# U ni te d S ta te s Co ur t of A pp ea ls For the Eig hth Circu it

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No. 1 4- 36 56

__ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ _ Uni te d S ta te s o f Am eri ca

ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll l Pla in ti

ff - App el le e

v.

Ju an Bau ti st a-Ru bi o

ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll l Defe nd

an t - Ap pe ll an t

__ __ __ __ __ __ App eal fro m

Uni te d S ta te s Di st ric t Co ur t fo r th e Nor th ern Dis tri ct of I owa - Ced ar Ra pi ds

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Su bm it te d: Sep te m

be r 25 , 20 15 Fil ed : Oct ob er 3 0, 2 01 5 [Un pu bl is he d]

__ __ __ __ __ __ Befo re RI LEY, Chi ef J ud ge , BRIGHT an d GRUENDER, Ci rcu it Ju dg es

.

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PER CURI AM.

App el la nt -d efen da nt Ju an Bau ti st a-Ru bi o (Bau ti st a-Ru bi o) pl ed no t gu il ty to

a ch arg e of ag gr av at ed id en ti ty th eft in vi ol at io n of 18 U.S.C. § 10 28 A(a)(1 ). At th e cl os e of th e go v e r n men t ’s cas e, Bau ti st a-Ru bi o m ov ed fo r jud gm en t of acq ui tt al
, arg ui ng in su f

f ic ie nt ev id en ce to pr ov e Bau ti st a-Ru bi o kn owi ng ly us ed th eid en ti fic at io n of an act ua l pe rs on

. The di st ric t co ur t de ni ed th e m ot io n an d t he 1

ren ewed m ot io n at th e c l o s e o f e vi de nc e. The jury fo un d Bau ti st a-Ru bi o gu il ty of

ag gr av at ed id en ti ty th eft

. Bau ti st a-Ru bi o ap pe al s arg ui ng in su ffi ci en t ev i de nc e to

su st ai n t he jury’ s v erd ic t. We affir m

.

I. BACKG ROUND

In Apr il 20 14
, po li ce arre st ed Bau t i s ta -Ru bi o on a ch arg e un rel at ed to th is

ap pe al

. Thre e da y s la te r, Bau ti st a-Ru bi o was ta ke n in to cu st od y by Im m ig rat io n an d
Cu s t o ms Enfo rcem en t (ICE). At th e ti m e ICE to ok Bau ti st a-Ru bi o in to cu st od y , Bau ti st a-Ru bi o po ss es se d a bu si ne ss card fro m th e co m pa ny Prem i e r e Cas ti ng Serv ic es (PCS ) wit h th e na m e “ Ro el Pen a” an d a de bi t card in th e na m e of “Roel
Pen a.” When qu es ti on ed , Bau ti st a-Ru bi o g av e ICE h is tru e n am e.

ICE in ve st ig at ed th e bu si ne ss card by co nt act in g PCS. PCS ga ve ICE two I-9 fo rm s fro m

Apri l 2 01 2 a nd Decem

be r 20 13 wit h t he na m e, da te of b irt h, an d so ci al

se cu rit y nu m

be r of “ Ro el Pen a.” PCS al so in fo rm e d a n a g e n t t ha t, in Apr il 20 12
, Bau ti st a-Ru bi o pre se nt ed a pe rm an en t resi de nt card an d a so ci al se cu rit y card
, bo th in th e n am e o f “ Ro el Pen a.”

Co nt in ui n g i t s i nv es ti ga ti on , ICE de te rm in ed Ro el Pen a is an act ua l pe rs on , ob ta in in g bo th Ro el Pen a’s Tex as bi rth cert ifi cat e an d so ci al se cu r i t y card

. Fro m fin ge rp rin ts on fil e wit h IC E, ICE det erm in ed Bau ti st a-Ru bi o i s n ot Ro el Pen a.

Bau ti st a-Ru bi o sp eak s flu en t Sp an is h, bu t do es no t sp eak Eng li sh

. Afte r ICE

to ok Bau ti st a-Ru bi o in to cu st od y , Bau ti st a-Ru bi o s i g n e d a waiv er of hi s rig ht s— whi ch was writ te n in Sp an is h. Age nt Mi ch ael Fi sc he ls (Ag en t Fi sc he ls ) th en

The Hon or ab le Lin da R. Rea de
, Ch ie f Ju dg e, Uni te d St at es Dis tri ct Co ur t fo r 1 th e Nor th ern Dis tri ct of I owa

.
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-in te rv ie wed Bau ti st a-Ru bi o in Sp an is h. Dur in g th e in te rv ie w, B a u t i st a-Ru bi o: 2
di sc lo se d th at he wor ke d at PCS; ad m it te d to fil li ng ou t I-9 fo rm s wit h th e na m e, da te of bi rth
, an d so ci al se cu rit y nu m be r of “ Ro el Pen a”; ack no wled ge d pu rch as in g th e

“ Ro el Pen a” do cu m en ts fro m a fri en d; ad m it te d he to ld hi s fri en d he ne ed ed a “ real ”

so ci al se cu rit y nu m

be r; an d to ld Age nt Fi sc h e ls he be li ev ed “ Ro el Pen a” was an
act ua l p ers on

.

