# U ni te d S ta te s Co ur t of A pp ea ls

For the Eig hth Circu it

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No. 1 3- 17 13

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Uni te d S ta te s o f Am eri ca

ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll l Pla in ti

ff - App el le e

v.

Alfo ns o Veg a Dia z

ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll l Defe nd

an t - Ap pe ll an t

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App eal fro m

Uni te d S ta te s Di st ric t Co ur t fo r th e So ut he rn Dis tri ct of I owa - Des M oi ne s

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Su bm it te d: Jan ua ry

16 , 20 14
Fil ed : M arch 25 , 20 14 [Un pu bl is he d]

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Befo re WOL LMAN, BYE, and MELLOY, Circu it Ju dg es

.

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PER CURI AM.

Alfo ns o Veg a Diaz pl ead ed gu il ty to on e co un t of co ns pi racy to di st rib ut e 50 0

gr am s or m or e of a m ix tu re an d su bs ta nc e co nt ai ni ng m et ha m ph et am in e, in vi ol at io n

of 21 U.S.C. §§ 84 1 ( b) (1 )(A) an d 84 6, an d was se nt en ced to 12 0 m on th s’

im pr is on m en t, th e st at ut or y m an da to ry m in im um se nt en ce. Veg a Diaz ap pe al s fro mhi s se nt en ce, arg ui ng th at th e di st ric t co ur t cl earl y erre d in de nyin g hi m rel ie f un de r 1

th e sa fet y -v al ve pro vi si on of 1 8 U.S.C. § 35 53 (f). We affir m

.

A co nf id en ti al in fo rm an t pu rch as ed m et ha m ph et am in e fro m Veg a Diaz an d his

br ot he r-i n- la w, Serg io Ju arez Mat a, du rin g th ree co nt ro ll ed bu y s. On Ju ly 18

, 20 12

, Veg a Diaz

, Ju arez Mat a, an d th e co nf id en ti al in fo rm an t m et at a m ot el an d th en wen t

to ge th er by ve hi cl e to a di ffer en t lo cat io n. W he n th ey arri ve d, Veg a Diaz an d th e

co nf id en ti al in fo rm an t wai te d i n t he ve hi cl e whi le Ju arez Mat a ex it ed an d o bt ai ne d

m et ha m ph et am in e fro m Ada n Garci a Men do za. Upo n Ju arez Mat a’s ret ur n, th e

co nf id en ti al in fo rm an t pu rch as ed on e o u n c e of m et ha m ph et am in e, an d Veg a Diaz

co un te d th e bu y m on ey

. On Ju ly 23

, 20 12

, th e co nf id en ti al in fo rm an t pu rch as ed on e

ou nc e of m et ha m

ph et am in e di rect ly fro m Veg a Diaz

. O n A u g u s t 8, 20 12

, th e

co nf id en ti al in fo rm an t ag ai n tri ed to pu rch as e on e ou nc e of m et ha m ph et am in e fro m Veg a Diaz

, bu t he was un ab le to do so be cau se Veg a Diaz co ul d no t pr o c u re th e
dr ug s. The co nf

id en ti al in fo rm an t ov erh eard a ph on e cal l be twee n Veg a D i a z a n d

Garci a Men do za, du rin g whi ch th ey di sc us se d a sh ip m en t of m et ha m ph et am in e. The

ne xt da y , th e co nf

id en ti al in fo rm an t pu rch as ed on e ou nc e of m et ha m ph et am in e fro m Veg a Diaz

. Law en fo rcem en t of fic ia ls th en in st ru ct ed th e co nf id en ti al in fo rm an t to

or de r th ree ad di ti on al ou nc es of m et ha m ph et am in e, whi ch he di d. Garci a Men do za
de li ve red th ree ou nc es to Veg a Diaz

, who was in po ss es si on of th e m et ha m ph et am in e
whe n he was arre st ed

. A se arch of Garci a Men do za’s st as h ho us e rev eal ed fo ur -an da-h al f po un ds of m et ha m ph et am in e.

