FI LED U. S . COURT OF AP PE ALS E L E V E N T H C IR C U IT Se pt e m be r 16, 2008 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

________________________ N o. 07- 15722 N on -A rgum entC al endar

________________________ D. C . Do c k e tNo . 0 6 - 0 0 3 8 8 - C R - T - 1 7 - E AJ 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 N E L S O N P A U L I N O G A M E Z - C R U Z , a .k .a . N e ls o n G a m e z - C ru z , 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

_________________________ ( S e p t e m b e r 16, 2008) B efo re C A RN E S , B A R K E T T an d P R Y O R , C i rcu i tJu d g es. P E R C U R I A M: N e l s on P a ul i no G a m e z - C ruz appe a l s hi s s e nt e nc e of 63 m onths of2

i m pr i s onm e ntf

orhi s a s s a ul ton af

e de r a l of f i c e rw i th ada nge r ous w e apon, 18 U .S .C . § 1 1 1 ( a ) ( 1 ) , ( b ) . G a m e z - C ru z a r g u e s th a t th e d is tr ic t c o u r t e rr o n e o u s ly e n h a n c e d h is s e n te n c e f o ru s e o f ad a n g e r o u s w e ap o n a n d th e in f lic tio n o f b o d ily i n j u ry a n d th a th i s s e n t e n c e i s u n r e a s o n ab l e . W e a f f i rm. I . B AC KG RO UN D G a m e z - C ruz , ana t i ve a nd c i t i z e n of H ondur a s , w a s appr e he nde d a f t e rhe e nt e r e d the U ni t e d S t a t e s athi r d t i m e i l l e ga l l y . A ge nt s of I m m i gr a t i on a nd C us t om E nforcement di sc ov er ed G am ez -C ruz i n T am pa, F l ori da. T he agent s f ol l ow ed G a m e z - C ruz a s he dr ove a w a y f r om hi s apa r tm e nti n atruc k. W he n G a m e z - C ruz s t oppe d hi s ve hi c l e a tatr a f f i c l i ght , the a ge nt s s urr ounde d the ve hi c l e a nd d i sp l ayed th ei r i d en t i fi cat i o n b ad g es. A ge ntG r e g R a ve ns c r of tope ne d the dr i ve r ’ s doora nd or de r e d i n S pa ni s h f or G am ez-C ru z t o cl i m b o u to f th e v eh i cl e. G am ez-C ru z su rv eyed h i s su rro u n d i n g s, then p uthi s truck i n revers e a nd sped backw ar ds. R avensc roftw as caug htbetw ee n the dr i ve r ’ s doorof

the truc k a nd apol i c e ve hi c l e . R a ve ns c r of tw a s t a ke n t o a l ocal ho spi t al and d i agno se d w i th a spra i ned k nee. G am ez -C ruz w as i nd i ct ed for i l l egal re entryi nt o the U ni t ed S t at es af t er r e m ova l , 8 U . S . C . § 1326( a ) , a nd a s s a ul ton af e de r a l of f i c e rw i th ade a dl y w e apon, 18 U . S . C . § 111( a ) ( 2) , ( b) . T he m orni ng of tr i a l , G a m e z - C ruz e nt e r e d ac ha nge of3

pl e a . A f t e rthe gove rnm e nte s t abl i s he d af a c tua l ba s i s f

orthe pl e a s , G a m e z - C ruz e nt e r e d bl i nd pl e a s of

gui l tyt o the tw o c r i m e s , a nd the di s tr i c tc our ta c c e pt e d the g u i l ty p l eas. T he pres ent ence i nv es t i gat i on re po rtl i st ed G am ez -C ruz’ s bas e off ense l evel a t14, U ni t e d S t a t e s S e nt e nc i ng G ui de l i ne s § 2A 2. 2( a ) ( N ov. 2004) , i nc r e a s e d i tby f o u rle v e ls f

o ru s e o f ad a n g e r o u s w e ap o n , id . § 2 A 2 .2 ( b ) ( 2 ) ( B ) , a n d in c r e a s e d it by three l evel s f

or i nfl i ct i ng a bod i l y i nj ury, i d. § 2 A 2. 2(b)(3)(A ). W i th a cr i m i nal hi s t ory c a t e gory of

