T hi s di s pos i t i on i s notappr opr i a t e f orpubl i c a t i on and i s notpr e c e de nt * e xc e pta s pr ovi de d by9th C i r . R . 36- 3.

T he pa ne l una ni m ous l yc onc l ude s thi s c a s e i s s ui t abl e f orde c i s i on ** w ith o u t o r a l a r g u m e n t. See F ed. R . A pp . P . 34 (a )( 2). NOT F OR P UB L I CAT I ON UN I TE D STATE S C OU RT OF APPE ALS FOR T HE NI NTH CI RC UI T UN I T E D S T AT E S OF AME R I C A, P l ai nt i ff

- A pp el l ee , v. L UC I AN O ME R C AD O, D e f

e n d a n t - A p p e lla n t. N os . 11- 10263 11- 10289 D . C . N o . 2 : 0 9 -cr-0 0 3 8 1 -E JG ME MOR AN DU M *

UN I T E D S T AT E S OF AME R I C A, P l ai nt i ff

- A pp el l ee , v. S E R GI O ME R C AD 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 o rth e E a s te rn D is tr ic t o f C a lif o rn ia E dw a r d J . G a r c i a , D i s tr i c tJ udge , P r e s i di ng S ubm i tt e d M a y14, 2013 ** B efo re: L E A V Y , T H O M A S , an dM U R G U IA , C i rcu i tJu d g es. 

# FI LED MA Y21 2 013 M OLLY C. DW Y ER, CLERK U . S. C O U R T OF APPE ALS11- 10263 & 11- 10289 2 I n the s e c ons ol i da t e d appe a l s , L uc i a no M e r c a do ( “ L uc i a no” ) appe a l s f r om th e 1 6 8 - m o n th s e n te n c e a n d S e r g io M e r c a d o ( “S e r g io ” ) ap p e a ls f r o m 1 3 5 - m o n th s e n te n c e im p o s e d f

o llo w in g th e irg u ilty - p le ac o n v ic tio n s f o rc o n s p ir a c yto 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 , ove r500 gr a m s of m e tha m phe t a m i ne , i n vi ol a t i on of 21 U . S . C . §§ 841( a ) ( 1) a nd 846. W e ha ve j u r i s d i c t i o n u n d e r2 8 U . S. C. § 1 2 9 1 , a n dw e a f f i rm. L uci ano con t ends thatthe di stri ctcourterre d i n cal cul at i ng the G ui del i nes rang e by i m prop er l y app l yi ng a three -l evel aggravat i ng rol e e nh ance m entun der U . S . S . G . § 3 B 1. 1(b). W e nee d n otre sol ve thi s i ss ue because the courtvari ed d o w n w a r d b yf

iv e le v e ls to ab a s e o f

f e n s e le v e l th a t d idn o t r e f le c t th e r o le e n h a n c e m e n t. T h u s , a n ye rr o rin ap p ly in g th e e n h a n c e m e n t w a s h a rm le s s . See U ni te d State s v . L e al

- V

ega , 68 0 F . 3d 11 60 , 11 70 (9th C i r. 20 12 ). L uc i a no a l s o c ont e nds tha tthe di s tr i c tc ourtvi ol a t e d F e de r a l R ul e of C r i m i na l P r oc e dur e 32 byf a i l i ng t o r e s ol ve f

a c tua l di s put e s r e l a t e d t o the appl i ca t i on of the aggravat i ng rol e e nh ance m ent . T he di stri ctcourtdi d n oterr because i tconsi dere d L uci ano’ s obj ec t i on s t o the pres ent ence re po rtand ado pt ed th e g o v e rn m e n t’s p o s itio n w ith r e s p e c t to th e f a c tu a l d is p u te s . See U

ni ted States v. D oe , 4 8 8 F .3 d 1 1 5 4 , 1 1 5 8 - 5 9 ( 9 th C ir . 2 0 0 7 ) . L uc i a no f

i na l l yc ont e nds tha tthe di s tr i c tc ourtpr oc e dur a l l ye rr e d byf a i l i ng a d e q u a te lyto e x p la in th e s e n te n c e . W e r e v ie w f o rp la in e rr o r , se e U

ni ted States v. V ale nc i a- B arr agan , 608 F . 3d 1103, 1108 ( 9th C i r . 2010) , a nd f i nd none . T he11- 10263 & 11- 10289 3 di s tr i c tc ourtc ons i de r e d L uc i a no’ s a r gum e nt s a nd a de qua t e l ye xpl a i ne d the sen t en ce i n l i g h to f th e 1 8 U . S . C . § 3 5 5 3 (a) sen t en ci n g fact o rs. S e r gi o c ont e nds tha thi s s e nt e nc e i s s ubs t a nt i ve l yunr e a s onabl e . T he gove rnm e nta r gue s tha thi s appe a l i s ba rr e d byava l i d appe a l w a i ve r . R e vi e w i ng de no vo , w e c on cl ud e thatthe go vernm entforf ei t ed i t s r i gh tt o enforce the w ai ver b yf a ilin g to o b

je c t to th e d is tr ic t c o u rt’s u n q u a lif ie da d v is e m e n t th a t S e r g io r e ta in e d th e r ig h t to ap p e a l th e c o u rt’s ju d g m e n t. Se e U n ite d S ta tes v . Fe lix , 561 F . 3d 1036, 1040- 41 ( 9th C i r . 2009) . H ow e ve r , S e r gi o ha s nots how n tha tthe d is tr ic t c o u rt ab u s e d its d is c r e tio n in im p o s in g h is s e n te n c e . See G al l v. U ni ted States , 5 5 2 U .S . 3 8 , 5 1 ( 2 0 0 7 ) . T h e w ith in - G u id e lin e s s e n te n c e is s u b s ta n tiv e ly r e a s onabl e i n l i ghtof

the 18 U . S . C . § 3553( a ) s e nt e nc i ng f a c t or s a nd the t ot a l i tyof th e c ir c u m s ta n c e s , in c lu d in g th e s e r io u s n e s s o f th e o f f e n s e a n dth e n e e dto p r o m o te r e s p e c t f o rth e la w . Se e i d. AF F I RME D.