Document ID: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-ca5-09-40973/USCOURTS-ca5-09-40973-0/pdf.json

Parties Involved:
Baldomero Farias
Appellant
United States of America
Appellee

Document Text:

IN THE UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS

FOR THE FIFTH CIRCUIT

No. 09-40973

Summary Calendar

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA,

Plaintiff-Appellee

v.

BALDOMERO FARIAS,

Defendant-Appellant

Appeal from the United States District Court

for the Southern District of Texas

USDC No. 2:08-CR-403-1

Before KING, BARKSDALE, and GARZA, Circuit Judges.

PER CURIAM:

*

Baldomero Farias pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute

cocaine base, in violation of 21 U.S.C. §§ 841(a)(1) and (b)(1)(A), and was

sentenced, inter alia, to 121 months’ imprisonment and a $25,000 fine. In his

plea agreement, Farias waived the right to appeal his conviction and sentence,

including appeal rights conferred by 18 U.S.C. § 3742. Farias also waived the

right to contest his conviction and sentence in any collateral proceedings under

28 U.S.C. § 2255 or by means of any post-conviction proceeding. He reserved the

United States Court of Appeals

Fifth Circuit

F I L E D

July 1, 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: 09-40973 Document: 00511160681 Page: 1 Date Filed: 07/01/2010
No. 09-40973

right to appeal a sentence imposed above the statutory maximum or an upward

departure from the Sentencing Guidelines which had not been requested by the

United States.

Without addressing the appeal waiver, Farias contends that, because the

Government agreed to recommend the lowest end of the Guidelines sentencing

range, the Government was barred from seeking a fine of $50,000. The

Government responds: in his plea agreement Farias waived his right to appeal,

inter alia, his sentence; the listed exceptions to the waiver do not apply; and it

did not breach the plea agreement by recommending a fine. See United States

v. Keresztury, 293 F.3d 750, 755-57 (5th Cir. 2002) (holding that, if the

Government has breached a plea agreement, defendant is necessarily released

from an appeal waiver provision contained therein). (Farias did not file a reply

brief.)

The terms of the waiver in the plea agreement were read aloud at the plea

hearing, the district court specifically questioned Farias about the waiver-ofappeal provision, and Farias stated that he understood it. The record reflects

that Farias’s waiver was both knowing and voluntary. See United States v.

McKinney, 406 F.3d 744, 746 n.2 (5th Cir. 2005).

The Government complied with its obligations under the plea agreement

by recommending a sentence of imprisonment at the lowest end of the

Guidelines range, recommending three points for acceptance of responsibility,

and moving to dismiss the remaining counts of the superseding indictment.

The exceptions to the waiver-of-appeal provision do not apply. Therefore,

Farias is bound by that provision and may not appeal his sentence. See

McKinney, 406 F.3d at 746-47.

DISMISSED.

2

 Case: 09-40973 Document: 00511160681 Page: 2 Date Filed: 07/01/2010