Fo ll owi ng Veg a Diaz ’s gu il ty pl ea, he req ue st ed a pr of fer in te rv ie w so th at he

co ul d s eek rel ie f fro m th e st at ut or y m an da to ry

m in im um sen te nc e u nd er t he saf

et y

v a l ve pr ov is io n of 18 U.S.C. § 35 53 (f). Lon ni e Nam an ny, a sp eci al ag en t wit h t h e

Dru g Enfo rcem en t Adm in is tra ti on , co nd uc te d th e in te rv ie w. Veg a D ia z to ld

The Ho no rab le Ro na ld E. Lon gs ta ff, Uni te d St at es Dis tri ct Ju dg e fo r th e 1

So ut he rn Dis tri ct of I owa

.

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-Nam an ny th at Ju arez Mat a ha d in tro du ced hi m to Garci a Men do za, who m he di d no t

kn ow well

. Veg a Diaz sa id th at he ha d so ld m et ha m ph et am in e o n l y t o t he

co nf id en ti al i n f

o rm an t an d on ly on th e da te s of th e co nt ro ll ed bu y s. Acco rd in g to

Nam an ny, Veg a Diaz la te r ad m it te d th at he al so ha d s o ld m et ha m ph et am in e to an

u n kn own pe rs on at a ba r. Veg a Diaz cl ai m ed th at he di d no t kn ow ho w mu c h t h e

co nf id en ti al in fo rm an t pa id fo r t h e met ha m ph et am in e, bu t la te r sa id th at he ha d

c h a r g e d $ 15 00 fo r on e ou nc e. Nam an ny d id no t be li ev e th at Veg a Diaz was b e i n g

tru th fu l an d th ou gh t th at h e w a s m in im iz in g hi s ro le in th e co ns pi racy. Nam an ny

te rm in at ed th e in te rv ie w aft er t hi rty m in ut es

.

Nam an ny an d Veg a D ia z te st ifi ed at th e se nt en ci ng he ari ng

. Nam an ny te st ifi ed

th at th e qu an ti ti es of m et ha m ph e t am in e th at Veg a Diaz so ld were co ns is te nt wit h

qu an ti ti es so ld by a dr ug de al er, no t by an ad di ct who was se ll in g to ob ta in dr ug s fo r

pe rs on al us e. Veg a Diaz te st ifi ed th a t h e h a d so ld m et ha m ph et am in e on th ree

oc cas io ns to th e co nf

id en ti al in fo rm an t, bu t he de ni ed ha vi ng so ld m et ha m ph et am in e

to an in di vi du al in a ba r or ha vi ng ad m it te d t o Nam an ny tha t h e h ad do ne so

. Veg a

Diaz al so te st ifi ed th at he di d no t kn ow ho w m uc h th e co nf

id en ti al in fo rm an t pa id fo r

th e dr ug s. The di st ric t co ur t de ni ed sa fet y -v al ve r e l ie f, fin di ng th at Veg a Diaz ha d

fai le d to tru th fu ll y pr ov id e to th e go ve rn m en t al l in fo rm at io n he ha d co nc ern in g th e

co ns pi racy:

[A]fter care fu ll y co ns id eri ng th e ev id en ce , I th in k th at du rin g th e in te rv ie w [Veg a Diaz ] ga ve in co ns is te nt st at em en ts to th e ag en t, an d in
do in g th a t se ve rel y da m ag ed hi s cred ib il it y , an d by te st ifyin g to da y , I
do n’t se e whe re he ad de d a n yt h i n g th at wou ld al lo w m e to fin d at th is
ti m e th at he is carr y in g h is bu rd en of p ro vi di ng tru th fu l i nf or m at io n.

