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Parties Involved:
United States of America
Appellee
Giezi Magno Zamora
Appellant

Document Text:

[DO NOT PUBLISH]

IN THE UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS

FOR THE ELEVENTH CIRCUIT

________________________

No. 15-13136

Non-Argument Calendar

________________________

D.C. Docket No. 8:14-cr-00462-VMC-AEP-2

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, 

 Plaintiff-Appellee,

versus

GIEZI MAGNO ZAMORA, 

 Defendant-Appellant.

________________________

Appeal from the United States District Court

for the Middle District of Florida

________________________

(September 8, 2016)

Before MARTIN, JILL PRYOR and ANDERSON, Circuit Judges.

PER CURIAM: 

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Giezi Magno Zamora appeals his 120-month sentence for possessing with 

intent to distribute, and conspiring to possess with intent to distribute, five 

kilograms or more of cocaine aboard a vessel, in violation of 46 U.S.C. 

§§ 70503(a), 70506(a) & (b), and penalized pursuant to 21 U.S.C. 

§ 960(b)(1)(B)(ii). On appeal, Zamora argues that the district court erred in 

denying his request for a minor role reduction, or an even greater minimal role 

reduction, because of his menial participation as a deckhand in a cocaine 

smuggling venture.

Even assuming, however, that the district court erred in refusing to grant 

Zamora’s request for a minor role reduction, any such error was harmless because 

Zamora’s sentence of 120 months’ imprisonment is already at the statutory 

mandatory minimum. See 46 U.S.C. §§ 70506(a) & (b); 21 U.S.C. 

§ 960(b)(1)(B)(ii). “It is well-settled that a district court is not authorized to 

sentence a defendant below the statutory mandatory minimum unless the 

government filed a substantial assistance motion pursuant to 18 U.S.C. § 3553(e) 

and U.S.S.G. § 5K1.1 or the defendant falls within the safety-valve of 18 U.S.C. 

§ 3553(f).” United States v. Castaing-Sosa, 530 F.3d 1358, 1360 (11th Cir. 2008). 

The government did not file a substantial assistance motion here. Zamora’s 

convictions also do not qualify for safety valve relief under 18 U.S.C. § 3553(f). 

See United States v. Pertuz-Pertuz, 679 F.3d 1327, 1328-29 (11th Cir. 2012) 

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(holding that safety valve relief does not apply to violations of 46 U.S.C. 

§§ 70503(a), 70506(a) & (b)). Thus, because Zamora is already serving a 

mandatory minimum sentence and does not qualify for a sentence below that 

minimum, any error in the district court’s denial of his request for a minor role 

reduction was harmless and we need not address it. See United States v. Raad, 406 

F.3d 1322, 1323 n.1 (11th Cir. 2005). Accordingly, we affirm.

AFFIRMED.

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