FI LED U. S . COURT OF AP PE ALS E L E V E N T H C IR C U IT June 9, 2006 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. 05- 15833 N on -A rgum entC al endar

________________________ D . C. D o c k e tN o . 0 4 - 6 0 1 3 1 - CR- W PD 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 D A V E R O R O L L E , D e fe 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 forthe S outhe r n D i s tr i c tof F l or i da

_________________________ ( Ju n e 9, 2006) B efo re T JO F L A T , B L A C K an d B A R K E T T , C i rcu i tJu d g es. P E R C U R I A M: T hi s c a s e i s be for e us foras e c ond t i m e . I n U ni t e d S t a t e s v. R ol l e , N o. 04-Appellant pled guiltyto, and was sentence d, on four counts of drugtraff icking , in violation 1 of 21 U.S.C. §§ 841(a)( 1), 846, and 963. 2 15728 ( J ul y 25, 2005) ( notpubl i s he d) , w e va c a t e d a ppe l l a nt ’ s c onc urr e ntpr i s on s e nt e nc e s of

168 m onths pur s ua ntt o U ni t e d S t a t e s v. B ooke r , 543 U . S . 220, 125

1 S . C t . 7 3 8 , 1 6 0 L . E d . 2 d 6 2 1 ( 2 0 0 5 ) , a n d r e m a n d e d th e c a s e fo rr e s e n t e n c i n g . On r e m a nd, the di s tr i c tc our ttr e a t e d the G ui de l i ne s a s di s c r e t i ona r y a nd c ons i de r e d the s e nt e nc i ng obj e c t i ve s s e touti n 18 U . S . C . § 3553( a ) , a s B ooke ri ns tr uc t s , a nd s e nt e nc e d a ppe l l a ntonc e a ga i n t o c onc urr e ntpr i s on t e r m s of 168 m onths . H e now ap p eal s h i s sen t en ces. T h i s case b eg an w h en th e D ru g E n fo rcem en tA g en cy i n t ercep t ed t w o b o at s, c a rr y in g 8 1 6 .5 8 k ilo g r a m s o f c o c a in e , te n m ile s o f

f o f th e c o a s t o f

S o u th F lo r id a . A pp el l antw as dri vi ng on e of the bo at s. In thi s app ea l , he cl ai m s thatthe di stri ct c our tc om m i tt e d c l e a re rr orw he n i ttr e a t e d hi m a s the c a pt a i n of hi s ve s s e l a nd e nha nc e d hi s s e nt e nc e a c c or di ngl y . A c c or di ng t o hi m , C ongr e s s i nt e nde d the e n h a n c e m e n t to ap p ly o n ly to th o s e w h o a r e lic e n s e d o ro th e r w is e o f f ic ia lly re cogn i ze d as posse ss i ng a s peci al ski l l , e. g. , the ca pt ai n o f al ar ge vess el w ho has e i the rope r a t i ona l orna vi ga t i ona l s ki l l , nots om e one l i ke hi m w ho m e r e l y s t e e r e d a sm al l bo atand exh i bi t ed nei ther operati on al com m and o f the cr ew no r navi gat i on al ski l l . H e c l ai m s, m oreover, thatthe G ov er nm entfa i l ed t o est abl i sh thathe w as e m pl oy e d t o c a pt a i n the boa t( w i thi n the m e a ni ng of the G ui de l i ne s ) ortha ta ny ofSe c tio n 3 B 1. 3 enh anc e s a defend ant’ s sentenc eif

“ thedefend ant . . . us e d a sp e c ial skill , 2 in a manner

that signific antly fac ilitated the commission or c oncealment of the off ense.” U.S.S.G. § 3B1.3. 3 the c r e w m e m be r s i de nt i f i e d hi m a s the c a pt a i n. T h e G u id e lin e s in s tr u c t th e s e n te n c in g c o u r t in ad r u g c a s e s u c h a s th is to i nc r e a s e the de fe nda nt ’ s ba s e of fe ns e l e ve l by t w o l e ve l s “ [ i ] f the de fe nda nt u n la w f u lly im p o r te d o re x p o r te d ac o n tr o lle d s u b s ta n c e u n d e rc ir c u m s ta n c e s in w hi ch . . . the defendantac t ed as a pi l ot , copi l ot , capt ai n, navi gat or, fl i gh toffi ce r, or any other operati on offi ce r abo ar d any cr af tor vess el carr yi ng a c on trol l ed subst ance . . . . ” U . S . S . G . § 2 D 1. 1(b)(2)(B). N ot e e i gh tof the com m ent ar y t o that g u id elin e d iffe re n ti ates b etw ee n § 2 D 1 .1 an d U .S .S .G . § 3 B 1 .3 , statin g th at “a 2 defe nd antw ho used spec i al ski l l i n the com m i ss i on of the offens e m ay be subj ec t to a n e n h a n c e m e n t u n d e r§ 3 B 1 .3 .” U .S .S .G . § 2 D 1 .1 , c o m m e n t. ( n .8 ) . I n r e vi e w i ng a n e nha nc e m e ntpur s ua ntt o § 2D 1. 1( b) ( 2) ( B ) , w e ha ve a dopt e d a“ f

