FI LED U. S . COURT OF AP PE ALS E L E V E N T H C IR C U IT M ay 23, 2007 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

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________________________ D . C. D o c k e tN o . 0 6 - 0 0 1 3 1 - CR- T- 2 4 - TBM

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 F R A N C I S C O J A V I E R R E Y E S , D e f e n d a n t- A p p e lla n t.2 ________________________ N o. 06- 15070 N on -A rgum entC al endar

________________________ D . C. D o c k e tN o . 0 6 - 0 0 1 3 1 - CR- T- 2 4 - TBM 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 J O S E S O T O , 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 M i ddl e D i s tr i c tof F l or i da

_________________________ ( M ay 23, 2007) B efo re D U B IN A , B L A C K an d C A RN E S , C i rcu i tJu d g es. P E R C U R I A M: F ranci sc o Javi erR ey es and Jose S ot o w er e j oi nt l y c harged w i th con spi ra cy t o pos s e s s w i th i nt e ntt o di s tr i but e a nd pos s e s s i on w i th i nt e ntt o di s tr i but e f i ve or m ore ki l og ra m s of c ocai ne w hi l e abo ar d a vess el subj ec tt o U ni t ed S t at esThe a ppendix t o Title 46 containingthe subject provision wa s repe aled e ffe ctive 1 October 6, 2006, and re enacted as 46 U.S.C. §§ 70503 and 70506 with no re levant cha ng es. SeePub. L . No. 109-304, 120 Stat. 1485. 3 j uri sdi ct i on i n v i ol at i on of 46 U . S . C . A pp . § 1 90 3(a) , (g), and (j ), 2 1 U . S. C. 1 § 960( b) ( 1) ( B ) ( i i ) , a nd 18 U . S . C . § 2. R e y e s c ont e nds the di s tr i c tc ourte rr e d by denyi ng hi m a m i no r- rol e r educt i on . B oth R ey es and S ot o con t end thei r s ent ence s a r e g r e a te rth a n n e c e s s a ry a n d , th e r e f o r e , u n r e a s o n ab le . W e a d d r e s s e a c h is s u e in tu rn , a n d a f

f irm R e y e s ’s a n d S o to ’s s e n te n c e s . I. A m i n o r p art i ci p an ti s o n e “ w h o i s l ess cu l p ab l e th an m o sto th er p art i ci p an t s, b u t w h o s e r o le c o u ld n o t b e d e s c r ib e d a s m in im a l.” U .S .S .G . § 3 B 1 .2 , c o m m e n t. ( n. 5) . U nde rthe f

i r s tpr ong of

de t e rm i ni ng ade f

e nda nt ’ s r ol e i n the of

f e ns e , the di stri ctcourtm ust“ m ea sure the defendant ’ s r ol e a gai nst[hi s] re l evantcond uct . ” U ni te d State s v . D e V

ar on , 1 7 5 F .3 d 9 3 0 , 9 3 4 ( 1 1 th C ir . 1 9 9 9 ) ( e n b a n c ) . A lth o u g h an alys is u n d erth is firs t p ro n g m ay b e d isp o siti v e in th e c o u rt’s det erm i nat i on of the defendant ’ s r ol e, un der the se cond pron g, the di stri ctcourt m a y m e a s u r e th e d e f

e n d a n t’s c u lp ab ility in c o m p a r is o n to th a t o f o th e rp a rtic ip a n ts in th e r e le v a n t c o n d u c t a ttr ib u te d to th e d e f e n d a n t. I

d. a t945. T h e d is tr ic t c o u rt d id n o t c o m m it c le a re rr o rin d e n y in g am in o r - r o le r e d u c tio n to R e y e s . Se e id. at 9 3 8 (h o ld in g w e r ev iew th e d istrict co u rt’s4

d et erm i n at i o n o f a d efen d an t ’ s ro l e i n th e o ffen se fo r cl ear erro r). U n d er th e fi rst p r o n g , b e c au s e R e y e s ’s r e le v a n t c o n d u c t w a s p o s s e s s in g w ith in te n t to d is tr ib u te coca i ne, he had t o est abl i sh thathe w as a m i no r part i ci pantw i th res pectt o that r e le v a n t c o n d u c t. Se e id. a t941. R e y e s w a s he l d a c c ount abl e f ortr a ns port i ng coca i ne. H i s r el evantcond uctw as i dent i ca l t o h i s a ctual cond uct . F urtherm ore, R e y e s w a s he l d a c c ount abl e f oral a r ge a m ountof

