FILED U.S. COURT OF AP P EALS E LEVEN T HC IRC U IT JANUARY 18, 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

________________________ N o. 06- 12079 N on -A rgum entC al endar

________________________ D . C. D o c k e tN o . 0 5 - 0 0 3 8 5 - CR- T- 1 7 - TBM 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 U S T O M C L A U G H I N - H U D G S O N , 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

_________________________ ( Jan u ar y 18, 2007) B efo re A N D E R S O N , B A R K E T T an d H U L L , C i rcu i tJu d g es. P E R C U R I A M: J us t o M c L aughl i n- H udgs on appe a l s hi s c onc urr e nt135- m onth s e nt e nc e s f orSection 2D1.1(c )(1) provides for an off ense l ev el of 38 for

150 kilograms or moreof 1 c oc aine . Therewa s n o obje c tio n tothedr ugqu antity

c alculatio n b e ingmoretha n 1 50kil ogra

ms. 2 p o s s e s s io n w ith th e in te n t to d is tr ib u te f iv e o rm o r e k ilo g r a m s o f c o c a in e w h ile onboa r d ave s s e l a nd c ons pi r a c y t o pos s e s s w i th the i nt e ntt o di s tr i but e f i ve or mo r e k i l o g r a ms o f

c o c a i n e w h i l e o n b o a r d av e s s e l , i n v i o l a t i o n o f 4 6 A p p . U . S. C. § 1 90 3(a) , (g), and (j ); 18 U . S . C . § 2 ; and 2 1 U . S . C . § 9 60 (b)( 1)(B )( i i ). A ft er rev i ew , w e affi rm M cL au g h l i n -H u d g so n ’ s sen t en ces. I . B AC KG RO UN D T h e U n ite d S ta te s C o a s t G u a r d ( “U S C G ” ) s p o tte d a“g o f a s t” b o a t in in te rn a tio n a l w a te r s o f

f th e c o a s t o f

C o lo m b ia . T h e g o f

a s t b o a t e n g a g e d in e v a s i v e ma n e u v e r s w h i l e i t s c r e w th r e w b a l e s o f c o c a i n e o v e rb o a r d . Th e U SCG s hota nd di s abl e d the go f a s tboa t ’ s e ngi ne s . U pon boa r di ng the go f a s tboa t , the U S C G f o u n d f o u rc r e w m e m b e r s , in c lu d in g M c L au g h lin - H u d g s o n , a n d ac ap ta in . T he U S C G re covered ei gh tbal es of cocai ne fr om the w at er . C re w m em ber P edro V a lle n z u e llas ta te d th a t th e g o f a s t b o a t h a d b e e n c a rry in g s ix ty b a le s o f c o c a in e . B a s e d on the w e i ghtof

the r e c ove r e d c oc a i ne ba l e s a nd s t a t e m e nt s gi ve n by the cr ew , the go fa stbo atw as tra nspo rt i ng approx i m at el y 1, 50 0 k i l og ra m s of c ocai ne. T h e p re se n ten ce in v es ti g atio n re p o rt (“P S I” ) s et M cL au g h li n -H u d g so n ’s ba s e of f e ns e l e ve l a t38, pur s ua ntt o U . S . S . G . § 2D 1. 1( c ) ( 1) , ba s e d on the c oc a i ne on the go- f

