FILED U.S. COURT OF AP P EALS E LEVEN T HC IRC U IT JANUARY 8, 2008 THOMAS K. KAH

N 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

________________________ N o. 06- 14961 N on -A rgum entC al endar

________________________ D. C . Do c k e tNo . 0 4 - 6 0 3 2 1 - C R - DT KH 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 S H E R M A N W I L L I A M S , J R ., 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 S outhe rn D i s tr i c tof F l or i da

_________________________ ( Jan u ar y 8, 2008) B efo re A N D E R S O N , C A RN E S an d H U L L , C i rcu i tJu d g es. P E R C U R I A M: S h e rm a n W illia m s , J r . ap p e a ls h is 1 8 0 - m o n th s e n te n c e f o llo w in g ag u ilty2

pl eafor c on spi ri ng t o i m po rtm ore than 1 50 ki l og ra m s of c ocai ne i nt o the U ni t ed St a t e s i n v i o l a t i o n o f

2 1 U . S. C. § § 9 5 2 ( a ) , 9 6 3 , a n d 9 6 0 ( b ) ( 1 ) ( B) . W i l l i a ms c ont e nds on appe a l tha thi s s e nt e nc e i s unr e a s onabl e be c aus e hi s br othe r , F r a nk W i l l i a m s , r e c e i ve d as i gni f i c a nt l y s hor t e rs e nt e nc e de s pi t e be i ng one of hi s c oco n sp i rat o rs an d en g ag i n g i n th e sam e cri m i n al co n d u ct . A cco rd i n g t o W i l l i am s, b e c au s e 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 e s tab lis h e d th a t b o th h e a n d h is b r o th e rw e r e r e s p o n s ib le f o r3 0 0 k ilo g r a m s o f

c o c a in e , it w a s u n r e a s o n ab le to ca lcu late h is se n ten ce b as ed o n th e e n ti re q u an ti ty o f d ru g s w h en h is b ro th er ’s s e n t e n c e w a s c a l c u l a t e d b a s e d o n o n l y 5 t o 1 5 k i l o g r a ms o f c o c a i n e . W i l l i a ms po i nt s t o 1 8 U . S . C . § 3 55 3(a) (6) a nd ar gu es thatthi s C ou rtshou l d fi nd hi s s ent ence unr e a s onabl e a nd the r e by a voi d a n unw a rr a nt e d s e nt e nc i ng di s pa r i ty , w hi c h he c o n t e n d s i s e s p e c i a l l y s i g n i f i c a n ti n th i s c a s e b e c au s e i to c c u rr e d b e twe e n two b r o th e r s . F in a lly , W illia m s a r g u e s th a t th e u n r e a s o n ab le n e s s o f h is s e n te n c e is hi ghl i ght e d by the f

a c ttha tthe r e w a s no vi ol e nc e a s s oc i a t e d w i th hi s of f e ns e , he di d notpa r t i c i pa t e i n the a c tua l tr a ns por t a t i on of the c oc a i ne , he ha s no pr i ordrug conv i ct i on s, and h e has been coop er at i ng w i th the po l i ce re gardi ng an un re l at ed m u r d e rp r o s e c u tio n . A ft erU ni t ed S t at es v. B oo ker, 54 3 U . S . 22 0, 12 5 S . C t . 73 8 (20 05 ), a di stri ct3

courtdet erm i ni ng a r ea sonabl e s ent ence m ustconsi der the corre ct l y c al cul at ed s e n te n c in g r a n g e u n d e rth e S e n te n c in g G u id e lin e s a s w e ll a s th e f a c to r s s e t f

