FI LED U. S . COURT OF AP PE ALS E L E V E N T H C IR C U IT Febr uar y 20, 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- 12731 N on -A rgum entC al endar

________________________ D. C. Do c k e tNo . 0 7 - 2 0 0 2 7 - CR - J EM 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 V I B E R T A N T H O N Y L O W E S , a .k .a . V e b e rt A n th o n y L o w e s , D e f e n d a n t- A p p e lla n t.

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_________________________ ( F e b r u ar y 20, 2008) B efo re W IL S O N , P R Y O R an d F A Y , C i rcu i tJu d g es. P E R C U R I A M:2

V i b ertA n th o n y L o w es ap p eal s h i s 1 5 -m o n th sen t en ce fo r o n e co u n to f fal se us e of apa s s port , i n vi ol a t i on of 18 U . S . C . § 1543, a nd one c ountof i m pe r s ona t i ng a U . S . ci t i ze n, i n v i ol at i on of 18 U . S . C . § 9 11 . L ow es ar gu es thathi s s ent ence w as gr e a t e rtha n ne c e s s a ry t o c om pl y w i th the purpos e s of s e nt e nc i ng s e tf

orth i n 18 U . S . C . § 3553( a ) . H e c ont e nds tha t , ba s e d on the pa tt e rn a nd t i m i ng of hi s pr i or c onvi c t i ons f

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j ua napos s e s s i on, w hi c h oc c urr e d be tw e e n f i ve a n d te n y e a r s b e f

o r e th e in s ta n t o f

f e n s e , ac r im in a l h is to ry c a te g o ry o f I V g r o s s ly ov er st at ed the se ri ou snes s of hi s c ri m i nal hi st ory and w arrant ed a dow nw ar d d e p a rtu r e u n d e rU. S . S . G. § 4 A1 . 3 . F o rth e r e a s o n s s e tf o rth m o r e f

u l l y b e l o w, we af fi rm L ow es ’ s s ent ence . O n D ec em ber 18, 20 06 , L ow es , a c i t i ze n o f G uyana, ent er ed the U ni t ed S t at es atM i am i Int ernat i on al A i rport . L ow es pres ent ed U . S . C ust om s and B order P atrol offi ci al s w i th a U . S . pass po rtand d ec l ar ed thathe w as a U . S . ci t i ze n. Itw as l a t e rdi s c ove r e d tha tthe pa s s portL ow e s ha d pr e s e nt e d be l onge d t o a nothe rpe r s on and h ad been al t er ed fr om i t s ori gi nal st at e t o i ncl ud e hi s pi cture a nd bi og raph i ca l i nf orm a t i on. L ow e s s ubs e que nt l y a dm i tt e d tha the w a s ac i t i z e n of G uy a naa nd f u rth e ra d m itte d th a t th e p a s s p o rt h e p r e s e n te d w a s a lte r e d a n d d id n o t b e lo n g to h i m . A fed eral g ran d j u ry su b seq u en t l y i n d i ct ed L o w es fo r o n e co u n to f fal se u se of apa s s port , i n vi ol a t i on of 18 U . S . C . § 1543, a nd one c ountof i m pe r s ona t i ng aUnited States v. Booker, 543 U.S. 220, 125 S.Ct. 738, 160 L .Ed.2d 621 (2005). 1 3 U .S . c itiz e n , in v io la tio n o f 1 8 U .S .C . § 9 1 1 . L o w e s p le d g u ilty to th e c h a r g e s in the i nd i ctm entw i tho utthe benefi tof a w ri tt en pl eaagre em ent . T he di stri ctcourt ul t i m a t e l y s e nt e nc e d L ow e s t o c onc urr e ntt e rm s of 15 m onths ’ i m pr i s onm e nta nd 2 y e a r s ’ s u p e rv is e d r e le a s e a s to e a c h c o u n t. A s an i ni t i al m att er , as t o L ow es ’ s argum entthatthe fa ct s and ci rc um st ance s s u rr o u n d in g h is p r e v io u s c o n v ic tio n s w a rr a n te d ad o w n w a r d d e p a rtu r e p u r s u a n t to U . S . S . G . § 4 A 1. 3, w e have hel d that“ [a ] di stri ctcourt ’ s r ef usal t o d epart d o w n w ard fro m th e sen t en ci n g g u i d el i n e ran g e i s n o trev i ew ab l e o n ap p eal , u n l ess the di s tr i c tc ourtde ni e d the de pa rtur e be c aus e i te rr one ous l y be l i e ve d tha ti tha d no au th o r ity to d e p a rt d o w n w a r d .” U n ite d S ta te s v . L is s , 2 6 5 F .3 d 1 2 2 0 , 1 2 3 1 ( 1 1 th C i r. 20 01 ). H er e, there i s no i nd i ca t i on thatthe di stri ctcourterroneou sl y bel i eved th a t it la c k e d th e au th o r ity to d e p a rt d o w n w a r d . A c c o r d in g ly , w e d e c lin e to addres s thi s i ss ue. 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 ourtf or r e a s o n ab le n e s s . U n ite d S ta te s v . W in in g e a r , 4 2 2 F .3 d 1 2 4 1 , 1 2 4 4 ( 1 1 th C ir . 2 0 0 5 ) . U nr e a s onabl e ne s s m a y be pr oc e dur a l , w he n the c ourt ’ s pr oc e dur e doe s notf ol l ow B ooke r ’ s r e qui r e m e nt s , ors ubs t a nt i ve . S e e G a l l v. U ni t e d S t a t e s , 552 U . S . ___,

