# U ni te d S ta te s Co ur t of A pp ea ls

For the Eig hth Circu it

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No. 1 3- 15 42

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Uni te d S ta te s o f Am eri ca,

ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll l Pla in ti

ff - App el le e ,

v.

Pat ric io Ren te ria -Sal da na ,

ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll l Defe nd

an t - Ap pe ll an t

.

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App eal fro m

Uni te d S ta te s Di st ric t Co ur t fo r th e Dis tri ct of Ne br as ka - Om ah a

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Su bm it te d: Nov em

be r 21 , 20 13
Fil ed : J un e 2 3, 2 01 4

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Befo re WOL LMAN, COLLOTON , and GRUENDER, Circu it Ju dg es

.

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COLLOTON, Ci rcu it Ju dg e.

Pat ric io Ren te ria -Sal da na pl ead ed gu il ty to a ch arg e of co ns pi racy to di st rib ut e

an d po ss es s wit h in te nt to di st rib ut e m et ha m ph et am in e, in vi ol at i o n o f 2 1 U.S.C.
§§ 84 1( a)(1 ) an d 84 6. The di st ric t co ur t se nt en ced hi m to 21 0 m on th s’ 1

The Hon or ab le Lau rie Sm it h Cam p, Ch ie f Ju dg e, Uni te d St at es Dis tri ct Co ur t 1

fo r th e Dis tri ct of Ne br as ka

.i mp r i s on m en t, fo ll owe d by fiv e y ears of su pe rv is ed rel eas e. Ren te ria -Sal da na

ap pe al s, arg ui ng th at th e di st ric t co ur t co m m it te d pr oc ed ur al erro r in cal cu la ti ng th e

ad vi so ry sen te nc in g g ui de li ne ran ge . W e aff irm.

I.

Afte r Ren te ria -Sal da na pl ead ed gu il ty to th e co ns pi racy c h a rg e, th e di st ric t

co ur t was p r e s e n t e d wit h a pr es en te nc e in ve st ig at io n rep or t th at in cl ud ed so m e

st at em en ts of fact to whi ch Ren te ria -Sal da na m ad e no ob jecti on

. The go ve rn m en t

al so pr es en te d p o l i c e rep or ts co nc ern in g an in ve st ig at io n of Ren te ria -Sal da na an d

ot he rs who were in vo lv ed in th e ch arg ed co ns pi racy. The se so ur ces are th e ba si s fo r

th e fac tu al in fo rm at io n t ha t u nd erl ie s t he di sp ut ed gu id el in es cal cu la ti on s.

Ren te ria

- S a l d an a was arre st ed aft er a tra ffi c st op in Mar ch 20 12

. Dur in g a

se arch of Ren te ria -Sal da na an d hi s car, of fic ers fo un d m et ha m

ph et am in e, cas h, and

dr ug reco rd s. Ren te ria -Sal da na ad mitt ed th at he di st rib ut ed m et ha m ph et am in e fo r

ot he rs who us ed a h o u s e a t 1 5 15 Dor cas St reet in Om ah a as a “ st as h ho us e” whe re

he pi ck ed up th e dr

ug s. Ren te ria -S a l da na ha d a ke y to th e st as h ho us e an d gr an te d

of fic ers pe rm is si on to sea rch th e h ou se

.

Dur in g th e se arch of th e ho us e on Dor cas St reet

, of fic ers fo un d 12 1 gr am s of

m et ha m ph et am in e in a cl ear pl as ti c co nt ai ne r un de r th e flo or be ne at h th e si nk cab in et

in th e ki tc he n. Und er th e si nk

, th ey al so lo cat ed a dr ug sc al e an d a l o a d ed ni ne

m il li m et er fir earm

. The se ar c h t e am di sc ov ered ad di ti on al m et ha m ph et am in e in a

tra sh -b ag bo x in th e k i t ch en area an d on a cl os et sh el f in a be dr oo m

. Acco rd in g to

po li ce rep or ts

, of

fic ers fo un d an in fla ta b l e b e d

, b ut no cl ot he s or fu rn it ur e in th e

ho us e. Offi cers al so se arch ed Ren te ria -Sal da na ’s res id en ce, whe re th ey se iz ed dr ug

reco rd s an d $ 34 ,00 0 i n c as h.