o r th in 18 U . S . C . § 3553( a ) . U ni t e d S t a t e s v. T a l l e y , 431 F . 3d 784, 786 ( 11th C i r . 2005) ( pe rc ur i a m ) . W e r e vi e w the f i na l s e nt e nc e i m pos e d by the di s tr i c tc our tf or r e a s onabl e ne s s , a nd ourr e vi e w i s de f e r e nt i a l . I d. a t788. “ [ W ] e do not , a s the di stri ctcourtdi d, det erm i ne the exactse nt ence t o b e i m po se d” because the di stri ct c our ti s f r e e t o “ i m pos e as e nt e nc e tha ti s e i the rm or e s e ve r e orl e ni e nttha n the s e nt e nc e w e w oul d ha ve i m pos e d” a s l ong a s tha ts e nt e nc e i s r e a s onabl e . I d. T he p a r ty c h a lle n g in g th e s e n te n c e b e a r s th e b u r d e n o f e s tab lis h in g th a t it is u n r e a s o n ab le in lig h t o f b o th th e r e c o r d a n d th e § 3 5 5 3 ( a ) f a c to r s . I d . I n de t e rm i ni ng w he the ras e nt e nc e i s r e a s onabl e , w e a r e gui de d by the f a c t or s out l i ne d i n § 3553( a ) a s w e l l a s the di s tr i c tc our t ’ s r e a s ons f ori m pos i ng the part i cul arse nt ence . U ni t ed S t at es v. W i l l i am s, 45 6 F . 3d 13 53 , 13 60 –6 1 (11 th C i r. 20 06 ). T he fa ct ors s etforth i n § 35 53 (a ) i ncl ud e: (1) the nature a nd ci rc um st ance s of the of f e ns e a nd the hi s t ory a nd c ha r a c t e r i s t i c s of the de f e nda nt ; ( 2) the ne e d f

or th e s e n t e n c e t o r e f

l e c tth e s e r i o u s n e s s o f

th e o f f e n s e , p r o m o t e r e s p e c tf

o rth e l a w, a n d p r o v id e ju s t p u n is h m e n t f o rth e o f f e n s e ; ( 3 ) th e n e e d to a f

f o r d a d e q u a te det erre nce t o cri m i nal cond uct ; (4) the need t o p rot ec tthe pu bl i c f rom further c r i m e s of the de f e nda nt ; ( 5) the ne e d t o pr ovi de the de f e nda ntw i th ne e de d tr a i ni ng4

or m edi ca l ca re ; (6) the ki nd s of s ent ence s a vai l abl e; (7) the se nt enci ng gu i del i nes ra ng e; (8) pert i nentpo l i cyst at em ent s of the S ent enci ng C om m i ss i on ; (9) the need t o a voi d unw a rr a nt e d s e nt e nc e di s pa r i t i e s ; a nd ( 10) the ne e d t o pr ovi de r e s t i tut i on to v ic tim s . S e e 1 8 U .S .C . § 3 5 5 3 ( a ) ( 1 )

– ( 7 ) . “A lth o u g h s e n te n c in g c o u r ts m u s t b e g u id e d b y th e s e f a c to r s , n o th in g in B oo ker or e l se w here re qu i re s the di stri ctcourtt o st at e on the re cord thati thas e x p lic itly c o n s id e r e d e a c h o f th e § 3 5 5 3 ( a ) f

a c to r s ” o rto d is c u s s e a c h o f th e m . U ni t e d S t a t e s v. T hom a s , 446 F . 3d 1348, 1357 ( 11th C i r . 2006) ( i nt e rna l quot a t i on m a rks a nd c i t a t i on om i tt e d) . I ns t e a d, “ a n a c know l e dgm e ntby the di s tr i c tj udge tha the ors he ha s c ons i de r e d the § 3553( a ) f a c t or s w i l l s uf

f i c e . ” U ni t e d S t a t e s v. A m e de o, 487 F . 3d 823, 833 ( 11th C i r . 2007) . F ur the rm or e , the “ w e i ghtt o be a c c or de d a ny gi ve n § 3553( a ) f a c t ori s am a tt e rc om m i tt e d t o the s ound di s c r e t i on of the di s tr i c tc our t . W e w i l l nots ubs t i tut e ourj udgm e nti n w e i ghi ng the r e l e va nt f a c to r s . . . .” W illia m s , 4 5 6 F .3 d a t 1 3 6 3 . I t is a ls o s ig n if

ic a n t th a t th is C o u rt h a s p r e v io u s ly r e c o g n iz e d th a t a

