FILED U.S. COURT OF AP PEALS ELEV ENT HC IR C U IT MAY 17 , 2006 THOMAS K. KAHN CLERK [ DO NO T P UB L I S H] I N THE UN I TE D STATE S C OU RT OF APPE ALS F O R T H E E L E V E N T H C IR C U IT

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________________________ D. C . Do c k e tNo . 0 5 - 0 0 0 8 5 - C R - T - 3 0 - T GW U N I T E D S T A T E S O F A M E R I C A , P la in tif f- A p p e lle e , v ersu s C A R L O S A G O S T O T U N O R I O A R R O Y O , D e fe n d a n t- A p p e lla n t.

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_________________________ ( M ay 17, 2006) B efo re M A R C U S , W IL S O N an d P R Y O R , C i rcu i tJu d g es. P E R C U R I A M:2

C a r l os A gos t o T unor i o A rr oy o a ppe a l s hi s s e nt e nc e fort w o dr ug tr a f f i c ki ng c onvi c t i ons . A rr oy o a r gue s tha tthe di s tr i c tc our tc l e a r l y e rr e d w he n i tfound A rr o y o w a s n o t am in o rp a r tic ip a n t in th e o f fe n s e . S e e U .S .S .G . § 3 B 1 .2 ( b ) . W e a f f i r m. O n F ebruary 17 , 20 05 , the U . S . C oastG uard st op ped t he fi shi ng vess el R an g er Y ach tw i th A rro yo an d sev eral o th er crew m em b ers o n b o ard . T h e C o ast G uard di sc ov er ed approx i m at el y 430 9 k i l og ra m s of c ocai ne i n a hi dd en c o m p a r tm e n t. E a c h c r e w m e m b e rw a s a rr e s te d a n d c h a r g e d w ith c o n s p ir a c y to pos s e s s a nd pos s e s s i on w i th i nt e ntt o di s tr i but e f i ve ki l ogr a m s orm or e of c oc a i ne w h i l e a b o a r d av e s s e l s u bj e c tt o th e j u r i s d i c t i o n o f th e U n i t e d St a t e s , 4 6 U . S. C. app. §§ 19 03 (a ), (g), (j ); 21 U . S . C . § 9 60 (b)( 1)(B )( i i ). A rr oy o pl e a de d gui l t y t o both c ount s of the i ndi c t m e nt . A thi s s e nt e nc i ng h e a r in g , A rr o y o a d m itte d th a t h e k n e w h e w o u ld b e p a r tic ip a tin g in ille g a l a c tiv ity w hen h e boarded the bo at , he hel ped l oad cocai ne on t o the bo at , and h e w as prom i se d p ay m entof 35 m i l l i on pesos for hi s par t i ci pat i on . T he P re se nt ence Investi gat i on R eportca l cul at ed a bas e off ense l evel of 38 , se e U . S . S . G . § 2 D 1. 1(c) , and recom m ended a decre as e of t w o l evel s und erthe “ sa fe t y val ve” provi si on , se e U . S . S . G . § 2D 1. 1( b) ( 7) ( 2005) , a nd athr e e - l e ve l de c r e a s e fora c c e pt a nc e of r e s pons i bi l i t y , s e e U . S . S . G . § 3E 1. 1. A rr oy o’ s t ot a l of fe ns e l e ve l w a s 33, w i th a3

c r i m i na l hi s t or y c a t e gor y of I ; hi s gui de l i ne s s e nt e nc i ng r a nge w a s 135 t o 168 m o n th s o f

im p r is o n m e n t. A rr o y o a d m itte d th e fa c tu a l a c c o u n t o f th e P r e s e n te n c e I n v e s tig a tio n R e p o r t, b u t h e a r g u e d th a t h e w a s e n title d to atw o - le v e l d e c r e a s e fo rh a v in g am in o rr o le in the offens e. S ee U . S . S . G . § 3 B 1. 2. T he di stri ctcourtdi sa gree d and foun d that A rr oyo “ pl ay ed m ore than a m i no r r ol e i n the offens e a nd i s there fore no tent i t l ed t o the t w o- l e ve l r e duc t i on. ” T he di s tr i c tc our ts e nt e nc e d A rr oy o t o 135 m onths of im p r is o n m e n t.

“ [A ] d i stri ctco u rt ’ s d et erm i n at i o n o f a d efen d an t ’ s ro l e i n th e o ffen se i s a f i ndi ng of fa c tt o be r e vi e w e d onl y forc l e a re rr or . ” U ni t e d S t a t e s v. D e V a r on, 175 F . 3d 930, 937 ( 11th C i r . 1999) ( e n ba nc ) . T he gui de l i ne s de f i ne “ m i nor p art i ci p an t ” as o n e “ w h o i s l ess cu l p ab l e th an m o sto th er p art i ci p an t s, b u tw h o se r ol e c oul d notbe de s c r i be d a s m i ni m a l . ” U . S . S . G . § 3B 1. 2 c m t . n. 5. “ T he de fe nda ntbe a r s the bur de n of pr ovi ng hi s m i norr ol e by apr e ponde r a nc e of the e v id e n c e .” U n ite d S ta te s v . B o y d , 2 9 1 F .3 d 1 2 7 4 , 1 2 7 7 ( 1 1 th C ir . 2 0 0 2 ) . “O n ly if the defendantca n est abl i sh that[] he pl ay ed a r el ati vel y m i no r r ol e i n the cond uct for w hi ch [] he has a l re ady bee n h el d acc ou nt abl e— no ta m i no r r ol e i n any l ar ger c r i m i na l c ons pi r a c y — s houl d the di s tr i c tc our tgr a ntadow nw a r d a dj us t m e ntfor m i norr ol e i n the of

fe ns e . ” D e V a r on, 175 F . 3d a t944.4

A rr oy o a dm i tt e d tha the w a s ac r e w m e m be ron the R a nge rY a c ht , a nd he pr e s e nt e d no e vi de nc e tha tthe othe rc r e w m e m be r s ha d am or e a c t i ve r ol e i n the c r i m i na l a c t i vi t y tha n A rr oy o. A rr oy o’ s a r gum e nti n fa vorof the de pa r tur e for b e in g am in o rp a r tic ip a n t w a s lim ite d to th e c o m m e n ts o f h is c o u n s e l, w h ic h is i ns uf f i c i e ntt o s uppor tade pa r tur e . S e e U ni t e d S t a t e s v. K a pe l us hni k, 306 F . 3d 1090, 1095 ( 11th C i r . 2002) . T he di s tr i c tc our tdi d notc l e a r l y e rrw he n i tfound A rr oyo w as no ta m i no r par t i ci panti n the offens e. A FFI R M ED .