1 128 S . C t . 586, 597, 169 L . E d. 2d 445 ( 2007) ; U ni t e d S t a t e s v. H unt , 459 F . 3d 1180,4

11 82 n. 3 (11 th C i r. 20 06 ). T he S up re m e C ou rthas e xp l ai ned thata s ent ence m ay be pr oc e dur a l l y unr e a s onabl e i f the di s tr i c tc ourti m pr ope r l y c a l c ul a t e s the gu i del i ne i m pri sonm entrang e, tre at s the G ui del i nes a s m andat ory, fa i l s t o con si der the appr opr i a t e s t a tut ory f a c t or s , ba s e s the s e nt e nc e on c l e a r l y e rr one ous f a c t s , or f a ils to a d e q u a te ly e x p la in its r e a s o n in g . G a ll, 5 5 2 U .S . a t _

__ , 1 2 8 S .C t. a t 5 9 7 . T h e C o u rt a ls o h a s e x p la in e d th a t th e s u b s ta n tiv e r e a s o n ab le n e s s o f as e n te n c e is re vi ew ed un der a n abu se -of- di sc re t i on st andard. Id. Ithas s ug gest ed thatre vi ew f ors ubs t a nt i ve r e a s onabl e ne s s unde rthi s s t a nda r d i nvol ve s i nqui r i ng w he the rthe f a c t or s i n 18 U . S . C . § 3553( a ) s upportthe s e nt e nc e i n que s t i on. I d. a t___, 128 S .C t. a t 6 0 0 . P ursuantt o § 35 53 (a ), the se nt enci ng courtshal l i m po se a s ent ence

“ s uf f i c i e nt , butnotgr e a t e rtha n ne c e s s a ry ” t o c om pl y w i th the purpos e s of se nt enci ng l i st ed i n § 35 53 (a )( 2), nam el y r ef l ec t i ng the se ri ou snes s of the offens e, pr om ot i ng r e s pe c tf

orthe l a w , pr ovi di ng j us tpuni s hm e ntf orthe of f e ns e , de t e rr i ng c r i m i na l c onduc t , pr ot e c t i ng the publ i c f r om f utur e c r i m i na l c onduc tby the defe nd ant , and p rovi di ng the defendantw i th n ee ded edu ca t i on al or vo ca t i on al tr a i ni ng orm e di c a l c a r e . S e e 18 U . S . C . § 3553( a ) ( 2) . T he s t a tut e a l s o i ns truc t s the se nt enci ng courtt o con si der c ert ai n fac t ors, i ncl ud i ng the nature a nd ci rc um st ance s of the of f e ns e , 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 , the gui de l i ne5