a s tboa tbe i ng 150 ki l ogr a m s orm or e . A f t e ratw o l e ve l s a f

e ty - va l ve 13

r e duc t i on a nd athr e e - l e ve l r e duc t i on f ora c c e pt a nc e of

r e s pons i bi l i ty , M c L aughl i nH udgs on’ s t ot a l of

f e ns e l e ve l w a s 33. W i th ac r i m i na l hi s t ory c a t e gory of I , the P S I reco m m en d ed an ad v i so ry g u i d el i n es ran g e o f 1 3 5 t o 1 6 8 m o n th s. A tse nt enci ng , M cL augh l i n-H ud gson ar gu ed thathe w as ent i t l ed t o a m i no rr ol e r e duc t i on. T he di s tr i c tc our tove rrul e d M c L aughl i n- H udgs on’ s obj e c t i on a nd adop t ed the gu i del i nes c al cul at i on s i n the P S I. M c L aughl i n- H udgs on a s ke d f orat e n y e a rs e nt e nc e . I n m i t i ga t i on, M cL augh l i n-H ud gson st at ed thatw as fr om an extre m el y poo r i sl and w here there w e r e f e w j obs a nd tha the w a nt e d as hor ts e nt e nc e s o he c oul d s e e hi s f a m i l y a nd y oung c hi l dr e n. T h e d is tr ic t c o u r t s e n te n c e d M c L au g h lin - H u d g s o n to c o n c u rr e n t 1 3 5 - m o n th s e nt e nc e s . I n a rr i vi ng a tthi s s e nt e nc e , the di s tr i c tc our ts t a t e d tha ti tc ons i de r e d the a dvi s ory gui de l i ne s r a nge a nd the 18 U . S . C . § 3553( a ) f a c t or s . M c L aughl i nH u d g s o n f

ile d th is ap p e a l. I I . DI S CUS S I ON O n appe a l , M c L aughl i n- H udgs on a r gue s tha tthe di s tr i c tc our te rr e d by f a ilin g to g r a n t h im am in o rr o le r e d u c tio n , p u r s u a n t to U .S .S .G . § 3 B 1 .2 . W e r e vi e w f orc l e a re rr oradi s tr i c tc our t ’ s de t e rm i na t i on of ade f e nda nt ’ s qua l i f

i c a t i on for arol e r educt i on . U ni t ed S t at es v. D e V ar on , 17 5 F . 3d 93 0, 93 7 (11 th C i r.4

1999) ( e n ba nc ) . T he de f e nda ntha s the bur de n of e s t abl i s hi ng hi s r ol e i n the offe nse by aprepon dera nce of the evi dence. Id. at93 9. T w o p ri nci pl es gu i de a d is tr ic t c o u r t’s c o n s id e r a tio n : ( 1 ) th e c o u r t m u s t c o m p a r e th e d e f e n d a n t’s r o le in th e o ffen se w i th th e rel ev an tco n d u ctattri b u t ed t o h i m i n cal cu l at i n g h i s b ase of f e ns e l e ve l ; a nd ( 2) the c our tm a y c om pa r e the de f e nda nt ’ s c onduc tt o tha tof othe rpa r t i c i pa nt s i nvol ve d i n the of f e ns e . I d. a t940- 45. W he n the r e l e va nt c onduc ta ttr i but e d t o ade f e nda nti s i de nt i c a l t o hi s a c tua l c onduc t , he c a nnotpr ove thathe i s e nt i t l ed t o a m i no r- rol e a dj ustm entsi m pl y by poi nt i ng t o som e broader s c he m e f orw hi c h he w a s nothe l d a c c ount abl e . I d. a t941. T he di s tr i c tc our tdi d notc l e a r l y e rri n r e f us i ng M c L aughl i n- H udgs on a m in o r - r o le r e d u c tio n . U n d e rth e f ir s t p r o n g o f

D e V a r o n , th e d is tr ic t c o u r t h e ld M c L a u g h lin - H u d g s o n a c c o u n tab le f o ro n ly h is o w n c o n d u c t, n a m e ly h is i nv ol vem enti n the tra nspo rt i ng of the 1, 50 0 k i l og ra m s of c ocai ne, a s ub st ant i al qua nt i ty of

drugs . U nde rthe s e c ond pr ong of D e V a r on, M c L aughl i n- H udgs on w as atl eastas cu l p ab l e as h i s crew m at es. C ontr a ry t o M c L aughl i n- H udgs on’ s c ont e nt i on, the di s tr i c tc our tdi d not op er at e und era m i st aken bel i ef thatdrug couri er s w er e perse i nel i gi bl e f or a m i nor - r ol e r e duc t i on. T he di s tr i c tc our tc ons i de r e d w he the ram i nor - r ol e r e duc t i on w a s ap p r o p r ia te in M c L au g h lin - H u d g s o n ’s c a s e a n d d e te rm in e d th a t it w a s n o t.5

