FI LED U. S . COURT OF AP PE ALS E L E V E N T H C IR C U IT N ove m be r 30, 2005 T HOM AS K. KAHN CL E RK [ 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

________________________ N o. 04- 14103

________________________ D . C. D o c k e tN o . 0 3 - 0 0 0 7 5 - CR- RV 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 M A C I E J M A T U S Z E W S K I , D e f e n d a n t- A p p e lla n t.

________________________ A pp ea l fr om the U ni t ed S t at es D i stri ctC ou rt f orthe N orthe rn D i s tr i c tof F l or i da

_________________________ ( N ove m be r30, 2005) B efo re B IR C H , W IL S O N an d C O X , C i rcu i tJu d g es. P E R C U R I A M: M a c i e j M a tus z e w s ki appe a l s hi s c onvi c t i on a nd hi s 30- m onth s e nt e nc e f or pos s e s s i ng s t ol e n m ot orve hi c l e s i n vi ol a t i on of 18 U . S . C . §§ 2 a nd 2313, a nd f or2

c ons pi r i ng t o s e l l orr e c e i ve s t ol e n ve hi c l e s i n vi ol a t i on of 18 U . S . C . §§ 371 a nd 2 3 1 3 . H e a r g u e s th a t th e e v id e n c e w a s in s u f f ic ie n t to s u p p o rt th e ju ry ’s v e r d ic ts . M a tus z e w s ki a l s o c ont e nds tha tthe di s tr i c tc ourtvi ol a t e d U ni ted Stat es v. B oo ke r , 5 4 3 U .S . ___ , 1 2 5 S . C t. 7 3 8 , 1 6 0 L . E d . 2 d 6 2 1 ( 2 0 0 5 ) , w h e n it e n h a n c e d h is se nt ence for obstruct i ng j ust i ce . W e f i r s ta ddr e s s M a tus z e w s ki ’ s c ont e nt i on tha tthe e vi de nc e w a s i ns uf f i c i e nt t o s upporthi s gui l ty ve r di c t s a nd tha tthe di s tr i c tc ourte rr e d i n de ny i ng hi s m ot i on for the entryof a j ud gm entof ac qu i tt al . W e r evi ew the deni al of a m ot i on for a j udgm e ntof

a c qui tt a l de novo, a nd w i l l a f f i rm the c onvi c t i on “ unl e s s , unde rno re as on abl e c on struct i on of the evi dence, coul d the j ury have f ou nd the appel l ant [] gu i l ty bey on d a re as on abl e dou bt . ” U n ite d S ta te s v . G a r c ia , 405 F . 3d 1260, 1269 ( 11th C i r . 2005) ( pe rc ur i a m ) . M a tus z e w s ki a r gue s tha tthe e vi de nc e di d notpr ove b e y o n d ar e a s o n ab le d o u b t th a t h e h a d k n o w le d g e th a t th e v e h ic le s in h is po ss es si on w er e s t ol en. T he go vernm entpres ent ed evi dence thatsi x st ol en ve hi c l e s ’ ve hi c l e i de nt i f i c a t i on num be r s ( “ V I N s ” ) w e r e r e pl a c e d w i th V I N s f r om s a lv a g e d v e h ic le s th a t M a tu s z e w s k i p u r c h a s e d . T h e s to le n v e h ic le s w e r e f o u n d in M a tus z e w s ki ’ s pos s e s s i on. T he s t ol e n ve hi c l e s w e r e s t ol e n a f t e rM a tus z e w s ki pur c ha s e d the s a l va ge d ve hi c l e s . A s t o the c ons pi r a c y c ha r ge , the gove rnm e nt pres ent ed evi dence es t abl i shi ng thatM atusze w ski and h i s brother t og ether3

e xe c ut e d the s c he m e a nd both s ol i c i t e d the he l p of athi r d i ndi vi dua l i n a n a tt e m pt t o de f r aud a n i ns ur a nc e c om pa ny . T hi s e vi de nc e w a s s uf f i c i e ntt o e s t abl i s h be y ond a r ea sonabl e dou btthatM atusze w ski kn ow i ng l y posse ss ed st ol en m ot or vehi cl es a nd c ons pi r e d t o s e l l orr e c e i ve the s t ol e n m ot orve hi c l e s . A s s uc h, w e a f f i rm the d is tr ic t c o u rt’s d e n ia l o f th e m o tio n f

o rth e e n try o f

aju d g m e n t o f

a c q u itta l. N e x t, M a tu s z e w s k i a r g u e s th a t h is s e n te n c e s h o u ld b e v a c a te d p u r s u a n t to B oo ke r . B o o ker hel d thatthe m andat ory and bi nd i ng prov i si on s of the U ni t ed S ta te s S e n te n c in g G u id e lin e s w e r e u n c o n s titu tio n a l. See B o o ke r, 125 S . C t . a t764 . M a tus z e w s ki f