“ [d] i spar i ty betw ee n the se nt ence s i m po se d o n cod ef endant s i s gener al l y notan appr opr i a t e ba s i s f

orr e l i e f on appe a l . ” U ni t e d S t a t e s v. R e gue i r o, 240 F . 3d 1321, 13 25 –2 6 (11 th C i r. 20 01 ) ( per c uri am ) ( re j ec t i ng an ar gu m entthatthe di stri ct court ’ s i m po si t i on of an up w ar d d eparture f or the defendantbu tno ther5

c ode f e nda ntvi ol a t e d the pr i nc i pl e of uni f orm i ty of s e nt e nc i ng) . “ [ T ] o a dj us tthe s e n te n c e o f

ac o - d e f e n d a n t in o r d e rto c u r e a n ap p a r e n tly u n ju s tif ie d d is p a r ity b e tw e e n d e f

e n d a n ts in a n in d iv id u a l c a s e w ill s im p ly c r e a te a n o th e r , w h o lly u n w a rr a n te d d is p a r ity b e tw e e n th e d e f e n d a n t r e c e iv in g th e a d

ju s tm e n t a n d a ll s i m i l a rof

f e nde r s i n othe rc a s e s . ” U ni t e d S t a t e s v. C hot a s , 968 F . 2d 1193, 1198 (11th C i r. 19 92 ) ( per c uri am ). Af t e rr e v i e w o f

th e r e c o r d a n d c o n s i d e r a t i o n o f th e p a r t i e s ’ b r i e f

s , we concl ud e thatW i l l i am s’ se nt ence w as re as on abl e. A s an i ni t i al m att er , the di stri ct courtac kn ow l edged thati thad an o bl i gat i on t o con si der the § 3 55 3(a) fa ct ors. S ee A me d e o , 4 8 7 F. 3 d a t8 3 3 . Th e c o u r ta l s o s p e n tac o n s i d e r ab l e a mo u n to f t i me d is c u s s in g th e v e ry § 3 5 5 3 ( a ) f a c to rth a t W illia m s f

o c u s e s o n h e r e : “th e n e e d to a voi d unw a rr a nt e d s e nt e nc e di s pa r i t i e s a m ong de f e nda nt s w i th s i m i l a rr e c or ds w ho ha ve be e n f

ound gui l ty of

s i m i l a rc onduc t . ” S e e 18 U . S . C . § 3553( a ) ( 6) . A l though the di stri ctcourtno t ed thati thad b ee n con ce rned abou tthi s di spar i ty, the court e x p la in e d th a t W illia m s ’ b r o th e rw a s a llo w e d to p le a d g u ilty to as m a lle rq u a n tity of drugs be c aus e a ttha tt i m e the gove rnm e ntdi d notha ve c r e di bl e , c orr obor a t i ng evi dence re gardi ng the ac tual am ou ntof cocai ne. U l t i m at el y, the di stri ctcourt concl ud ed thati tw ou l d b e i napp ropri at e t o h arm on i ze W i l l i am s’ se nt ence w i th that o f h is b r o th e r— ac o n c lu s io n th a t is in a c c o r d w ith th is C o u r t’s r e c o g n itio n in6

C ho t as thatsuch adj ustm ent s m er el y r es ul ti n “ another, w ho l l y unw arra nt ed di s pa r i ty ” be tw e e n the de f e nda nta nd s i m i l arof

f e nde r s i n othe rc a s e s . C hot a s , 968 F .2 d a t 1 1 9 8 . T he di stri ctcourtal so addres se d the § 3 55 3(a) fa ct or concerni ng “ the nature and ci rc um st ance s of the offens e. ” S ee 18 U . S . C . § 3 55 3(a) (1). T he courtno t ed tha tW i l l i a m s ha d e nga ge d i n s e r i ous c r i m i na l c onduc tby de c i di ng t o he l p br i ng drug s i nt o the U ni t ed S t at es and thathi s i nv ol vem enti n the conspi ra cyw as e x te n s iv e . I n lig h t o f

th o s e f a c ts , th e d is tr ic t c o u r t c o n c lu d e d th a t a1 8 0 - m o n th s e n te n c e , w h ic h w a s b e lo w th e ap p lic ab le g u id e lin e r a n g e , w a s ap p r o p r ia te . W e c a nnots a y tha tthe di s tr i c tc our t ’ s c a r e f ul a nd thor ough c ons i de r a t i on of thos e f a c t or s w a s f

l a w e d ortha ti t s c onc l us i on w a s unr e a s onabl e . T he w e i ghtt o be a c c or de d a ny s pe c i f

i c § 3553( a ) f

a c t ori s am a tt e rc om m i tt e d t o the s ound di s c r e t i on of

the di s tr i c tc our t . S e e W i l l i a m s , 456 F . 3d a t1363. AF F I RME D.