M cL augh l i n-H ud gson al so ar gu es thatthe di stri ctcourterre d i n i m po si ng an unr e a s onabl e s e nt e nc e , i n l i ghtof the 18 U . S . C . § 3553( a ) f a c t or s . M c L aughl i nH u d g so n co n t en d s th ath i s sen t en ce i s t o o sev ere g i v en h i s p ro d u ct i v e l i fe as a fi sh erm an , l ack o f a cri m i n al h i st o ry an d d i sad v an t ag ed b ack g ro u n d . H e al so a r gue s tha thi s s e nt e nc e r e pr e s e nt s a n unw a rr a nt e d di s pa r i ty be c aus e one of hi s c odefe nd ant s r ec ei ved a 97 -m on th sent ence . A f te rU n ite d S ta te s v . B o o k e r , ad is tr ic t c o u r t in d e te rm in in g ar e a s o n ab le s e nt e nc e , m us tc ons i de rthe c orr e c t l y c a l c ul a t e d s e nt e nc i ng r a nge unde rthe S e nt e nc i ng G ui de l i ne s a nd the f a c t or s i n § 3553( a ) . S e e B ooke r , 543 U . S . 220, 258- 64, 125 S . C t . 738, 764- 67 ( 2005) ; U ni t e d S t a t e s v. T a l l e y , 431 F . 3d 784, 786 (1 1 th C i r. 2 0 0 5 ). W e rev i ew th e u l t i m at e sen t en ce i m p o sed fo r u n reaso n ab l en ess i n l i gh tof § 3 55 3(a) ’ s f ac t ors a nd the re as on s gi ven b y the di stri ctcourt . U ni t ed S t a t e s v. W i l l i a m s , 435 F . 3d 1350, 1354- 55 ( 11th C i r . 2006) . T he pa r ty w ho 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 s h o w in g th a t it is u n r e a s o n ab le . T al l ey , 43 1 F . 3d at78 8. A l tho ug h there i s no p re sum pt i on of re as on abl enes s f or a sen t en ce w i th i n th e ad v i so ry g u i d el i n es ran g e, w h en th e d i stri ctco u rti m p o ses a gu i del i nes s ent ence , “ w e ordi nari l y w i l l expectthatchoi ce t o b e are as on abl e one. ” I d. A ft erre vi ew , M cL augh l i n-H ud gson fa i l s t o sho w thathi s s ent ence s a re6

un re as on abl e. M cL augh l i n-H ud gson ’ s c on curr ent13 5-m on th sent ence s w er e a t the bo tt om of the advi sorygu i del i nes r ange and o nl y one ye arabov e the t en-y ea r m a nda t ory m i ni m um f

orhi s c r i m e s . S e e 21 U . S . C . § 960( b) ( 1) ( B ) ( i i ) . A pa r tf r om the di s tr i c tc our t ’ s r e f

us a l t o gi ve am i nor - r ol e r e duc t i on, M c L aughl i n- H udgs on do es no tdi sput e the di stri ctcourt ’ s gui del i nes c al cul at i on s. T he di stri ctcourt c ons i de r e d M c L aughl i n- H udgs on’ s a r gum e nt s i n m i t i ga t i on abouthi s f oury oung ch i l d ren , el d erl y p aren t s an d d i sad v an t ag ed b ack g ro u n d . T h e d i stri ctco u rtal so in d ic a te d th a t it h a d c o n s id e r e d th e § 3 5 5 3 ( a ) s e n te n c in g f a c to r s a n d b e lie v e d th a t a s e nt e nc e a tthe l ow - e nd of the a dvi s ory gui de l i ne s r a nge w a s s uf f i c i e ntbutnot g r e a te rth a n n e c e s s a ry to c o m p ly w ith th e s ta tu to ry p u rp o s e s o f s e n te n c in g . F urtherm ore, the di spar i ty betw ee n M cL augh l i n-H ud gson ’ s 135 -m on th sent ence s an d h is co -d ef

en d an t’ s 9 7 -m o n th se n ten ce is a r es u lto f th e c o -d ef en d an t’ s s ubs t a nt i a l a s s i s t a nc e a nd the r e f or e i s notunw a rr a nt e d. AF F I RME D.