FI L ED U.S. COURT OF APPEAL S EL EVENTHCI RCUI T SEPTEMBER 8, 2011 J OHN L EY CL ERK [DO NOT PUBLISH] IN THE U

NITED STATE S COURT OF APPEALS FOR THE ELE VENTH CIRCUIT

__ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ No. 1 1- 10 42 4 Non -Arg um en t Ca le nd ar

__ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ D.C. Dock etNo. 1 :0 9- cr-0 03 37 -ODE-ECS-1 UNITED STAT ES OF AMERIC A, ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll Pet it io ne r-Ap pe ll ee,
ve rs us ZABARE ROYAL, ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll Defen da nt -Ap pe ll an t.

__ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ App eal fro m

th e Uni te d S ta te s Di st ric t Co urt forth e North ern Dis tri ctof Ge or gi a

__ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ (Sep te m be r 8, 2 01 1) Befo re EDMONDSON, CARNES an d KRAVITC H, Circ ui t J ud ge s. PER CURI AM: Zab are R oyal ap pe al s h is be lo w-th e-g ui de li ne s- ran ge sen te nc e o f 14 9
m on th s i m

pr is on m en t, wh ic h h e rec ei ve d a fte r pl ead in g g ui lt y co ns pi racy toco m

m itth ree c arjack in gs , aid in g a ndab et ti ng a carjac ki ng , andaid in g a nd ab et ti ng th e u se an d c arrying of afir earm du rin g t he co m

m is si on of avi ol en t cri m e. Ro y al co nt en ds th athi s s en te nc e is pro cedur al ly andsubs ta nt iv el y
un reas on ab le
. I On J un e 2 9, 2 00 9 Zab are R oyal, Kev in Kin g, an d C or ey Bo ld encarjack eda vi ct im at g unpo in t. Ab ou t fi ve ho ur s l at er the y co m m it te d a no th er ca rjack in g. Two d ay s l at er the y

co m m it te d yet an ot he r car

jack in g, ag ai n a t g unpo in t. A few da y s l at er Ki ng an d B ol de n wer e arr es te d. Two d ay s af te r th atRo y al
was arre st ed . Royal ad m it te d t o t ak in g p artin th e car jack in gs . He als o c on fes se d to co m m it ti ng two othe r arm edrob be rie s. Ro y al was c ha rg edwith c on sp ira cy to
co m m itth ree c arjack in gs , aid in g a ndab et ti ng a carjac ki ng , andaid in g a nd ab et ti ng th e u se an d c arrying of afir earm du rin g t he co m

m is si on of avi ol en t cri m e. Ro y al pl ead edgu il ty to al l t hr ee co un ts
. Und er the sen te nc in g g ui de li ne s R oyal h ada ba se off en se lev el of 2 0. He
rece iv eda 5- le ve l en ha nc em en t fo r br an di sh in g afir earm , a 2- le ve l en ha nc em en t be cau se th e o ffen se in vo lv eda carjac ki ng , anda 1- le ve l en ha nc em en t b ecau se th e lo ss was m or e th an$1 0,0 00 , foranad jus te d o ffen se lev el of 2 8. Aft er ap pl y in g th e m ul ti pl e co un t ad

jus tm en t fo r th e th ree s ep arat e car jack in gs , a 3- le ve l
2reduc ti on foracce pt an ce o f res po ns ib il ity , and2-l ev el reduc ti on th e d is tri ctco urt

ga ve Ro y al forhi s m in orrol e in th e car jack in gs , he h ada to ta l o ffen se lev el of 2 6. His cri m in al hi st ory

res ul te d i n 8 cri m in al hi st ory po in ts an d acat eg ory

sco re o f IV. Acco rd in gl y , th e rec omm en de d s en te nc e ran ge un de r th e g ui de li ne s was 17 6 to 19 9 m on th s i m

pr is on m en t. At the sen te nc e h eari ng Ro y al ask edfora be lo w-th e-g ui de li ne s- ran ge
se nt en ce o f 12 0- m on th s i m pr is on m en t. He p oi nt edou t t ha t h e h ada tr ag ic ch il dh oo d andarg ue d t ha t h e d es erv eda lo wer s en te nc e th anhi s co -d efen da nt s Bo ld enan d Ki ng , who rece iv edsen te nc es of 1 44 m on th s an d 2 00 m on th s,
res pe ct iv el y . The g ov ern m en t as ke d fo r a s en te nc e b etween14 4 a nd15 8 m on th s im pr is on m en t, ar gu in g t ha t s uc h asen te nc e wou ldtak e in to acco un t t he na tu re o f Ro y al ’s cri m es an d h is pe rs on al hi st ory . The d is tri ctco urt the n e xp la in ed :