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-Offi cers in te rv ie wed Ren te ria -Sal da na aft er hi s arre st in Mar ch 20 12 a n d

pr ov id ed th e fo ll owi ng writ te n rep or t, whi ch was ad m it te d in to ev id en ce at

se nt en ci ng

. Ren te ria -Sal da na fir st cl ai m ed th at a pe rs on na m ed “ Ant on io ” to ld hi m

t o p a y th e ut il it y bi ll s fo r th e st as h ho us e, bu t la te r ad m it te d th at was no t tr u e

. In st ead

, Ren te ria -Sal da na ack no wled ge d th at he wor ke d di rect ly wit h two co us in s

who le ft for Mex ic o in earl y Marc h a nd lef

t Rent eri a-Sa ld an a in ch arg e of th e st as h

ho us e. Ren te ria -Sal da na sa id th at ev ery two or th ree da y s so m eo ne na m ed Fran ci sc o

cal le d an d to ld hi m th at dr ug s ha d be en dr op pe d of f at th e st as h ho us e, typic al ly un de r

th e si nk in a pl as ti c st or ag e bi n. Fran ci sc o al so cal le d to al ert Ren te ria -Sal da na whe n

so m eo ne was c om in g t o t he st as h ho us e to pi ck up m on ey fro m Ren te ria -Sal da na ’s

dr ug sal es

.

The di st ric t co ur t ad dr es se d two di sp ut ed is su es u n d e r t he se nt en ci ng

gu id el in es

. Fi rs t, th e di st ric t cou rt fou nd th at Ren te ria -Sal da na po ss es se d a fir earm

an d th us ad de d two of

fen se le ve ls pu rs ua nt to USSG § 2D1 .1(b )(1 ). The co ur t fo un d

th at R en te ria -Sal da na was in co ns tru ct iv e po ss es si on of th e lo ad ed fir earm th at

of fic ers fou nd un de r th e k it ch en si nk in th e st as h h ou se :

He was us in g th e st as h ho us e. He ha d th e ke y s to it

. As no te d, he was

pa y in g th e ut il it ie s fo r it

. And whe th er or no t he was un de r th e di rect io n of so m eb od y up th e ch a i n of co m m an d in Mex ic o, th e weap on was th ere, r i g h t wit h th e sc al es an d th e dr ug s. And it was no t cl earl y im pr ob ab le t h a t it was th ere to be us ed in co nn ect io n wit h th e dr ug de al in g. So ag ai n, I fi nd he was i n p os se ss io n o f th e weap on

.

Seco nd

, th e c ou rt fo un d th at Ren te ria -Sal da na m ai nt ai ne d th e Dor cas St reet

ho us e fo r th e pu rp os e of di st rib ut in g a co nt ro ll ed su bs ta nc e, an d t h u s a dd ed two

of fen se lev el s p ur su an t t o USS G § 2 D1.1 (b )(1 2) :

I fin d th a t he was op erat in g hi s dr ug -d eal in g bu si ne ss fro m th at st as h
ho us e an d he was m ai nt ai ni ng th at st as h ho us e. And he ha d th e ke y s to

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-i t an d he pa id th e ut il it ie s fo r it

. So whe th er or no t he was ge tt in g

di rect io ns fro m so m eb od y el se in Mex ic o, I fin d th at th at en ha nc em en t is pro pe r.

The di st ric t co ur t th en se nt en ced Ren te ria -Sal da na at t h e lo w en d of th e

ad vi so ry -g ui de li ne s rang e to a te rm of 2 10 m on th s i n p ris on , to be fo ll owe d by fiv e

y ears of su pe rv is ed rel eas e. Ren te ria -Sal da na ap pe al s th e se nt en ce. W e rev ie w th e

di st ric t co ur t’s fin di ng s of fact fo r cl ear erro r an d it s ap pl ic at io n of th e gu id el in es de

no vo

. Uni te d S ta te s v. An de rs on , 61 8 F .3d 87 3, 8 79 (8t h C ir. 2 01 0)

.

II.

The se nt en ci ng gu id el in es pr ov id e fo r a two -le ve l in crea se in of fen se le ve l in

a dr ug -tr affi ck in g cas e “ [i]f a da ng ero us weap on (in cl ud in g a f ire arm ) was

po ss es se d.” USSG § 2D1 .1(b )(1 ). Th e en ha nc em en t “ sh ou ld be ap pl ie d if th e

weap on was p res en t, un le ss it is cle arl y im pr ob ab le th at th e weap on was c on ne ct ed

wit h th e o f

f en se .” Id

. , co m m en t. (n .11 (A)). Thu s, th e go ve rn m en t m us t sh ow th at

“ (1 ) th e gu n was po ss es se d an d (2 ) it was no t cl earl y im pr ob ab le th at th e weap on was

co nn ect ed to th e d ru g o ffen se .” And er so n , 61 8 F.3d at 88 0. Actu al or co ns tru ct iv e

po ss es si on is su ffi ci en t t o s at is fy th e g ui de li ne

. Id

.