drugs , ove r2, 000 ki l ogr a m s , a nd th is a lo n e c o u ld p r e c lu d e h im f r o m r e c e iv in g am in o rr o le a d ju s tm e n t. Se e i d. at 943 ( “ T he r e f

or e , w e r e a f

f i rm tha ta m ountof

drugs i s ar e l e va ntf

a c t ora nd re cogn i ze thatun der s om e c i rc um st ance s i tm aybe di sposi t i ve. ”) . T h e s ec o n d p ro n g fu rth erp re clu d es a m in o r r o le ad ju stm en t. R ey es ’s a r g u m e n t th a t h is r o le s h o u ld b e c o m p a r e d to o th e r s in ala r g e rc o n s p ir a c y is me r i t l e s s b e c au s e d e t a i l s c o n c e rn i n g th e s e o th e r s a r e n o td i s c e rn i b l e f r o m th e PSI or any e vi dence and are no tpartof the re l evantcond uctfor w hi ch R ey es w as c o n v ic te d . Se e id. a t 9 4 4 ( “F ir s t, th e d is tr ic t c o u rt s h o u ld lo o kto o th e rp a rtic ip a n ts o n ly to th e e x te n t th a t th e y a r e id e n tif iab le o rd is c e rn ab le f

r o m th e e v id e n c e . . . . S ec on d, the di stri ctcourtm ayconsi der onl y tho se part i ci pant s w ho w er e i nv ol ved i n the re l evantcond uctattri bu t ed t o the defendant . ”) . W i th res pectt o the other pa rt i c i pa nt s i n the r e l e va ntc onduc t , the y w e r e a l l pa rtof the s a m e c ons pi r a c y a nd hel d acc ou nt abl e f

or the sa m e a m ou ntof drug s. E ven ass um i ng the thi rd cr ew m an5

a nd c apt a i n ha d m or e know l e dge orr e s pons i bi l i tytha n R e y e s , thi s di d not n e c e s s a r ily e n title h im to ar o le r e d u c tio n . Se e id. a t 9 4 4 ( “T h e f a c t th a t a de f e nda nt ’ s r ol e m a y be l e s s tha n tha tof othe rpa rt i c i pa nt s e nga ge d i n the r e l e va nt c onduc tm a y notbe di s pos i t i ve of r ol e i n the of

f e ns e , s i nc e i ti s pos s i bl e tha tnone are m i n o r o r m i n i m al p art i ci p an t s. ”). T h u s, R eyes w as n o tl ess cu l p ab l e th an m o st o th e rp a rtic ip a n ts in th e c o n s p ir a c y a n d th e d is tr ic t c o u rt’s d e n ia l o f ar o le red u ct i o n w as n o tcl earl y erro n eo u s. I I . W h en rev i ew i n g a sen t en ce i m p o sed b y th e d i stri ctco u rt , w e m u stfi rst e n s u r e th e d is tr ic t c o u rt c o rr e c tly c a lc u la te d th e G u id e lin e s r a n g e . U ni ted Stat es v. W i ni nge ar , 4 2 2 F .3 d 1 2 4 1 , 1 2 4 5 ( 1 1 th C ir . 2 0 0 5 ) . T h e d is tr ic t c o u rt c o rr e c tly c a lc u la te d b o th R e y e s ’s a n d S o to ’s G u id e lin e s r a n g e s . N ext , w e r evi ew the se nt ence for r ea sonabl enes s i n l i gh tof the fa ct ors s et f o rth in 1 8 U .S .C . § 3 5 5 3 ( a ) . I d. a t 1 2 4 6 . A s e n te n c in g c o u rt is c h a r g e d w ith i m pos i ng as e nt e nc e tha ti s “ s uf f i c i e nt , butnotgr e a t e rtha n ne c e s s a ry ” t o r e f l e c tthe se ri ou snes s of the offens e, af ford det erre nce, prot ec tthe pu bl i c f rom further c ri m es of the de f e nda nt , a nd pr ovi de the de f e nda ntw i th e duc a t i ona l orvoc a t i ona l tr a i ni ng, m edi ca l care or other tre atm ent . 18 U . S . C . § 3 55 3(a) (2). F urtherm ore, un der § 3 5 5 3 ( a ) , ac o u rt s h o u ld c o n s id e r , i nt er a lia , the na tur e a nd c i r c um s t a nc e s of the6

