FILED U.S. COURT OF AP P EALS E LEVEN T HC IRC UIT DE CEMB ER 19, 2005 THOMAS K. KAH

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________________________ D. C . Do c k e tNo . 0 4 - 0 0 0 6 3 - C R - P - NE 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 A M E S H O L M E S , D e f e n d a n t- A p p e lla n t.

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_________________________ ( D e c e m b e r 19, 2005) B efo re T J O F L A T , H U L L a n d W IL S O N , C i rcu i t J u d g es. P E R C U R I A M: Jam es H o l m es ap p eal s h i s 2 4 0 -m o n th sen t en ce fo r co n sp i racy t o p o ssess2

w i th i nt e ntt o di s tr i but e 50 gr a m s orm or e of am i xtur e a nd s ubs t a nc e c ont a i ni ng a det ec t abl e a m ou ntof cocai ne base , i n v i ol at i on of 21 U . S . C . §§ 84 1(a) (1), 841( b) ( 1) ( A ) , a nd 846, a nd m a i nt a i ni ng apl a c e f orthe purpos e s of

m a nuf a c tur i ng a nd di s tr i but i ng am i xtur e a nd s ubs t a nc e c ont a i ni ng ade t e c t abl e a m ountof c oc a i ne base , i n v i ol at i on of 21 U . S . C . § 8 56 (a )( 1). H ol m e s ar gue s f

orthe f i r s tt i m e on appe a l tha t , f orthe vi ol a t i ons of

21 U .S .C . § § 8 4 1 ( a ) ( 1 ) , 8 4 1 ( b ) ( 1 ) ( A ) , a n d8 4 6 , ad is tr ic t c o u rt m a ys e n te n c e w ith in the appl i cabl e s ent enci ng gu i del i nes r ange and b el ow the st atut ory m i ni m um w hen th e d e f e n d a n ts a t i s f

i e s a l l f i v e o f th e s a f e ty - v a l v e r e l i e f

f a c t o r s f o u n di n 1 8 U . S. C. § 3 55 3(f) i ncorpo ra t ed i n U . S . S ent enci ng G ui del i nes M anual § 5 C 1. 2. H ol m es a ls o a r g u e s th a t th e d is tr ic t c o u rt e rr e din d e n y in g h is r e q u e s t f o ram itig a tin g r o le r e duc t i on, pur s ua ntt o U . S . S e nt e nc i ng G ui de l i ne s M a nua l § 3B 1. 2( a ) , be c aus e he w as p l ai n l y th e l eastcu l p ab l e o f th e g ro u p o f co -co n sp i rat o rs. A s w i l l be di s c us s e d be l ow , w e onl yne e d r e a c h H ol m e s ’ s f i r s ta r gum e nt b ecau se h i s seco n d o n e i s m o o t . W e h av e j u ri sd i ct i o n t o rev i ew H o l m es’ s fi rst i ss ue un der U

ni te d State s v . Cr uz , 10 6 F . 3d 15 53 , 15 56 -57 (11 th C i r. 19 97 ). W hen a n ap p e l l a n tr a i s e s ac l a i m o f e rr o rn o to b

j e c t e dt o b e f

o r e th e d i s tr i c tc o u rtwe r e v ie w o n lyf

o rp la in e rr o r . U

ni ted States v. R odri

gu ez , 398 F . 3d 1291, 1298 ( 1 1 th C ir . 2 0 0 5 ) , ce rt. deni ed , 1 2 5 S . C t. 2 9 3 5 , 1 6 2 L . E d . 2 d8 6 6 ( 2 0 0 5 ) . W e3

“ m ay n o tco rrectan erro r th e d efen d an tfai l ed t o rai se i n th e d i stri ctco u rtu n l ess there i s: (1) e rr or, (2) thati s pl ai n, and (3) thataf fe ct s s ub st ant i al ri gh t s. ” Id . ( in te rn a l q u o ta tio n o m itte d ) . A de f e nda ntha s the bur de n of pr ovi ng hi s e l i gi bi l i tyf orr e l i e f unde rthe s a f e ty - v a lv e p r o v is io n . Cr uz , 106 F . 3d a t1557. T o be e l i gi bl e f orthe s a f e ty - va l ve pr ovi s i on, ade f

e nda ntm us ts a t i s f

yf i ve c ondi t i ons , the f

i r s tof w hi c h i s tha the c a n n o t h a v e m o r e th an o n e c r im in a l h is to ryp o in t. 1 8 U .S .C . § 3 5 5 3 ( f ) ; U ni ted States v. O rozc o , 121 F . 3d 628, 630 ( 11th C i r . 1997) ( pe rc ur i a m ) ; U . S . S e nt e nc i ng G ui de l i ne s M a nua l § 5C 1. 2. W e c onc l ude tha tH ol m e s di d notqua l i f yf oras a f e ty - va l ve r e duc t i on b ecau se h e h ad m o re th an o n e cri m i n al h i st o ry p o i n t . W e n eed n o tad d ress H ol m es ’ s s ec on d i ss ue because H ol m es w as se nt ence d acc ordi ng t o the st atut ory m a n d a t o rym i n i m u m s e n t e n c e . E v e n i f Ho l m e s we r e e n t i t l e dt o aU. S . S . G. § 3 B 1. 2(a) “ rol e r educt i on , ” hi s s ent ence w ou l d b e the sam e bec ause the st atut ory m in im u m w ith o u t as a f

e ty - v a lv e r e d u c tio n e x c e e d s th e g u id e lin e r e c o m m e n d a tio n . Se e Cr uz , 1 0 6 F .3 d a t 1 5 5 5 n .3 . A c c o r d in g ly , w e a f f irm H o lm e s ’s s e n te n c e . A FFI R M ED .