Document ID: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-ca5-15-10479/USCOURTS-ca5-15-10479-0/pdf.json

Parties Involved:
Salvador Alvarado
Appellant
United States of America
Appellee

Document Text:

IN THE UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS

FOR THE FIFTH CIRCUIT

No. 15-10479

Summary Calendar

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA,

Plaintiff-Appellee

v.

SALVADOR ALVARADO,

Defendant-Appellant

Appeal from the United States District Court

for the Northern District of Texas

USDC No. 5:14-CR-137-1

Before REAVLEY, JONES, and SMITH, Circuit Judges.

PER CURIAM:*

Salvador Alvarado appeals the 293-month sentence he received following 

his guilty plea conviction for possession of methamphetamine with the intent 

to distribute, in violation of 21 U.S.C. § 841. For the first time on appeal, he 

argues that the district court erred in basing his sentence on 4.6 kilograms of 

actual methamphetamine when the undisputed facts show that he bought 

* 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.

United States Court of Appeals

Fifth Circuit

FILED

July 18, 2016

Lyle W. Cayce

Clerk

 

 Case: 15-10479 Document: 00513596133 Page: 1 Date Filed: 07/18/2016
No. 15-10479

three ounces of methamphetamine and five kilograms of a “simulated 

substance.” 

As Alvarado concedes, because he did not raise his appellate argument 

in the district court, review is for plain error only. See Puckett v. United States, 

556 U.S. 129, 135 (2009). However, the amount of methamphetamine 

attributable to Alvarado is a finding of fact which was capable of resolution 

upon proper objection in the district court and thus cannot constitute plain 

error. See United States v. Vital, 68 F.3d 114, 120 (5th Cir. 1995); see also 

United States v. Lopez, 923 F.2d 47, 50 (5th Cir. 1991). Consequently, the 

district court’s judgment is AFFIRMED.

2

 Case: 15-10479 Document: 00513596133 Page: 2 Date Filed: 07/18/2016