offe nse and the hi st ory and char ac t er i st i cs of the defendant , the ki nd s of s ent ence s a va i l abl e , the S e nt e nc i ng G ui de l i ne s , a nd the ne e d t o a voi d unw a rr a nt e d s e nt e nc i ng d is p a r itie s b e tw e e n s im ila rd e f e n d a n ts . T h e d is tr ic t c o u rt d o e s n o t n e e d to e x p lic itly c o n s id e re v e ry f a c to rf r o m § 3 5 5 3 ( a ) o n th e r e c o r d . U ni ted Stat es v. Sc o tt , 42 6 F . 3d 13 24 , 13 29 (11th C i r. 20 05 ). W ith r e g a r d to R e y e s , th e d is tr ic t c o u rt’s s ta te m e n ts a t s e n te n c in g in d ic a te it consi dere d sever al of the fa ct ors. S peci fi ca l l y, the courtexpres sl y s t at ed i thad consi dere d (1) the nature a nd ci rc um st ance s of the offens e, (2) the need t o ref l ec t the se ri ou snes s of the offens e, and (3) the need for det erre nce i n o rdert o p rot ec t th e p u b lic . W i th r e ga r d t o S ot o, the di s tr i c tc ourta l s o c ons i de r e d s e ve r a l of the § 3553( a ) f

a c t or s . C ons i de r i ng the na tur e a nd c i r c um s t anc e s of the of f e ns e , the d is tr ic t c o u rt n o te d th e la r g e q u a n tity o f d ru g s in v o lv e d . F u rth e rm o r e , S o to pr e s e nt e d a r gum e nt s r e ga r di ng hi s pa s tand hi s f a m i l y s i tua t i on, de m ons tr a t i ng the c o u rt a ls o c o n s id e r e d h is h is to ry a n d c h a r a c te r is tic s . W ith r e g a r d to th e d is p a r ity betw ee n S ot o’ s s ent ence and the thi rd cr ew m an, thatcr ew m an prov i ded ass i st ance t o the G ov ernm entw arrant i ng a dow nw ar d d eparture. A l tho ug h S ot o argues that h e s h o u ld h a v e r e c e iv e d as im ila rs e n te n c e , h e d o e s n o t c o n te n d h e w a s e n title d to7

ad e p a rtu r e b a s e d o n h is a s s is ta n c e . T h e r e f o r e , th e d is p a r ity w a s w a rr a n te d . See 18 U . S . C . § 3 55 3(a) (6). F urtherm ore, the st atut ory m axi m um for R ey es and S ot o w as l i fe im p r is o n m e n t. See 2 1 U . S . C . § 9 6 0 (b )(1 )(B )(i i ). R eyes’ s sen t en ce o f 1 3 5 m o n th s’ i m pr i s onm e nta nd S ot o’ s s e nt e nc e of 168 m onths ’ i m pr i s onm e nta r e be l ow the s ta tu to ry m a x im u m . Se e W i ni nge ar , 422 F . 3d 1241, 1246 ( 11th C i r . 2005) ( c o m p a r in g th e s e n te n c e im p o s e d to th e s ta tu to ry m a x im u m in d e te rm in in g its r e a s onabl e ne s s ) . A ddi t i ona l l y , both R e y e s a nd S ot o w e r e s e nt e nc e d a tthe l ow e nd of the advi soryG ui del i nes r ange. W hi l e thi s does notm ake the se nt ence p er se r e a s o n ab le , it is a n in d ic a tio n o f r e a s o n ab le n e s s . See U ni ted Stat es v. T

al ley , 431 F . 3d 784, 788 ( 11th C i r . 2005) . T he di s tr i c tc ourta c c ur a t e l y c a l c ul a t e d the G ui de l i ne s r a nge , c ons i de r e d the § 3553( a ) f a c t or s , a nd s e nt e nc e d w e l l be l ow the s ta tu to ry m a x im u m a n d a t th e lo w e n d o f th e a d v is o ry G u id e lin e s r a n g e . W e concl ud e both R ey es ’ s and S ot o’ s s ent ence s are re as on abl e. AF F I RME D.