Document ID: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-ca11-19-14027/USCOURTS-ca11-19-14027-0/pdf.json

Parties Involved:
Gustavo Mancha
Appellant
United States of America
Appellee

Document Text:

[DO NOT PUBLISH]

IN THE UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS

FOR THE ELEVENTH CIRCUIT

________________________

No. 19-14027

Non-Argument Calendar

________________________

D.C. Docket No. 3:03-cr-00101-LC-2

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, 

 Plaintiff - Appellee,

versus

GUSTAVO MANCHA, 

 Defendant - Appellant.

________________________

Appeal from the United States District Court

for the Northern District of Florida

________________________

(February 13, 2020)

Before ED CARNES, Chief Judge, MARTIN, and ROSENBAUM, Circuit Judges.

PER CURIAM: 

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Gustavo Mancha appeals an eight-month sentence of imprisonment the 

district court imposed under 18 U.S.C. § 3583(e)(3) after finding that Mancha had 

violated the terms of his supervised release. He argues that the eight-month 

sentence was substantively unreasonable and he should instead have received 

mental health treatment. We see no abuse of discretion and affirm.

I.

In December 2004 Defendant-Appellant Gustavo Mancha pleaded guilty to 

conspiracy to distribute cocaine, in violation of 21 U.S.C. §§ 841(a)(1) and 

(b)(1)(A)(ii), and possession with intent to distribute cocaine, in violation of 21 

U.S.C. §§ 841(a)(1) and (b)(1)(B)(ii). He was sentenced to 262 months 

imprisonment and a five-year term of supervised release. His term of 

imprisonment was later reduced twice, ultimately to 169 months imprisonment. 

He was released from prison in June 2017 and began supervised release on June 

23, 2017. 

Mancha violated the terms of his supervised release the first time in 2018. 

For those violations, the district court sentenced him to 6 months imprisonment, 

followed by 24 months of supervised release. Mancha served his sentence and was 

released back to supervision on November 16, 2018. 

In September 2019 the probation office filed another petition alleging that 

Mancha had violated the terms of his supervised release six times between May 

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and September. First, the petition alleged that Mancha had tested positive for 

methamphetamine, amphetamine, or both, on four occasions, and had tested 

positive for cocaine and MDMA on another occasion. It alleged that Mancha had 

failed to report for drug testing on another occasion. It also noted that Mancha had 

admitted to all the drug use except the allegations of methamphetamine use. 

At the revocation hearing, Mancha did not contest the allegations in the 

petition. His attorney argued that Mancha had tested positive for amphetamine and 

methamphetamine because he had been using Adderall to manage his ADHD, even 

though he didn’t have a prescription for Adderall. His attorney also argued that a 

probation office program (the STEP program) had referred Mancha to a 

psychiatrist, and Mancha was “getting close to getting a prescription” for Adderall. 

His attorney noted that Mancha owned and managed a tattoo business with eleven 

employees and argued that his successful business indicated he was doing well and 

could be a contributing member of society. 

Mancha then began a long conversation with the district court. First, 

addressing the failure to report for testing, Mancha told the court that he sometimes 

got so busy at work that he forgot to call to determine if he needed to report for 

testing. He said that it just “slips [his] mind” sometimes. 

As to his Adderall use, he said he had been diagnosed with ADHD as a child

and had historically used marijuana to calm himself down and address his ADHD 

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symptoms. He acknowledged that he had been “doing wrong” by taking the 

Adderall without a prescription but said that it helped him with the stress of 

owning and running a business. He claimed that he had been in contact with the 

STEP program, which had been telling him for three months that they would help 

him get an appointment to get an Adderall prescription, but had not yet done so. 

Mancha stated that his cocaine use was an isolated incident that would not happen 

again. 

The United States deferred to the court but noted that it seemed like Mancha 

was able to comply with the terms of supervision, but he was “just not going to do 

it.” 

The court found that Mancha had violated the terms of his supervised release 

as the petition had alleged. It stated for the record that it had considered his 

statements and comments and all the factors in 18 U.S.C. § 3553(a). The court 

observed that Mancha had “blamed everybody but [him]self,” and found that he

“can clearly” comply with the terms of his release, but “he hasn’t chosen to do 

that.” It sentenced Mancha to eight months imprisonment with no supervision to 

follow, finding it “apparent that [supervision] can do [Mancha] no good 

whatsoever.” 

Mancha appeals.

II.

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We review the substantive reasonableness of a sentence imposed upon the 

revocation of supervised release in view of the totality of the circumstances and the 

relevant § 3553(a) factors. United States v. Tome, 611 F.3d 1371, 1378 (11th Cir. 

2010). The party challenging the sentence has the burden of showing that it is 

unreasonable. Id. “A district court abuses its discretion when it (1) fails to afford 

consideration to relevant factors that were due significant weight, (2) gives 

significant weight to an improper or irrelevant factor, or (3) commits a clear error 

of judgment in considering the proper factors.” United States v. Irey, 612 F.3d 

1160, 1189 (11th Cir. 2010) (en banc) (quotation marks omitted).

If a defendant violates a term of his supervised release, the district court may 

revoke his supervision and impose a term of imprisonment. 18 U.S.C. 

§ 3583(e)(3). When a court modifies or revokes a defendant’s supervised release it 

must consider any applicable factors set forth in § 3553(a), including the nature 

and circumstances of the offense, the history and characteristics of the defendant, 

and the applicable guidelines range. See § 3583(e); § 3553(a).

III.

The district court did not abuse its discretion in sentencing Mancha to eight

months imprisonment instead of ordering him to undergo treatment. Because the 

underlying offense was a Class C felony, the district court could have imposed a 

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prison term of up to 24 months. Id. The advisory guidelines range was 8 to 14 

months. 

The district court considered the relevant § 3553(a) factors and its finding

that Mancha was blaming others for his behavior. Nothing in the record indicates 

that the court failed to consider the relevant § 3553(a) factors, gave any weight to 

factors it should not have considered, or committed a clear error of judgment. 

Mancha’s argument boils down to the assertion that it would have been better had 

he been sentenced to a treatment program than to imprisonment. But the district 

court did not abuse its discretion by not agreeing with him.

AFFIRMED.1

1 In his reply brief, Mancha asks the Court to “take notice” of a letter his attorney 

received on November 25, 2019 (almost two months after Mancha’s supervision was revoked). 

We decline to consider the letter because it was not before the trial court and it is not subject to 

judicial notice. See Fed. R. Evid. 201(b).

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