[DO NOT PUBLISH]

IN THE UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS

FOR THE ELEVENTH CIRCUIT

________________________

No. 14-11339

Non-Argument Calendar

________________________

D.C. Docket No. 1:13-cr-00321-AT-LTW-1

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, 

 Plaintiff-Appellee,

 versus

PRISILIANO PACHECO-ARREDONDO, 

 Defendant-Appellant.

________________________

Appeal from the United States District Court

for the Northern District of Georgia

________________________

(October 28, 2014)

Before ED CARNES, Chief Judge, HULL and MARCUS, Circuit Judges.

PER CURIAM: 

Case: 14-11339 Date Filed: 10/28/2014 Page: 1 of 4 
2

Prisciliano Pacheco-Arredondo appeals his 46-month sentence after pleading 

guilty to one count of illegal re-entry into the United States under 8 U.S.C. 

§ 1326(a) and (b)(2). He contends that his sentence is substantively unreasonable 

in light of mitigating evidence he presented about his need to enter the country for 

his own personal safety. 

We review the reasonableness of a sentence under a deferential abuse of 

discretion standard.1 United States v. Irey, 612 F.3d 1160, 1189–90 (11th Cir.

2010) (en banc). The district court is required to “impose a sentence sufficient, but 

not greater than necessary, to comply with the purposes set forth in” 18 U.S.C. 

§ 3553(a)(2). The party challenging the sentence bears the burden of showing it is 

unreasonable in light of the record and the § 3553(a) factors.2

 United States v. 

Turner, 626 F.3d 566, 573 (11th Cir. 2010). We will not reverse a sentence as 

substantively unreasonable unless the district court “(1) fail[ed] to afford 

consideration to relevant factors that were due significant weight, (2) [gave] 

 1 The government contends that we should review the substantive reasonableness of 

Pacheco-Arredondo’s sentence for plain error only because he failed to properly preserve the 

issue in the district court. We need not decide whether the plain error standard applies because 

Pacheco-Arredondo’s challenge to his sentence fails even under the abuse of discretion standard 

of review.

2 The purposes set forth in § 3553(a)(2) include the need to reflect the seriousness of the 

offense, promote respect for the law, provide just punishment for the offense, deter criminal 

conduct, and protect the public from future crimes of the defendant. 18 U.S.C. § 3553(a)(2). 

The court is also required to consider the nature and circumstances of the offense, the history and 

characteristics of the defendant, the kinds of sentences available, the applicable guidelines range, 

the pertinent policy statements of the Sentencing Commission, the need to avoid unwarranted 

sentencing disparities, and the need to provide restitution to victims. Id. § 3553(a)(1), (3)-(7).

Case: 14-11339 Date Filed: 10/28/2014 Page: 2 of 4 
3

significant weight to an improper or irrelevant factor, or (3) commit[ed] a clear 

error of judgment in considering the proper factors.” Irey, 612 F.3d at 1189

(quotation marks omitted). 

Pacheco-Arredondo has failed to show that his 46-month sentence, which is 

at the very bottom of his guidelines range, is substantively unreasonable. The 

government pointed to the fact that Pacheco-Arredondo had repeatedly re-entered 

the country unlawfully, used false aliases in legal proceedings, and committed a 

variety of other offenses during his illegal stints in this country. Despite those 

facts, the district court rejected the government’s argument that a sentence at the 

high end of the guidelines range (57 months) should be imposed. The court 

considered mitigating factors, noting the strain the sentence would place on 

Pacheco-Arredondo’s family as well as the personal strain it would place on him 

both now and later. The court weighed those factors against the danger PachecoArredondo posed as a person who had repeatedly returned to the United States 

unlawfully and most recently had been convicted as an unlicensed and intoxicated 

driver. It noted that the personal safety concerns Pacheco-Arredondo had raised 

were immigration considerations. 

The court reasoned that Pacheco-Arredondo might feel “compelling human 

reasons” to return to the United States again for his family if he were given a

sentence below the guidelines range. As a result it rejected the below the 

Case: 14-11339 Date Filed: 10/28/2014 Page: 3 of 4 
4

guidelines variance Pacheco-Arredondo had requested, but the 46-month sentence

it imposed is at the very bottom of his guidelines range and is far below the 

potential 240-month maximum sentence. Those characteristics of the sentence are 

additional indications of its reasonableness. See United States v. Hunt, 526 F.3d 

739, 746 (11th Cir. 2008) (explaining that we do not automatically presume that 

sentences within the guideline range are reasonable, but we ordinarily expect them 

to be); United States v. Gonzalez, 550 F.3d 1319, 1324 (11th Cir. 2008) (stating 

that a sentence being well below the statutory maximum is an indicator of 

reasonableness). Additionally, the court gave Pacheco-Arredondo credit for the 

time he had already served in the custody of the United States Marshals Service. 

He has not shown that his sentence is substantively unreasonable. 

AFFIRMED.

Case: 14-11339 Date Filed: 10/28/2014 Page: 4 of 4