Veg a Dia z co nt en ds th at he was en ti tl ed to a sa fet y -v al ve sen te nc e red uc ti on

un de r 18 U.S.C. § 35 53 (f). “ Safe ty-val ve rel ie f al lo ws th e di st ric t co ur t to di sr eg ard

an ap pl ic ab le st at ut or y m in im um if cert ai n req ui rem en ts are m et .” Uni te d S ta te s v

. Barr era, 56 2 F.3 d 89 9, 90 2 (8 th Ci r. 20 09 ). The re are fiv e st at ut or y req ui rem en ts fo r

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-sa fet y -v al ve el ig ib il it y , an d it is un di sp ut ed th at Veg a Diaz m et th e fir st fo ur

. See 18

U.S.C. § 35 53 (f)(1 )-(4 )

. At is su e is whe th er he m et th e fif th req ui rem en t, whi ch

pr ov id es th at “ no t la te r th an th e ti m e of th e se nt en ci ng he ari ng , th e de fen d a n t ha s

tru th fu ll y pr ov id ed to th e Gov ern m en t al l in fo rm at io n an d ev id en ce th e de fen da nt ha s

co nc ern in g th e of

fen se or of

fen se s th at were pa rt of th e sa m e co ur se of co nd uc t or of

a co m m on sc he m e or pl an

. . . .” Id

. § 35 53 (f)(5 ). “ W e re vi ew fo r cl ear erro r a
di st ric t co ur t’s fin di ng s as to th e co m p l e t e n es s an d tru th fu ln es s of a de fen da nt ’s

sa fet y -v al ve pr of

fer.” Uni t e d S t a t e s v. So to

, 44 8 F.3 d 99 3, 99 5 (8 th Ci r. 20 06 )
(q uo ti ng Uni te d S ta te s v . Bol an os , 40 9 F .3d 10 45 , 10 47 (8t h C ir. 2 00 5) ).

The di st ric t co ur t di d no t cl earl y err in fin di ng th at Veg a Diaz was no t cred ib le

an d ha d no t tru th fu ll y pr ov id ed al l in fo rm at io n he ha d reg ard in g th e co ns pi racy. As

se t f o r t h ab ov e, Veg a Diaz ga ve in co ns is te nt st at em en ts reg ard in g whe th er he ha d

so ld m et ha m

ph et am in e to an y on e ot he r th an th e co nf id en ti al in fo rm an t an d whe th er
he kn ew th e pr ic e th at th e co n f i d e n t i a l in fo rm an t ha d pa id fo r on e ou nc e of

m et ha m ph et am in e. Mo reo ve r , a l t h o ug h Veg a Diaz te st ifi ed th at he di d no t kn ow
Garci a Men do za well

, he rep eat ed ly ha d be en ab le to pr oc ur e m et ha m ph et am in e fro m
Garci a Men do za du rin g a m ul ti -week ti me sp an

. In li gh t of th e qu an ti ti es of

m et ha m ph et am in e Veg a Diaz ha d so ld to th e co nf id en ti al in fo rm an t an d Veg a Diaz ’s

ad m is si on to Nam an ny th at he ha d di st rib ut ed to an un kn o w n p e r s o n a t a ba r, th e
di st ric t co ur t co ul d al so reas on ab ly in fer th at Veg a Diaz ha d a la rg er ro le in th e

co n s p i r acy th an m erel y se ll in g m et ha m ph et am in e to th e co nf

id en ti al in fo rm an t on

th ree occ as io ns

. See Uni te d Stat es v. Alva rad o- Ri ve ra, 412 F.3 d 94 2, 94 8 (8t h Cir.

20 05 ) (en ba nc ) (“ In m ak in g it s as se ss m en t of th e tru th fu ln es s of a sa fet y va lv e

pr of fer, th e di st ric t co ur t is e nt it le d to dr aw reas on ab le in fere nc es fro m th e

ev id en ce.”)

. The di st ri c t c o u r t t h us di d no t err in de nyin g Veg a Diaz sa fet y -v al ve
rel ie f fro m

th e st at ut or y

m an da to ry

m in im um sen te nc e.

The sen te nc e is affi rm ed

.

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