FILED U.S. COURT OF A P P E A LS E LE V EN T HC IR C U IT MAR 15, 2007 THOMAS K. KAH

N CLERK [ 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

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________________________ D. C . Do c k e tNo . 0 5 - 0 0 0 9 7 - C R - 3 - L AC 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 O S E A N T O N I O V A R G A S , D e f e n d a n t- A p p e lla n t.

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_________________________ ( M ar c h 15, 2007) B efo re A N D E R S O N , 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: J ua n A nt oni o V a r ga s a ppe a l s hi s c onvi c t i on, a f t e rhi s gui l ty pl e a , f

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c ons pi r a c y t o di s tr i but e a nd t o pos s e s s w i th i nt e ntt o di s tr i but e f i ve ki l ogr a m s or m ore of c ocai ne. 21 U . S . C . §§ 84 1(a) (1), 84 1(b)(1)(A )( i i ), 84 6. V ar gas a rgues tha tthe di s tr i c tc our tf

a i l e d t o a de qua t e l y i nf

or m hi m of

the na tur e of

the c ha r ge a n d , b u tf

o rth a tf a i l u r e , h e w o u l d n o th a v e p l e a d e d g u i l ty . W e a f f i r m. P le a a g r e e m e n ts a r e g o v e r n e d b y F e d e r a l R u le o f C r im in a l P r o c e d u r e 1 1 . B ec ause V ar gas f

ai l ed t o rai se any obj ec t i on s und erR ul e 11 athi s c hang e- of-pl ea he a r i ng, w e r e vi e w the m a t t e ronl y f orpl a i n e r r or . U ni t e d S t a t e s v. M or i a r ty , 429 F . 3d 10 12 , 10 19 (11t h C i r. 20 05 ). P l ai n err or exi st s w hen t here i s ( 1) error, (2) that is p la in , a n d ( 3 ) th a t a f

f e c ts s u b s ta n tia l r ig h ts . I d . A d e f e n d a n t w h o a r g u e s th a t a d is tr ic t c o u r t c o m m itte d p la in e r r o ru n d e rR u le 1 1 “m u s t s h o w a r e a s o n a b le prob abi l i ty that , bu tfor the error, he w ou l d n othave ent er ed the pl ea . ” U ni t ed S ta te s v . D o m in g u e z B e n ite z , 5 4 2 U .S . 7 4 , 8 3 , 1 2 4 S . C t. 2 3 3 3 , 2 3 4 0 ( 2 0 0 4 ) . V a r g a s h a s f

a ile d to e s ta b lis h th a t th e d is tr ic t c o u r t c o m m itte d p la in e r r o r . W he n a di s tr i c tc our ta c c e pt s a gui l ty pl e a , i tm us te ns ur e tha ta de f e nda nt : ( 1) e nt e r s the pl e a f

r e e f r om c oe r c i on; ( 2) unde r s t a nds the na tur e of the c ha r ge s ; a nd (3) und er st ands the consequences of the pl ea . M ori ar ty, 42 9 F . 3d at10 19 . V ar gas a r gue s tha tthe di s tr i c tc our tdi d note ns ur e tha the unde r s t ood the na tur e of the c h a r g e s . T hi s a r gum e ntf

a i l s . V a r ga s e xpr e s s e d c onf us i on a tonl y one poi ntdur i ng3

hi s s e nt e nc i ng he a r i ng. A tthe he a r i ng, the gove r nm e ntr e c ount e d the de t a i l s of V a r g a s ’s in v o lv e m e n t in th e d ru g c o n s p ir a c y , in c lu d in g V a r g a s ’s a g r e e m e n t to del i ver c ocai ne t o R ory R ee dy and t hen t ra nspo rtthe paym entfor thatcoca i ne back t o C al i forni a. W hen t he go vernm entfi ni shed, V ar gas obj ec t ed thathe “ never t al ked t o [R ee dy] l i ke you sai d ri gh tno w . ” L at erdi al og ue re veal ed thatV ar gas m i s t a ke nl y be l i e ve d the gove r nm e ntha d a l l e ge d tha tV a r ga s , upon m a ki ng a c ontr ol l e d de l i ve r y t o R e e dy a f t e rhi s a r r e s t , t ol d R e e dy he w oul d tr a ns por tthe pa y m e ntf

orhi m . T he gove r nm e ntc l a r i f i e d tha ti tm e a ntV a r ga s ha d a gr e e d, before hi s a rr es t , t o d el i ver drugs t o R ee dy and t ra nspo rtthe paym ent . V ar gas then resp o n d ed , “ T h atm ak es sen se fo r m e. T h an k s. ” V arg as th en ad m i t t ed th atth o se f a c ts w e r e tru e . V a r ga s a l s o s t a t e d tha the f ul l y di s c us s e d the f

a c t s w i th hi s a t t or ne y , a nd V a r g a s ’s a tto r n e y s ta te d th a t h e h a d e x p la in e d th e e le m e n ts o f c o n s p ir a c y to V ar gas. V ar gas a ckno w l edged t hathe had m ade a bi g m i st ake a nd sa i d h e w ant ed t o pa y f ori t . T he r e c or d doe s nots ugge s te i the rtha tV a r ga s di d notunde r s t a nd the c ha r ge s ortha the w oul d ha ve c ha nge d hi s pl e a ha d the di s tr i c tc our te xpl a i ne d the char ges t o h i m . T he di stri ctcourtdi d n otpl ai nl y e rr . AF F I RME D.