Document ID: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-ca8-15-03944/USCOURTS-ca8-15-03944-0/pdf.json

Parties Involved:
Jamie Lee Hunt
Appellant
United States of America
Appellee

Document Text:

United States Court of Appeals

For the Eighth Circuit

___________________________

No. 15-3944

___________________________

United States of America

lllllllllllllllllllll Plaintiff - Appellee

v.

Jamie Lee Hunt

lllllllllllllllllllll Defendant - Appellant

____________

Appeal from United States District Court 

for the District of Minnesota - St. Paul

____________

 Submitted: October 17, 2016

Filed: October 27, 2016

[Published]

___________

Before RILEY, Chief Judge, WOLLMAN and BENTON, Circuit Judges.

____________

PER CURIAM. 

Jamie Lee Hunt pled guilty to conspiracy to distribute 500 grams or more of

methamphetamine, in violation of 21 U.S.C. § 841(b). He challenges the district

Appellate Case: 15-3944 Page: 1 Date Filed: 10/27/2016 Entry ID: 4463405 
court’s denial of a two-level reduction for a minor role in the conspiracy, and his

1

sentence as substantively and procedurally unreasonable. Having jurisdiction under

28 U.S.C.§ 1291, this court affirms. 

Police were investigating a meth conspiracy operating in Minnesota, Texas,

and Mexico. Part of the conspiracy was led by three Ortega brothers, each with his

own sources and clientele. Hunt facilitated Salvador Ortega’s distribution of meth

in Minnesota. Hunt agreed to sell two ounces of meth to an undercover agent, saying

he typically sold more but understood the agent wanted to sample the quality. Hunt

sold another four ounces to the agent 12 days later, and police followed Hunt to a

separate location where he met with Salvador Ortega. Hunt was indicted with ten

others. He pled guilty. His base offense level was determined by the 164.8 grams of

actual meth he sold the agent. Based on a range of 130 to 162 months, the district

court sentenced him to 144 months’ imprisonment. 

I.

Guideline 3B1.2 authorizes a two-level decrease if the defendant is a minor

participant in any criminal activity. “Whether a defendant played a minor role is a

question of fact, reviewed for clear error.” United States v. Young, 689 F.3d 941, 946

(8th Cir. 2012). Hunt has the burden to prove he played a minor role. Id. The

sentencing commission recently clarified: “The fact that a defendant performs an

essential or indispensable role in the criminal activity is not determinative. Such a

defendant may receive an adjustment under this guideline if he or she is substantially

less culpable than the average participant in the criminal activity.” U.S.S.G. § 3B1.2,

App. Note 3(C) (as amended by Amendment 794, eff. Nov. 1, 2015). 

The Honorable Richard H. Kyle, United States District Judge for the District 1

of Minnesota. 

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The district court properly denied Hunt’s requestfor a reduction under § 3B1.2. 

He claims he is less culpable than the average participant because he was caught

selling meth only twice, and two co-defendants were responsible for significantly

greater amounts of meth. However, Hunt admitted in the plea agreement to

involvement in the conspiracy for over two and a half years. According to the

presentence report, Hunt was operating with and for Salvador Ortega, who admitted

distributing 45 pounds of meth. Hunt told the undercover agent that he typically did

not sell smaller amounts (like what he sold him), and tests showed Hunt’s meth was

very pure. Before his arrest, Hunt contacted the agent about obtaining meth to take

to another state. While the plea agreement held Hunt responsible for only the meth 

in the two controlled buys, he was not, as he says, “a minor dealer at the bottom

level” during his two and a half years in the conspiracy. Hunt did not meet the

burden to show less culpability than the average participant. See United States v.

Gomez-Valle, 828 F.3d 324, 331 (5th Cir. 2016) (“Amendment 794 does not provide

an affirmative right to a § 3B1.2 reduction to every actor but the criminal

mastermind.”). 

II.

Hunt objects to the sentence as procedurally and substantively unreasonable.

“This court reviews sentencesin two steps: first, for significant procedural error; and

if there is none, for substantive reasonableness.” United States v. Martin, 757 F.3d

776, 779 (8th Cir. 2014). Procedural errors include “failing to calculate (or

improperly calculating) the Guidelines range, treating the Guidelines as mandatory,

failing to consider the § 3553(a) factors, selecting a sentence based on clearly

erroneous facts, or failing to adequately explain the chosen sentence—including an

explanation for any deviation from the Guidelines range.” Gall v. United States, 552

U.S. 38, 51 (2007). 

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Hunt claims the district court procedurally erred by failing to adequately

explain his sentence and to give full consideration to the § 3553(a) factors. Hunt did

not object at sentencing. Review is for plain error. United States v. Clayton, 828

F.3d 654, 657 (8th Cir. 2016). 

“In determining whether a district court committed procedural error, [w]e do

not require a district court to provide a mechanical recitation of the § 3553(a) factors

when determining a sentence. Rather, itsimply must be clear from the record that the

district court actually considered the § 3553(a) factors in determining the sentence.”

Feemster v. United States, 572 F.3d 455, 461 (8th Cir. 2009) (en banc) (internal

quotations omitted). This court looks to the entire record, not just the district court’s

statements at the hearing. Clayton, 828 F.3d at 657. At sentencing the district court

said that

applying all of the factors in 3553, those are the ones that I read in the

record here a few moments ago, it’s my judgment that a sentence of 144

months is the appropriate disposition in the case. That’s 12 years in

prison. I think it meets each of the factors that I am to take into account,

neither too high or too low. It’s a lengthy sentence. I’m not trying to

disguise that. But I think under the circumstances of this case it is

deserved. 

The district court ruled on the PSR, heard argument from both parties at sentencing,

and cited all the § 3553(a) factors at sentencing. The district court did not commit

procedural error. See United States v. Battiest, 553 F.3d 1132, 1136 (8th Cir. 2009)

(holding district court did not commit procedural error when record showed court had

examined the PSR, heard oral argument from both sides, and was aware of section

3553(a) factors). 

In the absence of procedural error, this court considers the “substantive

reasonableness of the sentence imposed under an abuse-of-discretion standard.” 

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Feemster, 572 F.3d at 461. A district court abuses its discretion when it “(1) fails to

consider a relevant factor that should have received significant weight; (2) gives

significant weight to an improper or irrelevant factor; or (3) considers only the

appropriate factors but in weighing those factors commits a clear error of judgment.” 

Id. 

Hunt claims the district court either did not address, or gave insufficient weight

to, his mitigating circumstances—including his substance abuse and ADHD, that his

longest prior sentence was only 60 months, that a lower sentence would avoid

unwarranted sentencing disparities with co-defendants, and that his criminal history

is “exaggerated.” The district court considered and rejected these arguments

submitted in Hunt’s sentencing position paper, and again at sentencing. See United

States v. Timberlake, 679 F.3d 1008, 1012 (8th Cir. 2012) (presuming district court

considered and rejected defendant’s arguments raised in sentencing position

memorandum and at sentencing hearing). The record supports the district court’s

rejection of Hunt’s arguments. Hunt’s extensive criminal history began at a young

age, and he had completed different drug treatment programs in the past. Finally,

Hunt’s twin brother, who played a similar role in the conspiracy, was sentenced to

140 months for his involvement. Hunt’s mid-range sentence is reasonable. See

United States v. San Miguel, 634 F.3d 471, 475 (8th Cir. 2011) (“A sentence that falls

within a properly calculated advisory guideline range . . . is presumptively reasonable

on appeal.”).

The judgment is affirmed.

______________________________

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