The di st ric t co ur t fo un d th at Ren te ria -Sal da na co ns tru ct iv el y po ss es se d th e

fir earm th at was fo un d un de r th e si nk at th e Dor cas St reet ho us e. Co ns tru ct iv e

po ss es si on im

pl ie s kn owi ng po ss es si on , s e e U n it ed St at es v. McCr ac ken , 1 10 F.3 d

53 5, 54 1 (8 th Ci r. 19 97 ), so as su m in g th at kn owl ed ge was req ui red

, cf

. Uni te d St at es

v. Fia la

, 92 9 F.2 d 28 5, 28 9 (7 th Ci r. 19 91 ), th e fin di ng of kn owl ed ge was no t cl earl y

e r ro ne ou s. As on e who po ss es se d a ke y to th e ho us e an d pa id th e ut il it y bi ll s,

Ren te ria -Sal da na ha d do m in i o n o v e r t he area whe re th e gu n was fo un d. He

ack no wled ge d th at he reg ul arl y acce ss ed th e area be ne at h th e si nk to ret rie ve dr ug s.

Fi rear m s are to ol s of th e dr ug tra de

, an d it was reas on ab le t o i n f e r th at Ren te ria

-

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-Sal da na kn ew ab ou t th e lo ad ed gu n th at was fo un d in th e sa m e area as th e dr ug s. Se e

Uni te d S ta te s v. S

ad dl er , 53 8 F .3d 87 9, 8 88 -8 9 (8 th Cir . 20 08 ).

The ev i d e n ce al so su pp or ts th e di st ric t co ur t’s fin di ng th at it was no t cl earl y

im pr ob ab le th at th e weap on was co nn ect ed wit h Ren te ria -Sal da na ’s dr ug tra ffi ck in g

of fen se . The g un was no t an un lo ad ed hu nt in g rifl e in a cl os et

, se e USSG § 2D1 .1,

co m m en t. (n .11 (A)); it was a lo ad ed ha nd gu n lo cat ed in a st as h ho us e wit h th e dr ug s

th at were de li ve red to Ren te ria -Sal da na fo r res al e. W he th er or no t Ren te ria -Sal da na

pe rs on al ly us ed th e fir earm , it was en ou gh fo r th e go ve rn m en t t o sh ow th at he

kn owi ng ly po ss e s se d it an d th at it was co nn ect ed to th e dr ug tra ffi ck in g of fen se

. Uni te d St at es v. Gar ci a , 70 3 F.3 d 47 1, 47 6 (8 th Ci r. 20 13 ). The di st ric t co ur t

pr op erl y ap pl ie d USS G § 2 D1.1 (b )(1 ).

The gu id el in es al so pr ov id e th at a de fen da nt ’s of fen se le ve l m

us t be in crea se d
by two le ve l s i f he kn owi ng ly “ m ai nt ai ne d a pr em is es fo r th e pu rp os e of

m an uf act ur in g or di st rib ut in g a co n tro ll ed su bs ta nc e.” USSG § 2D1 .1(b )(1 2)

. In

de te rm in in g whe th er a de fen da nt “ m ai nt ai ne d” a pr em is es , th e co ur t sh ou ld co ns id er

whe th e r t h e d efen da nt ha d a po ss es so ry in te res t in th e pr em is es an d th e ex te nt to

whi ch th e de fen da nt co nt ro ll ed acce ss to

, or act iv it ie s at

, th e pr em is es

. Id

., co m m en t. (n .17 ).

Alt ho ug h Ren te ria

- S a l d a na di d no t own or res id e at th e Dor cas St reet st as h

ho us e, he ex erci se d c on tro l o ve r it an d o pe rat ed hi s d ru g- de al in g b us in es s fr om th e

pr em is es

. A po li ce rep or t su b mi t t ed at se nt en ci ng in di cat ed th at

, acco rd in g to

Ren te ria -Sal da na , two of hi s co -co ns pi rat or s ha d rece nt ly le ft fo r Mex ic o an d le ft hi m

in ch arg e. Ren te ria -Sal d a n a h a d a k ey to th e ho us e an d pa id th e ut il it y bi ll s. He

reg ul arl y pi ck ed up dr ug s fro m th e ho us e an d br ou gh t dr ug -s al e p r o ceed s to th e

pr em is es fo r ret rie va l by ot he r co ns pi rat or s. The re was no fu rn it ur e or cl ot hi ng in th e

ho us e to su gg es t th at it was us ed fo r an y th in g ot he r th an dr ug tra ffi ck in g. The reco rd

th us su pp or ts th e fin di ng th at Ren te ria -Sal da na m ai nt ai ne d th e ho us e fo r th e pu rp os e

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-of di st rib ut in g dr ug s. The co ur t pr op erl y ap pl ie d th e two -le ve l sp eci fic of fen se

ch arac te ris ti c.

* * *

The jud gm en t o f th e d is tri ct co ur t i s af fir m ed

.

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