## United States Court of App eals
F O R T H E E I G H T H

C I R C U I T

__ __ __ __ __ _ No. 1 1- 17 21

__ __ __ __ __ _ Uni te d S ta te s o f Am eri ca, *

* App el le e, * * App eal fro m

th e Uni te d S ta te s
v. * Dis tri ct Co ur t fo r th e
* So ut he rn Dis tri ct of I owa

. Ju an Ald am a Garci a, *

* [UNPUBLISHED] App el la nt

. *

__ __ __ __ __ _ Su bm it te d: Nov em

be r 14 , 20 11 Fi le d: Nov em

be r 25 , 20 11

__ __ __ __ __ _ Befo re RI LEY, Chi ef J ud ge , BEAM an d B YE, Circ ui t J ud ge s.

__ __ __ __ __ _ PER CURI AM.

The ap pe ll an t, Ju an Ald am a Garci a, a Mex ic an na ti on al , pl ead ed gu il ty to on e

co un t of un la wfu l en try aft er de po rta ti on , in vi ol at io n o f 8 U .S.C. §§ 13 26 (a) an d 13 26 (b )(2 ). The d is tri ct co ur t sen te nc ed Garci a to 85 m on th s’ im pr is on m en t. On 1 2
ap pe al , Garci a arg ue s th e di st ric t co ur t cl earl y erre d in fin di ng he w a s a n act iv e

m em be r of th e Lat in Kin gs st reet ga ng at t he ti m e o f th e o ffen se . W e aff irm.

The Hon or ab le Jo hn A. Ja rv ey , Uni te d St at es Dis tri ct Co ur t fo r th e So ut he rn 1 Dis tri ct of I owa

. The di st ric t co ur t al so sen te nc ed Garci a to a co ns ecu ti ve 15 -m on th sen te nc e 2 fo r a s up erv is ed rel eas e v io la ti on , ari si ng ou t o f a s im il ar ca se in Ariz on a.On Ju ly 28 , 20 10 , Garci a was arre st ed in Jo hn so n Co u n t y, Io wa, fo r dr iv in g

whi le hi s li cen se was de ni ed or rev ok ed

. At th e ti m e of th e arre st , Garci a was weari ng bl ack sh oe s wit h y el lo w l aces , a bl ack sh irt , a nd a bl ack Pit ts bu rg h P ira te s ba se ba ll cap wit h a y el lo w “ P” on it

. W he n la te r qu es ti on ed ab o u t hi s cl ot hi ng , Garci a ad m it te d bl ack an d yell ow ar e th e co lo rs of t he Lati n Ki ng s s tre et ga ng

. He fu rth er st at ed th e “ P” on hi s ba se ba ll cap st oo d fo r “ Peo pl e Nati on ,” a gr ou p of ga ng s to whi ch th e Lat i n K in gs be lo ng

. Garci a ad m it te d to be in g a m em be r of th e Lati n Kin gs in th e p as t, b ut de ni ed be in g a ffi li at ed wit h t he ga ng at t he ti m e o f hi s ar res t.

On Aug us t 18 , 20 10 , a gr an d jury ret ur ne d a si ng le -co un t in di ct m en t ch arg in g Garci a wit h un la wfu l reen try aft er de po rta ti on

. See 8 U.S.C

. § 1 3 2 6 ( a), (b )(2 ). Garci a pl ead ed gu il ty to th e of fen se on Nov em

be r 22 , 20 10 , an d a se nt en ci ng he ari ng

wa s s et fo r Mar ch 25 , 20 11

. The on ly co nt es te d is su e at se nt en ci ng was Garci a’s
act iv e m em

be rs hi p i n t he Lati n Ki ng s s tre et ga ng at t he ti m e o f th e o ffen se

.

