Document ID: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-ca5-09-40688/USCOURTS-ca5-09-40688-0/pdf.json

Parties Involved:
Bienvenido Ramirez-Leonardo
Appellant
United States of America
Appellee

Document Text:

IN THE UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS

FOR THE FIFTH CIRCUIT

No. 09-40688

Summary Calendar

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA,

Plaintiff-Appellee,

versus

BIENVENIDO RAMIREZ-LEONARDO,

Defendant-Appellant.

Appeal from the United States District Court

for the Southern District of Texas

No. 7:08-CR-1310-1

Before DAVIS, SMITH, and DENNIS, Circuit Judges.

PER CURIAM:

*

Bienvenido Ramirez-Leonardo appeals the sentence imposed following his plea of

guilty of importation of heroin. He argues that the factual basis for his plea did not establish

that he knowingly imported a particular quantity of a particular drug into the United States,

so his plea should be vacated. He correctly concedes, however, that that argument is

United States Court of Appeals

Fifth Circuit

F I L E D

June 11, 2010

Lyle W. Cayce

Clerk

Pursuant to 5TH CIR. R. 47.5, the court has determined that this opinion should not be published *

and is not precedent except under the limited circumstances set forth in 5TH CIR. R. 47.5.4.

 Case: 09-40688 Document: 00511139748 Page: 1 Date Filed: 06/11/2010
No. 09-40688

foreclosed by United States v. Betancourt, 586 F.3d 303 (5th Cir. 2009), cert. denied, __S.

Ct.__, 2010 WL 562914 (U.S. Mar. 22, 2010) (No. 09-9048); he raises the argument solely

to preserve its further review by the Supreme Court.

Ramirez-Leonardo additionally contendsthat the district court clearly erred in denying

him a minor-role adjustment pursuant to U.S.S.G. § 3B1.2(b). Ramirez-Leonardo’s reliance

on his alleged courier status, alone, is unavailing. See United States v. Martinez-Larraga,

517 F.3d 258, 272 (5th Cir. 2008); United States v. Jenkins, 487 F.3d 279, 282 (5th Cir.

2007). The unrebutted facts established that Ramirez-Leonardo imported a large amount of

heroin into the United States from the Dominican Republic; traveled a long distance with the

heroin in hidden compartments in the soles of multiple pairs of his shoes; was to be paid a

large sum of money for his role in the criminal activity; and was solely responsible for

transporting the heroin to its final destination of New York. Based on the foregoing, it

cannot be said that Ramirez-Leonardo was “peripheral to the advancement of the criminal

activity” and thus a minor participant. See Martinez-Larraga, 517 F.3d at 272.

AFFIRMED.

 Case: 09-40688 Document: 00511139748 Page: 2 Date Filed: 06/11/2010