Bau ti st a-Ru bi o was ch arg ed
, as rel ev an t he re, wit h ag gr av at ed id en ti ty th eft in vi ol at io n of 18 U.S.C. § 10 28 A(a)(1 ). At th e cl os e of th e g o v e r nm en t’s cas e, Bau ti st a-Ru bi o m ov ed fo r jud gm en t of acq ui tt al
, a r g ui ng th e go ve rn m en t fai le d to
pr ov e Bau ti st a-Ru bi o knew “ Ro el Pen a” was an act ua l pe rs on be cau se Age nt Fi sc he ls di d no t ha ve ad eq ua te Sp an is h pr of ic ie nc y

. The di st ric t co ur t de ni ed th e m ot io n an d th e ren ewed m ot io n at th e cl os e of ev id en ce. The jury ret ur ne d a ve rd ic t of gu il ty an d th e di st ric t co ur t se nt en ced Bau ti st a-Ru bi o to 27 m on th s’ (2 1⁄4 y ears ’) im pr is on m en t, 3 y ears ’ su pe rv is ed rel eas e, an d a $3 00 sp eci al as se ss m en t. Bau ti st a-Ru bi o ap pe al s,
arg ui ng th ere was in su ffi ci en t ev id en ce t o s us ta in th e jury’ s v erd ic t.

II . DISCUSSI ON

The so le is su e on ap pe al i s whe th er th e go ve rn m en t su bm it te d su ffi ci en t

ev id en ce th at Bau ti st a-Ru bi o co m m it te d ag gr av at ed id en ti ty th eft to su pp o r t t h e

co nv ic ti on . A revi ew of

th e rec or d s ub st an ti at es th e jury tria l co nv ic ti on

.

At tri al
, th e go ve rn m en t pr es en te d ex te ns iv e ev id en ce reg ard in g Age nt 2 Fi sc he ls ’ Sp an is h pr of

ic ie n c y

. Age nt Fi sc he ls ’ Sp an is h ba ck gr ou nd in cl ud es : (1 ) fo ur y ears of Sp an is h in st ru ct io n i n h ig h sc ho ol ; (2 ) m in or in Sp an is h du rin g
co ll eg e; (3 ) fiv e-m on th Sp an is h tra in in g pr og ram wit h U.S. Bo rd er Pat ro l; (4 ) us e of Sp an is h o n a da il y ba si s for th ree y ears ; (5) ob ta in in g a “ bo nu s” sco re o n a Sp an is h la ng ua ge te st fro m 20 07 th ro ug h 20 11 ; an d ( 6 ) f a i l u r e t o ge t a “ bo nu s” sc or e on a Sp an is h l an gu ag e te st in 20 12

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-W e rev ie w “ de no vo th e su ffi ci en cy of t he ev id en ce t o s us ta in a co nv ic ti on .” Uni te d St at es v. W ie st , 59 6 F.3 d 90 6, 91 0 (8 th Ci r. 20 10 ). W e vi ew th e ev id en ce in th e li gh t m os t fav or ab le to th e v e r d ic t, “ gi vi ng it th e be ne fit of al l reas on ab le in fere nc es .” Id

. W e on ly re v e rs e whe n “ no reas on ab le jury co ul d fin d al l th e el em en ts be y on d a reas on ab le do ub t.” Uni te d St at es v. Ald rid ge , 66 4 F.3 d 70 5, 71 5 (8 th Ci r. 20 11 ). “ The jury ha s t h e s o l e r e sp on si bi li ty to res ol ve co nf li ct s or

co nt rad ic ti on s in te st im on y , an d cred ib il it y de te rm ina tio ns are res ol ve d in fav or of th e

ve rd ic t.” Id

.

In or de r to co nv ic t Bau ti st a-Ru bi o of ag gr av at ed id en ti ty th eft un de r 18 U.S.C. § 10 28 A(a)(1 ), th e go ve rn m en t ne ed ed t o pr ov e Bau ti st a-Ru bi o “ kn owi ng ly

tr an sf er [e d]
, pos se ss e[d ], or us e[d ], wit ho ut la wfu l au th or it y , a m ean s of ide nti fi ca tio n of an ot he r pe rs on .” (Em

ph as is ad de d)

. Bau ti st a-Ru bi o cl ai m s th e go ve rn m en t fai le d

to pr ov e Bau ti st a-Ru bi o kn ew “ Ro el Pen a” was an act ua l pe rs on be cau se th e on ly

ev id en ce on th is el em en t was th e te st im on y of Age nt Fi sc he ls who was , al le ge dl y , no t
pr of ic ie nt in Sp an is h.

At tri al
, Age nt Fi sc he ls pr ov ide d ex te nsive te st im on y reg ard in g hi s pr of ic ie nc y in Sp an is h. Age nt Fi sc he ls al so te st ifi ed th at Bau ti st a-Ru bi o ad m it te d to te ll in g hi s fri en d he ne ed ed a “ rea l ” s o c i a l se cu rit y nu m be r an d th at Bau ti st a-Ru bi o be li ev ed

“ Ro el Pen a” was an act ua l pe rs on

. Bau ti st a-Ru bi o cro ss -ex am in ed Age n t F i s c h e ls

reg ard in g hi s Sp an is h pr of ic ie nc y , rel y in g pr im ari ly on Age nt F is ch el s’ fai lu re to

rece iv e a “ bo nu s” sco re on a Sp an is h tes t in 20 12

. The co nf li ct in g t es ti m on y

ab ou t whe th er th e Sp an is h te st fo r “ bo nu s” co m pe n s a ti on eq ua te d to Sp an is h pr of ic ie nc y

was an is su e to be weig he d by th e jury. Ald rid ge , 66 4 F.3 d at 71 5 (“ The jury ha s th e

so le res po ns ib il it y to res ol ve co nf li ct s or co nt rad ic ti on s in te st im on y .”). The refo re, vi ewin g th e fact s in th e li gh t m os t fav or ab le to th e ve rd ic t, su ffi ci en t ev id en ce

su pp or te d B au ti st a-Ru bi o’s co nv ic ti on . W e AFFIR M.

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