FILED U.S. COURT OF AP P EALS E LEV EN T HC IRC U IT JUNE 30, 2006 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. 05- 16205 N on -A rgum entC al endar

________________________ D. C . Do c k e tNo . 0 5 - 0 0 2 0 7 - C R - T - 2 6 - MAP 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 V I E R C A S T R O E S T U P I N A 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

_________________________ ( Ju n e 30, 2006) B efo re D U B IN A , C A RN E S an d P R Y O R , C i rcu i tJu d g es. P E R C U R I A M: A pp el l antJa vi erC as tro E stup i nan app ea l s hi s 135 -m on th sent ence i m po se d2

f orpos s e s s i ng w i th i nt e ntt o di s tr i but e f i ve ki l ogr a m s orm or e of c oc a i ne w hi l e on boa r d ave s s e l s ubj e c tt o the j ur i s di c t i on of the U ni t e d S t a t e s , i n vi ol a t i on of 46 A p p . U .S .C . § 1 9 0 3 ( a ) ,( g ) a n d 2 1 U .S .C . § 9 6 0 ( b ) ( 1 ) ( B ) ( ii) , a n d c o n s p ir in g to 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 orm or e of c oc a i ne w hi l e on boa r d a ve s s e l s ubj e c tt o the j ur i s di c t i on of the U ni t e d S t a t e s , i n vi ol a t i on of 46 A pp. U . S . C . § 1 90 3(a) , (g), (i ), and 2 1 U . S . C . § 9 60 (b)( 1)(B )( i i ). O n app ea l , E stup i nan a r g u e s th a t: ( 1 ) th e d is tr ic t c o u r t c le a r ly e rr e d in f in d in g th a t h e w a s n o t e n title d to a m i no r- rol e r educt i on pu rs uantt o U . S . S . G . § 3 B 1. 2(b); and (2) the se nt ence i m pos e d by the c our tw a s unr e a s onabl e . E a c h i s s ue i s di s c us s e d i n turn. I . M in or-R ole R e du c tion Es tu p i n a n a r g u e s th a tth e d i s tr i c tc o u r tc l e a r l y e rr e d i n n o tg r a n t i n g h i m a m i nor - r ol e r e duc t i on be c a us e othe ri ndi vi dua l s i nvol ve d i n the c ons pi r a c y pl a y e d a f a rs upe r i orr ol e tha n hi m a nd he w a s : ( 1) notthe ow ne rof the boa t ; ( 2) di d not p l an th e tri p ; (3 ) d i d n o th el p w i th n av i g at i o n ; (4 ) w as n o tth e o w n er o f th e d ru g s; ( 5 ) w a s n o t p a id c o m m is s io n f o rth e s a le o f

th e d ru g s ; a n d ( 6 ) d id n o t p a r tic ip a te in an y d eci si o n m ak i n g . E stu p i n an arg u es th ath e w as “ m erel y a co u ri er” an d “ o n l y a s a ilo r ” a n d th a t o th e rs im ila r ly s itu a te d d e f e n d a n ts h a v e r e c e iv e d m itig a tin g r o le re du ct i on s a nd l es se r s ent ence s. E stup i nan argues further thatthe court s tre at s im ila r lys itu a te d d e f

e n d a n ts , lik e h im s e lf

, in ad is p a r a te m a n n e r .3

“ [W e have] l on g and re peat edl y hel d thata di stri ctcourt ’ s det erm i nat i on of a defe nd ant ’ s r ol e i n the offens e i s afi nd i ng of fa ctt o b e r evi ew ed on l y f or cl ea r error. ” U

ni te d State s v . R odr i

guezD e V

ar on , 175 F . 3d 930, 937 ( 11th C i r . 1999) ( e n ba nc ) . T he pr opone ntof the dow nw a r d a dj us tm e nta l w a y s be a r s the bur de n of p r o v in g th e m itig a tin g r o le in th e o f f e n s e b y ap r e p o n d e r a n c e o f th e e v id e n c e . I

d. a t939. I n de t e rm i ni ng the de f e nda nt ’ s r ol e , the de c i s i on f a l l s w i thi n the s ound d is c r e tio n o f

th e d is tr ic t c o u r t: “atr ia l c o u r t’s c h o ic e b e tw e e n ‘tw o p e rm is s ib le vi ew s of the evi dence’ i s the very es se nce of the cl ea r e rr or st andard of revi ew . ” I d. a t945. P ur s ua ntt o U . S . S . G . § 3B 1. 2 ( b) , adi s tr i c tc our tm us tde c r e a s e the defe nd ant ’ s off

