Document ID: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-ca5-09-40958/USCOURTS-ca5-09-40958-0/pdf.json

Parties Involved:
Jose Luis Cruz-Velez
Appellant
United States of America
Appellee

Document Text:

IN THE UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS

FOR THE FIFTH CIRCUIT

No. 09-40958

Conference Calendar

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA,

Plaintiff-Appellee

v.

JOSE LUIS CRUZ-VELEZ,

Defendant-Appellant

Appeal from the United States District Court

for the Southern District of Texas

USDC No. 2:09-CR-221-1

Before JOLLY, STEWART, and OWEN, Circuit Judges.

PER CURIAM:

*

Jose Luis Cruz-Velez appeals his jury conviction for possession with intent

to distribute 154.24 kilograms of marijuana in violation of 21 U.S.C. § 841(a)(1)

and (b)(1)(B). He argues that, in light of the Supreme Court decision in

Flores-Figueroa v. United States, 129 S. Ct. 1886 (2009), the evidence was

insufficient to support his conviction because the Government failed to prove

beyond a reasonable doubt that he knew the specific type and quantity of

controlled substance he possessed.

United States Court of Appeals

Fifth Circuit

F I L E D

June 22, 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: 09-40958 Document: 00511149388 Page: 1 Date Filed: 06/22/2010
No. 09-40958

This issue is foreclosed by circuit precedent. See United States v.

Gamez-Gonzalez, 319 F.3d 695, 699-700 (5th Cir. 2003) (holding that knowledge

of drug type or quantity is not an element of an offense under § 841). Moreover,

this precedent has not been overruled by Flores-Figueroa. See United States v.

Betancourt, 586 F.3d 303, 308-09 (5th Cir. 2009), cert. denied, 130 S. Ct. 1920

(2010). Accordingly, the judgment of the district court is AFFIRMED.

2

 Case: 09-40958 Document: 00511149388 Page: 2 Date Filed: 06/22/2010