To es ta bl is h Garci a’s affi li at io n wit h th e Lati n Kin gs at th e ti m e of th e of fen se , th e go ve rn m en t of

fere d ph ot og rap hs of Garci a’s ga ng-r elate d ta tt oo s, in cl ud in g a li on wit h a f i v e
- p o i n t ed cro wn on hi s ch es t, an “ It’s Goo d To Be A Kin g” ta tt oo on hi s fo rear m , an d a t e a r d r o p ta tt oo un de r hi s le ft ey e. Dete ct iv e Mi ch ael Ch an no n, an

ex pe rt on th e Lati n Kin gs , te st ifi ed th e te ard ro p ta tt oo si gn ifi ed a vi ol en t act ta ke n on be ha lf of th e ga ng , an d ex pl ai ne d t h e ta tt oo can on ly be wor n wit h th e ga ng ’s
pe rm is si on

. Dete c t iv e Ch an no n fu rth er te st ifi ed th e fo ll owi ng m ark ers are rep res en ta ti ve of th e Lati n Kin g s st reet ga ng : bl ack an d y el lo w co lo rs ; sp or ts

affi li at ed cl ot hi ng , ge ne ral ly as so ci at ed w i t h th e Io wa Hawke y es , th e Pi tt sb ur gh St e e l ers , or th e Pi tt sb ur gh Pi rat es ; an d an em ph as is on th e le tt er “ P” fo r “ Peo pl e Nati on ,” th e gr ou p of ga ng s to whi ch th e Lati n K i n g s b e l o n g. He op in ed a ga ng

m em be r who wan te d to en d hi s affi li at io n wit h th e ga ng wou ld no t wear ga ng -rel at ed

c o lo rs or di sp la y ga ng -rel at ed ta tt oo s. Acco rd in g to hi s te st im on y , ho wev e r ,
m em be rs hi p i n t he Lati n Ki ng s i s “ fo r li fe” a nd “ on ce you ar e in th e ga ng

. . . [y ]ou do n’t ge t ou t.” Add it io na ll y , th e arre st in g of fic er te st ifi ed th e Lati n Kin gs ha ve be en

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-pr es en t in Jo hn so n Co un ty, Io wa, no te d Garci a wor e th e ga ng ’s co lo rs an d sym bo l on th e da y of hi s arre st , an d st at ed th e Lati n Kin gs po se a pr ob le m fo r la w en fo rcem en t in Jo hn so n C ou nt y

.

Bas ed on th e ev id en ce pr es en te d at th e se nt en ci ng he ari ng , th e di st ri ct co ur t fo un d Garci a was an act iv e m em be r of th e Lati n Kin gs st reet ga ng at th e ti m e of hi s

arre st

. The co ur t co ns id ered Garci a’s ga ng m em be rs hi p as pa rt of it s se ct io n 35 53 (a)

an al y si s in fas hi on in g an ap pr op ria te se nt en ce. See 18 U.S.C. § 35 53 (a)( 1) (req ui rin g

a se n t e n c i n g co ur t to co ns id er th e hi st or y an d ch arac te ris ti cs of th e de fen da nt ). Hav in g cal cu la t e d G a rci a’s ad vi so ry Gui de li ne ran ge at 71 to 87 m on th s, th e co ur t th en sen te nc ed hi m

to 85 m on th s’ im

pr is on m en t. Garc ia ti m el y ap pe al ed

.

The na rro w is su e on ap pe al is whe th er th e di st ric t co ur t erre d in fin di ng Garci a

was an act iv e m em

be r of th e Lat in Kin gs at t he ti m e o f th e o ffen se

. W e rev ie w t he

se nt en ci ng co ur t’s fact ua l fin di ng s fo r cl ear erro r. Uni te d St at es v. Bro ok s, 64 8 F.3 d 62 6, 62 9 (8 th Ci r. 20 11 ). A fin di ng of fact is cl e a r l y erro ne ou s on ly if we are le ft wit h a de fin it e an d fir m co nv ic ti on a m is ta ke ha s be en m ad e. Uni te d St at es v. Gui he en , 59 4 F .3d 58 9, 5 91 (8t h C ir. 2 01 0) (ci ta ti on om it te d)

.