ense l evel by tw o “ i f the defendantw as a m i no r part i ci pant . ” U . S . S . G . § 3 B 1 . 2 (b ). A m i n o r p art i ci p an ti s o n e “ w h o i s l ess cu l p ab l e th an m o st other part i ci pant s, bu tw ho se rol e c ou l d n otbe desc ri bed as m i ni m al . ” I d. a t c o m m e n t. ( n .5 ) . T w o l e ga l pr i nc i pl e s s houl d gui de the di s tr i c tc our ti n de t e rm i ni ng the d e f e n d a n t’s r o le . D e V

ar on , 1 7 5 F . 3 d at9 3 4 . F i rst , “ th e d i stri ctco u rtm u st m e a s ur e the de f

e nda nt ' s r ol e a ga i ns t[ hi s ] r e l e va ntc onduc t , tha ti s , the c onduc tf or w hi ch [he] has bee n h el d acc ou nt abl e und erU . S . S . G . § 1 B 1. 3. ” I d. In d et erm i n i n g a d efen d an t ’ s co n d u cti n th e o ffen se, th e “ am o u n to f d ru g s i s a4

re l evantfa ct or and . . . un der s om e c i rc um st ance s i tm aybe di sposi t i ve. ” I d. at 9 4 3 . M o r e o v e r , “a d e f

e n d a n t’s s ta tu s a s ad ru g c o u r ie rd o e s n o t a lte rth e p r in c ip le tha tthe di s tr i c tc our tm us ta s s e s s the de f e nda nt ’ s r ol e i n l i ghtof the r e l e va nt cond uctattri bu t ed t o [hi m ] . ” I d. a t942. A “ c our i e rs t a tus i n a nd of i t s e l f i s not di s pos i t i ve of

w he the rade f

e nda nti s e nt i t l e d t o orpr e c l ude d f r om r e c e i vi ng a do w nw ar d adj ustm entfor [ hi s] rol e i n the offens e. ” I d. S ec on d, “ w here the re cord evi dence i s s uffi ci ent , the di stri ctcourtm ayal so m ea sure the defendant ’ s c on du ct a g a in s t th a t o f

o th e rp a r tic ip a n ts ” in th e c r im e . I d. a t934. A f te rr e v ie w in g th e r e c o r d , w e c o n c lu d e th a t th e d is tr ic t c o u r t’s d e c is io n to d en y E stu p i n an a m i n o r-ro l e red u ct i o n i s su p p o rt ed b y th e reco rd . U n d er th e fi rst pron g o f the D e V

ar on t e s t , E s tu p i n a n ’ s r e l e v a n tc o n d u c ta r o s e o u to f h i s o wn a c t i vi t i e s a nd hi s c r i m i na l a gr e e m e ntt o tr a ns f e r4, 300 ki l ogr a m s of

c oc a i ne by vess el . U nd erthe se cond pron g o f the D e V ar on test, w h en co m p ar in g E stu p in an ’s ro l e t o th e ro l e o f o th er p art i ci p an t s i n th e o ffen se, th e fact s d escri b i n g th e o ffen se s h o w th a t h e is e q u a lly c u lp ab le to th e o th e rp a r tic ip a n ts a n d th a t th e o n ly defe nd antw ho appeare d t o b e m ore i nv ol ved than E stup i nan and the other d efen d an t s w as th e d efen d an ti d en t i fi ed as th e m ast er o f th e v essel . B ased o n th ese f in d in g s , th e d is tr ic t c o u r t p r o p e r ly d e n ie d E s tu p in a n ’s r e q u e s t f o ram in o r - r o le r e d u c tio n .5 I I . R eason ab len es s of S en ten ce E s tu p in a n a r g u e s th a t h is s e n te n c e o f 1 3 5 m o n th s im p r is o n m e n t is un re as on abl e bec ause the courtshou l d h ave pl ac ed m ore w ei gh ton the fa ctthat E stup i nan’ s i nv ol vem enti n the offens e r es ul t ed fr om hi s r es po nsi bi l i ty f or se vera l f a m i l y m e m be r s tha ta l l l i ve i n pove r ty w i th no gove rnm e nta s s i s t a nc e a nd tha the di d notboa r d the ve s s e l t o c a rry drugs , butr a the rt o obt a i n m one y t o s uppor ta nd f e e d h im s e lf