In th is cas e I th in k lo ok in g at th e pe rs on al fact or s, I he ar y ou sa y in g th at Mr. Ro y al st at ed th at he was co erce d. I’m no t su re th at s tru e. I th in k i t’s p ro babl y

no t tru e. I th in k h e p art ic ip at ed vo lu nt ari ly. He’s pr ob ab l y th e sm art es t of th e th ree pe op le th at were in vo lv ed in th is of fen se . He, on th e ot he r ha nd , ha s ha d a di ffi cu lt c h i l d h oo d. He ha sn ’t ha d th e be ne fit s of a st ab le ho m e. I th in k th e of fen se th at he co m

m it te d is ve ry se rio us . An arm ed carjac ki ng is a ve ry se rio us of fen se . Peo pl e co ul d h av e b eenki ll ed . I th in k t he sen te nc e h as to refl ect th atth is is a ve ry ser io us m at te r. I th i n k th e se nt en ce ha s to be ad equa te to de te r Mr. Ro y al fro m
3do in g th is ki nd of th in g in th e fu tu re. I’m in cl in ed to th in k th at he m ay

no t. I cert ai nl y ho pe th at
. I th in k he ha s a c h a n c e of co m in g ou t an d st art in g ane w li fe an d d oi ng a lo t b et te r. As I sa id , I th in k Mr. Ro y al is jus t m arg in al ly m or e cu lp ab le th an Mr. Bo ld en . It’s k in d o f cl os e. He’s les s cu lp ab le th anMr. Kin g. The di st ric t co urt s en te nc edRo y al to to ta l o f 14 9 m on th s i m pr is on m en t— 5
m on th s l on ge r th anBo ld en , 51 m on th s l es s t ha n Ki ng , and27 m on th s b el ow t he bo tt om of the ap pl ic ab le gu id el in es ran ge . II.

“ W e rev ie w th e rea so nabl en es s o f a s en te nc e fo r ab us e o f di sc ret io n u si ng a two -s te p p ro ces s.” Un it edSta te s v . Tom e, 61 1 F .3d13 71 , 13 78 (11 th Cir . 20 10 ). W e fi rs t d et erm in e “ whe th er the di st ric t co urt co m m it te d a ny sig ni fic an t pr oc edur al erro r,” an d we t he n d et erm in e “ whe th er the sen te nc e is subs ta nt iv el y
reas on ab le un de r th e to ta li ty of th e ci rcu m st an ces .” Id . “ The pa rty chal le ng in g th e se nt en ce b ears th e b ur de n t o s ho w itis un reas on ab le in li gh t o f th e rec or d a nd th e § 35 53 (a) fa ct or s.” Id
.

“ A sen te nc e m ay

be pro cedur al ly unr eas on ab le if t he di st ric t co urt im pr op erl y cal cu la te s t he Gui de li ne s ra ng e, tr eat s t he Gui de li ne s as m an da to ry rathe r th anadvi so ry , fai ls to co ns id er the ap pr op ria te st atut ory fact or s, s el ect s a
se nt en ce b as edon cle arl y erro ne ou s fa ct s, o r fai ls to ad equa te ly exp la in th e ch os en

4se nt en ce.” Un it edSta te s v . Gon zal ez, 5 50 F.3d13 19 , 13 23 (11 th Cir . 20 08 ).

Ro y al arg ue s t ha t the di st ric t co urt re li edon cle arl y erro ne ou s fa ct s b ecau se it st at edth atRo y al was s m art er tha n B ol de n a ndKin g, an d t ha t Ro y al was

“ m arg in al ly” m or e cu lp ab le th anBo ld enbu t l es s cu lp ab le th anKin g. Th e d is tri ct
co urt m ad e th os e st at em en ts aft er o bs erv in g R oyal an d h is co -co ns pi rat or s. Ro y al ha s n otpo in te d t o a ny evi de nc e p ro vi ng th atth os e st at em en t wer e cl earl y
erro ne ou s. Whe n d et erm in in g i f a s en te nc e is subs ta nt iv el y un reas on ab le , “ we m

us t, as th e Supr em e Co urt h as in st ru ct edus , con si de r th e to ta li ty of th e fac ts an d ci rcu m st an ces .” Uni te d S ta te s v . Irey, 61 2 F .3d11 60 , 11 89 (11 th Cir . 20 10 ). W e wil l v acat e a s en te nc e fo r subs ta nt iv e u nr eas on ab le ne ss on ly if “we are l eftwith th e d efi ni te an d fi rm

co nv ic ti on th atth e d is tri ctco urt co m m it te d acle ar erro r of jud gm en t i n wei gh in g the § 3 55 3( a) fa ct or s b y arri vi ng at asen te nc e th atli es
ou ts id e th e ran ge of r eas on ab le sen te nc es di ct at edby the fact s o f th e cas e.” Id . at 11 90 (qu ot at io n m ark s o m it te d) . The t ot al it y of t he cir cu m st an ces sh ow t ha t Ro y al ’s sen te nc e was reas on ab le . His b el ow- th e-g ui de li ne s- ran ge sen te nc e ta ke s in to acco un t the ser io us na tu re o f th e cri m es , hi s ro le in th e cri m es , hi s cr im in al hi st ory , andhi s p ers on al hi st ory . AFFIRMED.
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