I , the r e por tpr ovi de d as e nt e nc i ng r a nge be tw e e n 57 a nd 71 m o n th s o f

im p r is o n m e n t. G am ez -C ruz obj ec t ed t o the tw o enh ance m ent s. H e a rgued thatthe do or of a vehi cl e w as no ta dangerous w eapo n and a s prai ned k nee di d n otconst i tut e a b o d ily in ju ry . G a m e z - C ru z r e q u e s te d as e n te n c e o f 2 4 m o n th s o f

im p r is o n m e n t. H e a r g u e d th a th i s p e r s o n a l c h a r a c t e r i s t i c s , w o rk h i s t o ry , l o w r i s k o f r e c i d i v i s m, l ac k o f a ss oci at i on w i th i l l egal ac t i vi ty, and g oo d b ehavi or i n p ri son aw ai t i ng tri al supp ort ed hi s r equestfor abel ow -gui del i nes s ent ence . Atth e s e n t e n c i n g h e a r i n g , Ga m e z - C ru z r e p e a t e d h i s o b j e c t i o n t o th e two e nha nc e m e nt s . G a m e z - C ruz a r gue d tha the w a s s t a r t l e d by the f e de r a l a ge nt s a nd d id n o t in te n d to in

ju r e R a v e n s c r o f

t, b u t h e a d m itte d th a t h e in te n d e d to “a s s a u lt” R a ve ns c r of

t . A ge ntR a ve ns c r of

tt e s t i f i e d aboutthe a s s a ul t , the pa i n a nd brui s i ng4

o f h is k n e e , th e c a r tila g e d a m a g e c a u s e db y th e im p a c t o f th e v e h ic le , a n d h is ongoi ng tr e a tm e nton a r thr i t i s m e di c a t i on. T h e d is tr ic t c o u r t o v e rru le d G a m e z - C ru z ’s o b je c tio n s to th e e n h a n c e m e n ts . T he di stri ctcourtfoun d that“ the evi dence m ore than sub st ant i at e[ d] the use of a dang er ou s w eapo n i n the m anner i n w hi ch i tw as used, w i th the force w i th w hi ch the ca r doo r s w un g b ac k. A nd the i nj ury t o the agenti s obv i ou s. ” T he di stri ct c our ts e nt e nc e d G a m e z - C ruz t o c onc urr e ntt e rm s of 24 m onths of

i m pr i s onm e nt f ol l ow e d by as upe rvi s e d r e l e a s e of one y e a rf

orthe i l l e ga l r e e ntry a nd 63 m onths of i m pr i s onm e ntf

ol l ow e d by as upe rvi s e d r e l e a s e of f i ve y e a r s f

orthe a s s a ul ton a fe dera l offi ce r. I I . STA N D A R D S O F R EVI EW W e r e vi e w de novo the appl i c a t i on of the s e nt e nc i ng gui de l i ne s a nd f i ndi ngs of fa ctfor c l ea r e rr or. U ni t ed S t at es v. B aker , 43 2 F . 3d 11 89 , 12 53 (11th C i r. 2005) . W e r e vi e w the r e a s onabl e ne s s of ac r i m i na l s e nt e nc e f

ora n abus e of d is c r e tio n . G a ll v . U n ite d S ta te s , 1 2 8 S . C t. 5 8 6 , 5 9 4 , 5 9 6