If th e de fen da nt ch al le ng es a fact ua l ba si s fo r hi s se nt en ce, th e go ve rn m en t

m us t p ro ve th e ch al le ng ed fact s b y a pr ep on de ran ce o f th e ev id en ce. Uni te d S ta te s

v. Kan g, 14 3 F.3 d 37 9, 38 1 (8 th Ci r. 19 98 ). At se nt en ci ng , th e go ve rn m en t pr es en te d
te st im on y Garci a wor e th e Lati n Kin gs ’ bl ack an d y el lo w co lo rs an d ha d ga ng -rel at ed
ta tt oo s on th e da y of hi s arre st

. See Uni te d S ta te s v. Ell is on , 6 16 F.3 d 82 9, 83 3- 34 (s ta ti ng ev id en ce th e de fen da nt wor e ga ng co lo rs , ha d ga ng ta tt oo s, a n d u s e d ga ng si gn s was ad m is si bl e, am on g ot he r pu rp os es , to im pe ach d e f e n d a nt ’s te st im on y he

was n o t a memb e r o f th e W es t Si de Hus tl ers ga ng ); se e al so Uni te d St at es v. Lara, 18 1 F.3 d 18 3, 19 0 (1 st Ci r. 19 99 ) (ex pl ai ni ng “ [m ]em be rs of th e Lati n Kin gs si gn al th ei r affi li at io n by sp or ti ng be ad s an d ot he r acco ut erm en ts (in cl ud in g ta tt oo s) in th e ga ng ’s co lo rs –b la ck an d go ld ”); Uni te d St at es v. Bet ha l, 24 5 F. App ’x 46 0, 47 5- 76

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-( 6 t h Ci r. 20 07 ) (Mc Keag ue , J., di ss en ti ng ) (n ot in g ga ng s us e pa rti cu la r co lo rs a n d

sym bo ls to crea te a gr ou p id en ti ty an d rely on pe rm an en t m ark in gs , su ch as ta tt oo s, to in di cat e ga ng m em

be rs hi p)

. The go ve rn m en t fu rth er es ta bl is he d, t hr ou gh ex pe rt wit ne ss te st im on y , on ly act iv e Lati n Kin gs m em be rs can wear th e ga ng ’s co lo rs an d di sp la y th e te ard ro p ta tt oo , whi ch on e earn s by co m m it ti ng a vi ol en t cri m e on be ha lf of th e ga ng

. See Uni te d St at es v. Sp ark s, 94 9 F.2 d 10 23 , 1 0 2 6 ( 8 t h C i r

. 19 91 ) (h ol di ng th e di st ric t cou rt pro pe rly ad m it te d ex pe rt te st im on y on de fen da nt ’s act iv e ga ng m em

be rs hi p)

. Mo reo ve r, al th ou gh de nyin g an affi li at io n wit h th e Lati n Kin gs at th e ti m e of hi s arre st , Garci a ad m it te d to hi s pa st m em be rs hi p in th e ga ng

. In tu rn , th e g o v e r n men t pr es en te d ex pe rt te st im on y m em be rs hi p in th e Lati n Kin gs st reet
ga ng is “ fo r li fe.” See Uni te d St at es v. Si ll s, 12 0 F.3 d 91 7, 92 0 ( 8 t h C i r

. 1 9 9 7 ) (s ta ti ng ga ng -rel at ed ev id en ce, in cl ud in g te st im on y “ ga ng m em be rs hi p is fo r li fe,” is ad m is si bl e to sh ow g an g a ffi li at io n) . Bas ed on th e reco rd , we co nc lu de th e di st ric t

co ur t d id no t cl earl y

err i n fi nd in g Gar ci a was an act iv e m em be r of th e Lat in Kin gs st reet ga ng at t he ti m e o f th e o ffen se

.

Acco rd in gl y , we affi rm

th e d is tri ct co ur t’s jud gm en t.

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