unc t i ona l de f

i ni t i on” of

the t e r m s “ c a pt a i n” a nd “ pi l ot , ” ba s e d upon the fa c t s of the c a s e , r a the rtha n ana rr ow de f i ni t i on. U ni t e d S t a t e s v. C a r t w r i ght , 413 F . 3d 12 95 , 12 98 (11th C i r. 20 05 ), ce rt . deni ed, 12 6 S . C t . 11 16 (200 6). In C a r t w r i ght , w e c onc l ude d tha tthe de fe nda nt“ e a s i l y qua l i f i e d forthe enhancem ent ” w hen h e ( 1) w as a l i fe l on g fi sher m an, (2) drove the bo atas i tl ef t J a m a i c a , ( 3) fol l ow e d di r e c t i ons c onc e r ni ng w he r e t o s t e e rthe boa t , a nd ( 4)4

navi gat ed the shi p. Id. at12 99 . A dd i t i on al l y, w e hel d thatthe fa ctthat C a r tw r ig h t’s c o - c o n s p ir a to r s a ls o s te e r e d th e b o a t d id n o t e f fe c t th e a n a ly s is “b e c a u s e th e e n h a n c e m e n t e x p lic itly in c lu d e s ‘c o p ilo ts .’” I d . B e c a us e a ppe l l a nta dm i tt e d t o dr i vi ng one of the ve s s e l s us e d t o i m por tthe drug s, the di stri ctcourtcom m i tt ed no cl ear e rr or i n enh anci ng hi s off ense l evel b a s e d u p o n h is r o le in th e o f fe n s e . A ppe l l a ntc l a i m s tha te ve n though the c our tm a y notha ve e rr e d i n e nha nc i ng h i s o f fe n s e l e v e l i n th i s fa s h i o n , h i s s e n t e n c e s a r e n o n e th e l e s s u n r e a s o n a b l e . He c ont e nds tha t , a tthe t i m e he c om m i tt e d the of fe ns e , he w a s onl y t w e nty y e a r s ol d, h a d n o p r io rc r im in a l r e c o r d , a n d w o r k e d m e n ia l jo b s to s u p p o r t h is c h ild . F ur the r m or e , hi s c ode fe nda nt s r e c e i ve d pr i s on s e nt e nc e s s hor t e rtha n hi s , r a ngi ng fr om 57 m on ths t o 1 20 m on ths, and t hi s di spar i ty r endered hi s s ent ence s u n r e a s o n a b le . A f t e rB ooke r , w e r e vi e w ade fe nda nt ’ s ul t i m a t e s e nt e nc e for

“ u n r e a s o n a b l e n e s s , ” i n th e c o n t e x to f th e § 3 5 5 3 ( a ) fa c t o r s . Se e Bo o k e r , 5 4 3 U . S. a t261, 125 S . C t . a t765; s e e a l s o U ni t e d S t a t e s v. W i ni nge a r , 422 F . 3d 1241, 1246 ( 11th C i r . 2005) . S e c t i on 3553( a ) s t a t e s , i n par t , “ [ t ] he c our t , i n de t e r m i ni ng the parti cul arse nt ence t o b e i m po se d, shal l consi der the need t o avo i d u nw arra nt ed s e nt e nc e di s pa r i t i e s a m ong de fe nda nt s w i th s i m i l a rr e c or ds w ho ha ve be e n found5

gui l ty of s i m i l a rc onduc t . ” 18 U . S . C . § 3553( a ) ( 6) . O the rfa c t or s i nc l ude ( 1) the na tur e a nd c i r c um s t a nc e s of the of fe ns e , ( 2) the hi s t or y a nd c ha r a c t e r i s t i c s of the de fe nda nt , ( 3) the ne e d forthe s e nt e nc e i m pos e d t o r e f l e c tthe s e r i ous ne s s of

the of fe ns e , t o pr om ot e r e s pe c tforthe l a w , a nd t o pr ovi de j us tpuni s hm e nt , ( 4) the n e e d to p r o te c t th e p u b lic , a n d ( 5 ) th e g u id e lin e r a n g e . S e e 1 8 U .S .C . § 3 5 5 3 ( a ) . In thi s c as e, the courtse nt ence d app el l antatthe l ow end o f the G ui del i nes s e nt e nc e r a nge a f

t e rf ul l y c ons i de r i ng the § 3553 fa c t or s , of w hi c h s e nt e nc i ng d is p a r ity is o n ly o n e . A s th e c a p ta in o f h is v e s s e l, a p p e lla n t o c c u p ie d ar o le d if fe r e n t f r o m th a t o f

h is c r e w m e n . G iv e n th e d if fe r e n c e in h is s ta tu s c o m p a r e d to thatof hi s c od ef

endant s, w e c anno tsa y thatthe di ff er ence bet w ee n h i s s ent ence s and t hei rs am ou nt s t o u nw arra nt ed di spar i ty, such thati tre nd er s hi s s ent ence s unr e a s ona bl e . I n s hor t , w e ha ve no ba s i s forva c a t i ng hi s s e nt e nc e s a nd r e m a ndi ng th e case fo r fu rth er p ro ceed i n g s. AF F I R ME D.