– 9 7 ( 2 0 0 7 ) . “[ T ]h e p a r ty w h o c h a lle n g e s 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 th e s e n te n c e is un re as on abl e i n the l i gh tof bo th [the] re cord and the fa ct ors i n sec t i on 35 53 (a ). ” U ni t ed S t at es v. T al l ey , 43 1 F . 3d 78 4, 78 8 (11 th C i r. 20 05 ).5 I I I . DI S CUS S I ON G am ez -C ruz pres ent s three chal l enges t o h i s s ent ence for the as saul tof a f e de r a l of f i c e r . F i r s t , G a m e z - C ruz a r gue s tha tthe di s tr i c tc our te rr e d by e nha nc i ng h i s sen t en ce b y fo u r l ev el s b ecau se h e d i d n o ti n t en d t o u se h i s v eh i cl e as a da nge r ous w e apon. S e c ond, G a m e z - C ruz a r gue s tha tthe di s tr i c tc our te rr e d by e nha nc i ng hi s s e nt e nc e by thr e e l e ve l s be c a us e akne e s pr a i n i s nots e r i ous e nough to q u a lif y a s ab o d ily in

ju ry . T h ir d , G a m e z - C ru z a r g u e s th a t h is s e n te n c e is u n r e a s o n ab le . T h e s e a r g u m e n ts f a il. T he r e c or d s uppor t s the e nha nc e m e nt s f orthe us e of

ada nge r ous w e apon and the i nfl i ct i on of bo di l y i nj ury. T he di stri ctcourtcoul d rea sonabl y i nferthat G a m e z - C ruz us e d hi s ve hi c l e a s ada nge r ous w e apon w he n he hi tA ge nt R a ve ns c r of

tw i th s uf

f i c i e nts pe e d a nd f

or c e t o c a us e the truc k doort o buc kl e a nd di s l odge a nd a dm i tt e d tha the i nt e nde d t o a s s a ul tthe a ge nt . U ni t e d S t a t e s v. G ual dado , 79 4 F . 2d 15 33 , 15 35 (11th C i r. 19 86 ) ( “ A l m ostany obj ec tw hi ch as us e d ora tt e m pt e d t o be us e d m a y e nda nge rl i f e ori nf l i c tgr e a tbodi l y ha rm , or w hi ch i s l i kel y t o p rodu ce death o r gre atbo di l y i nj ury, ca n i n som e c i rc um st ance s be a‘ da nge r ous w e apon. ’ ” ( quot i ng U ni t e d S t a t e s v. B a rbe r , 297 F . S upp. 917 ( D . C . D e l . 1969) ) . T he a s s a ul tc a us e d A ge ntR a ve ns c r of tbodi l y ha rm , i nc l udi ng a s pr a i ne d kne e , s i gni f

i c a ntbrui s i ng, a nd ongoi ng pa i n f oraboutay e a ra f

t e rthe6

a rr e s t . S e e U . S . S . G . § 1B 1. 1 c m t . n. 1( B ) . T he di s tr i c tc our tdi d note rrby ap p l yi n g th ese en h an cem en t s. T h e d is tr ic t c o u r t d id n o t ab u s e its d is c r e tio n b y im p o s in g as e n te n c e w ith in the gui de l i ne r a nge . I n a n e f f or tt o a voi d hi s thi r d de por t a t i on, G a m e z - C ruz i nf l i c t e d i nj ury on af

e de r a l a ge nttha tc oul d ha ve r e s ul t e d i n the a ge nt ’ s de a th, a nd G a m e z - C ru z d id n o t a c c e p t r e s p o n s ib ility f o rh is a c tio n s u n til th e m o rn in g o f h is tr i a l . T he di s tr i c tc our te xpl a i ne d tha tas e nt e nc e of 63 m onths of

i m pr i s onm e nt “p r o v id e [ d ] ju s t . . . p u n is h m e n t a n d d e te rr e n c e .” S e e 2 8 U .S .C . § 3 5 5 3 ( a ) ; G a ll, 12 8 S . C t . at59 7. G am ez -C ruz’ s s ent ence i s r ea sonabl e. I V . CONCL US I ON G am ez-C ru z’ s sen t en ce i s AF F I RME D.