Document ID: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-ca8-14-02233/USCOURTS-ca8-14-02233-0/pdf.json

Parties Involved:
Brandon Devos
Appellant
United States of America
Appellee

Document Text:

United States Court of Appeals

For the Eighth Circuit

___________________________

No. 14-2233

___________________________

United States of America

lllllllllllllllllllll Plaintiff - Appellee

v.

Brandon Devos

lllllllllllllllllllll Defendant - Appellant

____________

Appeal from United States District Court 

for the Northern District of Iowa - Cedar Rapids

____________

 Submitted: December 8, 2014

 Filed: January 27, 2015 

[Unpublished]

____________

Before LOKEN, BYE, and SMITH, Circuit Judges.

____________

PER CURIAM.

Brandon Devos pleaded guilty to escape from custody in violation of 18 U.S.C.

§ 751 after he was caught drinking and left the premises of a residential reentry center,

where he was serving the final portion of a 104-month sentence for conspiracy to

Appellate Case: 14-2233 Page: 1 Date Filed: 01/27/2015 Entry ID: 4238120 
distribute heroin. At sentencing, the district court1

 determined, without objection, an

advisory guidelines sentencing range of 15 to 21 months in prison. Devos urged the

court to sentence him at the bottom of that range, based on his substantial efforts while

in prison to end his drug addiction, obtain a GED, and participate in training

programs, and to secure employment when transferred to the reentry center. The

government urged a sentence at the top of the advisory range, emphasizing Devos’s

very serious criminal history and continued involvement with drugs and alcohol.

Stating that it had “carefully considered each and every factor” under 18 U.S.C.

§ 3553(a), the district court imposed a 21-month sentence, to be served consecutively

to the undischarged portion of the prior sentence. The court noted Devos’s continued

drug and alcohol abuse and emphasized his lengthy, violent criminal history,

including five assaults on females and at least two assaults on males.

Devos appeals, arguing the court abused its discretion because a sentence at the

top of the advisory guidelines range was substantively unreasonable. He contends the

court failed to adequately consider “the progress Devos had made over the last eight

years” and his stated commitment to “continue on the path of a more productive life.” 

A sentence within the advisory guidelines range is presumptively reasonable. See,

e.g., United States v. Cromwell, 645 F.3d 1020, 1022 (8th Cir. 2011). Devos has

failed to overcome the presumption. There was no abuse of discretion.

The judgment of the district court is affirmed. 

______________________________

1

The Honorable Linda R. Reade, Chief Judge of the United States District Court

for the Northern District of Iowa.

-2-

Appellate Case: 14-2233 Page: 2 Date Filed: 01/27/2015 Entry ID: 4238120