im p r is o n m e n t r a n g e , a n d th e n e e d to a v o id u n w a rr a n te d s e n te n c in g d is p a r itie s . S ee 18 U . S . C . § 3 55 3(a) (1), (4), and (6). T h e S u p rem e C o u rth as h el d th at , i n rev i ew i n g sen t en ces fo r reaso n ab l en ess unde r18 U . S . C . § 3553( a ) , af e de r a l appe l l a t e c ourtm a y appl y apr e s um pt i on of r e a s o n ab le n e s s to ad is tr ic t c o u rt s e n te n c e im p o s e d w ith in th e g u id e lin e r a n g e . R i t av. U ni t e d S t a t e s , 551 U . S . ___, ___, 127 S . C t . 2456, 2462, 168 L . E d. 2d 203 ( 2 0 0 7 ) . W e , h o w e v e r , h a v e h e ld th a t as e n te n c e w ith in th e g u id e lin e s r a n g e is nei ther per se re as on abl e, no r e nt i t l ed t o a pres um pt i on of re as on abl enes s. S ee H u n t, 4 5 9 F .3 d a t 1 1 8 5 . T h 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 u n r e a s o n ab le in lig h t o f th e r e c o r d a n d th e § 3 5 5 3 ( a ) f a c to r s lie s w ith th e p a rty chal l engi ng the se nt ence . 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 ). W i th r e ga r d t o the pr oc e dur a l r e a s onabl e ne s s of L ow e s ’ s s e nt e nc e , the di stri ctcourtdi d n oterr i n i t s s ent enci ng procedure. T he re cord i nd i ca t es that L o w es d idn o t d isp u te eith erth e f ac tu al fin d in g s o r th e p ro b atio n o ff icer ’s ca l cul at i on s, as st at ed i n the P S I. M oreover, L ow es di d n otexpl i ci t l y m ov e f or a do w nw ar d d eparture pursuantt o U . S . S . G . § 4 A 1. 3. A cc ordi ng l y, the re cord r e f l e c t s tha tthe di s tr i c tc ourtpr ope r l y c a l c ul a t e d the a dvi s ory gui de l i ne r a nge a s 15 t o 2 1 m on ths’ i m pri sonm ent , base d o n an o ff ense l evel of 10 and a cri m i nal hi st ory6

c a te g o ry o f

I V . T h e r e c o r d f

u rth e rd e m o n s tr a te s th a t th e d is tr ic t c o u rt e x p r e s s ly s t a t e d tha ti tc ons i de r e d the s e nt e nc i ng f a c t or s s e tf

orth i n § 3553( a ) , a l ong w i th the pa rt i e s ’ a r gum e nt s , a nd s uf f i c i e nt l y e xpl a i ne d i t s r e a s ons f ori m pos i ng the s e n te n c e . L o w e s a ls o h a s n o t e s tab lis h e d th a t h is s e n te n c e is s u b s ta n tiv e ly unr e a s onabl e . S e e G a l l , 552 U . S . a t___, 128 S . C t . a t597; H unt , 459 F . 3d a t1182 n. 3. L ow e s ’ s s e nt e nc e of 15 m onths ’ i m pr i s onm e nti s a tthe l ow - e nd of the advi sorygu i del i ne ra ng e. M oreover, the re cord i nd i ca t es thatthe di stri ctcourt c o n s id e r e d L o w e s ’s c r im in a l h is to ry a n d th e n e e d to p r o m o te r e s p e c t f o rth e la w in det erm i ni ng thata G ui del i nes s ent ence w as approp ri at e. T here fore , the di stri ct c ourtdi d notabus e i t s di s c r e t i on be c aus e the § 3553( a ) f a c t or s s upport e d the d is tr ic t c o u rt’s s e n te n c e , w h ic h w a s n o t g r e a te rth a n n e c e s s a ry to a c h ie v e th e g o a ls of s e nt e nc i ng s e tf

orth i n § 3553( a ) ( 2) . S e e G a l l , 552 U . S . a t___, 128 S . C t . a t597, 601- 02. In l i g h to f th e fo reg o i n g , L o w es’ s sen t en ce i s AF F I RME D.