for the Southern

District of Iowa.

United States Court of Appeals

FOR THE EIGHTH CIRCUIT

___________

No. 05-3315

___________

United States of America, *

*

Appellee, *

* Appeal from the United States

v. * District Court for the

* Southern District of Iowa.

Lucio Martinez-Morfin, *

* [UNPUBLISHED]

Appellant. *

___________

Submitted: October 4, 2006

Filed: October 18, 2006 

___________

Before SMITH, MAGILL, and BENTON, Circuit Judges.

___________

PER CURIAM.

Lucio Martinez-Morfin appeals the 120-month prison sentence imposed by the

district court1

 after Morfin pleaded guilty to conspiring to distribute and possess with

intent to distribute more than 500 grams of methamphetamine mixture, in violation

of 21 U.S.C. §§ 841(a)(1), (b)(1)(A), and 846. On appeal, Morfin argues the district

court erred in not applying a minor-role reduction under U.S.S.G. § 3B1.2 because it

did not correctly compare Morfin’s actions with those of a co-defendant who received

a minor-role reduction.

Appellate Case: 05-3315 Page: 1 Date Filed: 10/18/2006 Entry ID: 2100491
-2-

The district court did not clearly err in denying the minor role reduction because

Morfin’s admitted knowledge of the drug-transportation and distribution plans showed

that he was “deeply involved” in the conspiracy. See United States v. Bustos-Torres,

396 F.3d 935, 947-48 (8th Cir.) (district court’s factual determination of defendant’s

role in offense may be reversed only if it is clearly erroneous, and it is defendant’s

burden to prove role reduction is warranted), cert. denied, 125 S. Ct. 2557 (2005) and

126 S. Ct. 203 (2005); United States v. Bush, 352 F.3d 1177, 1182 (8th Cir. 2003)

(showing defendant is less culpable than other defendants is not enough to entitle

defendant to minor-role adjustment if defendant was deeply involved in offense);

United States v. Goebel, 898 F.2d 675, 678 (8th Cir. 1990) (recognizing significant

role that distributors play in criminal drug activity).

Accordingly, we affirm.

______________________________

Appellate Case: 05-3315 Page: 2 Date Filed: 10/18/2006 Entry ID: 2100491