a n d h is f a m ily . E s tu p in a n a r g u e s f u r th e rth a t th e d is tr ic t c o u r t s h o u ld ha ve a dj us t e d hi s s e nt e nc e ba s e d on the unw a rr a nt e d s e nt e nc e di s pa r i t i e s tha tha ve r e s ul t e d f

r om s om e de f

e nda nt s r e c e i vi ng m i norr ol e r e duc t i ons a nd othe r s w ho h a v e n o t. P ur s ua ntt o the S upr e m e C our t ’ s i ns truc t i ons i n U ni ted Stat es v. B oo ke r , we r e vi e w adi s tr i c tc our t ’ s s e nt e nc e , i m pos e d a f t e rc ons ul t i ng the gui de l i ne s a nd c o n s id e r in g th e f

a c to r s s e t f

o r th a t § 3 5 5 3 ( a ) , f

o rr e a s o n ab le n e s s . 5 4 3 U .S . 2 2 0 , 2 6 4 - 6 5 ( 2 0 0 5 ) ; Un i te d

S ta te s v . Wi l l i a ms , 435 F . 3d 1350, 1353 ( 11th C i r . 2006) (“ U nd er B oo ke r , w e r e v ie w ad e f e n d a n t’s u ltim a te s e n te n c e f o rr e a s o n ab le n e s s .” ) . I n a s s e s s in g th e r e a s o n ab le n e s s o f as e n te n c e , th e f

a c to r s th a t ad is tr ic t c o u r t s h o u ld c ons i de ri nc l ude the na tur e a nd c i r c um s t a nc e s of the of f e ns e , the hi s t ory a nd c ha r a c t e r i s t i c s of

the de f e nda nt , the ne e d f

ora de qua t e de t e rr e nc e a nd pr ot e c t i on of th e p u b lic , th e p e r tin e n t S e n te n c in g C o m m is s io n p o lic y s ta te m e n ts , a n d th e n e e d to6

a v o id u n w a rr a n te d s e n te n c in g d is p a r itie s . See 18 U . S . C . § 3553( a ) . T he re as on abl enes s r evi ew i s “ defe re nt i al ” a nd focuse s on w hether the se nt ence im p o s e d a c h ie v e s th e p u rp o s e s o f s e n te n c in g a s s ta te d in § 3 5 5 3 ( a ) . U ni ted Stat es v. T al l ey , 43 1 F . 3d 78 4, 78 8 (11 th C i r. 20 05 ). “ F urther, a l aund ryl i stof § 3 55 3(a) f a c t or s i s notr e qui r e d be c a us e ‘ nothi ng i n B oo ke ror el se w here re qu i re s the di stri ct courtt o st at e on the re cord thati thas e xp l i ci t l y c on si dere d eac h o f the § 3 55 3(a) fa ct ors or t o d i sc uss e ac h o f the § 3 55 3(a) fa ct ors. ’ ” Wi l l i a ms , 435 F . 3d a t1353- 5 4 . W e a r e pe r s ua de d tha tE s tupi na n’ s s e nt e nc e w a s r e a s onabl e a s r e f l e c t e d by th e d i stri ctco u rt ’ s co n si d erat i o n o f th e g u i d el i n e ran g e an d th e § 3 5 5 3 (a) factors. T he di s tr i c tc our t ’ s de l i be r a t i ons r e f l e c tc ons i de r a t i on of: ( 1) the na tur e a nd c i r c um s t a nc e s of

the of f e ns e ; ( 2) the ne e d f

ora de qua t e de t e rr e nc e a nd pr ot e c t i on of the publ i c ; a nd ( 3) the hi s t ory a nd c ha r a c t e r i s t i c s of the de f e nda nt . B e c a us e the i m po si t i on of E stup i nan’ s s ent ence w as re as on ed and refl ec t ed consi dera t i on of th e r e l e v a n tf

a c t o r s u n d e r§ 3 5 5 3 ( a ) , i n c l u d i n g th e a d v i s o ry g u i d e l i n e r a n g e , we c o n c lu d e th a t E s tu p in a n ’s s e n te n c e is r e a s o n ab le . F orthe above - s t a t e d r e a s ons , w e a f f i rm E s tupi na n’ s c onvi c t i on a nd se nt ence . AF F I RME D.