a i l e d t o r a i s e a n obj e c t i on on B o o ker gr ounds dur i ng hi s s e nt e nc i ng i n the di s tr i c tc ourt . “ A n appe l l a t e c ourtm a y notc orr e c ta n e rr orthe de f e nda nt f a i l e d t o r a i s e i n the di s tr i c tc ourtunl e s s the r e i s : ( 1) e rr or , ( 2) tha ti s pl a i n, a nd ( 3) thataf fe ct s s ub st ant i al ri gh t s. ” U ni ted Stat es v. R odri

gu ez , 398 F . 3d 1291, 1298 ( 1 1 th Ci r . ) ( q u o t a t i o n o mi tt e d ) , c e rt . d e n i e d , ___U. S. ___ , 1 2 5 S. Ct . 2 9 3 5 , 1 6 2 L. E d. 2d 86 6 (20 05 ). “ If

al l three cond i t i on s are m et , an appel l at e c ou rtm aythen e x e r c is e its d is c r e tio n to n o tic e af o r f e ite d e rr o r , b u t o n ly if

( 4 ) th e e rr o rs e r io u s ly af fe ct s the fa i rnes s, i nt egri ty, or pu bl i c r eput at i on of j ud i ci alproceedi ng s. ” I d. It i s c l ear thatthe di stri ctcourtse nt ence d M atusze w ski as pres cr i bed b y the U ni t ed S t a t e s S e nt e nc i ng G ui de l i ne s , w hi c h the di s tr i c tc ourtc ons i de r e d m a nda t ory a tthe tim e o f s e n te n c in g . T h e d is tr ic t c o u rt th e r e f o r e c o m m itte d an e rr o rth a t w a s p la in4

i n l i gh tof B oo ke r . H ow e ve r , M a tus z e w s ki m us ts t i l l s a t i s f y the thi r d pr ong of

pl a i n e rr or r e v ie w b y d e m o n s tr a tin g th a t h is s u b s ta n tia l r ig h ts w e r e a f f e c te d . T o s a tis f

y th is th ir d p r o n g , M a tu s z e w s k i m u s t s h o w th a t th e r e is ar e a s o n ab le p r o b ab ility th a t a m ore l eni entse nt ence w ou l d h ave been i m po se d u nd eran advi sorygu i del i nes s y s t e m. Se e U

ni te d State s v . Fi e lds , 4 0 8 F .3 d 1 3 5 6 , 1 3 6 0 - 6 1 ( 1 1 th C ir . 2 0 0 5 ) . S e n te n c in g to th e b a r e m in im u m , a lo n e , is n o t e n o u g h to d e m o n s tr a te ar e a s o n ab le prob abi l i ty thatthe se nt ence w ou l d b e di ff er entun der a n adv i sorygu i del i nes s y s te m . Id . B utw he r e the tr i a l j udge i ndi c a t e s f rus tr a t i on w i th the s e ve r i ty of the m i ni m um s e nt e nc e unde rthe G ui de l i ne s , w e ha ve he l d tha tthe de f e nda ntm e e t s the b u r d e n o f

s h o w in g ar e a s o n ab le p r o b ab ility th a t am o r e le n ie n t s e n te n c e w o u ld h a v e b e e n i mp o s e d u n d e ra n a d v i s o ry s y s t e m. See U ni ted Stat es v. M

art i nez , 407 F .3 d 1 1 7 0 , 1 1 7 3 - 7 4 ( 1 1 th C ir . 2 0 0 5 ) . M a tu s z e w s k i w a s s e n te n c e d to th e m in im u m o f th e s e n te n c in g r a n g e o f 3 0 to 37 m on ths. T he di stri ctcourtst at ed thatthe bare mi ni m um w as bei ng appl i ed be c aus e M a tus z e w s ki w a s ne w t o thi s c ountry a nd ha d l i m i t e d e xpe r i e nc e w i th our cu st o m s. A l so , th e d i stri ctco u rtst at ed th atM atu szew sk i h ad b een “ i n d u stri o u s, ha r d- w orki ng a nd c ons c i e nt i ous ” w hi l e he ha s be e n he r e . T he s e c om m e nt s do not s u g g e s t a n y f

ru s tr a tio n a t h a v in g to s e n te n c e th e d e f e n d a n t to a t le a s t 3 0 m o n th s .5

I ns t e a d, the di s tr i c tc ourtm e r e l y ga ve M a tus z e w s ki c ons i de r a t i on f orbe i ng a ne w c om e rt o the U ni t e d S t a t e s a nd a n othe rw i s e ha r d- w orki ng i ndi vi dua l . T he b u r d e n is o n th e d e f

e n d a n t to d e m o n s tr a te ar e a s o n ab le p r o b ab ility th a t h is s e nt e nc e w oul d be di f

f e r e ntunde ra n a dvi s ory gui de l i ne s s y s t e m . M a tus z e w s ki f a i l s t o m e e tthi s bur de n. A c c or di ngl y , w e a f f i rm both M a tus z e w s ki ’ s c onvi c t i ons and sent ence . AF F I RME D.