# 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 7- 24 45

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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.

W es le y Sch m el zer

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

an t - Ap pe ll an t

__ __ __ __ __ __ App eal fro m

Uni te d S ta te s Di st ric t Co ur t fo r th e Nor th ern Dis tri ct of I owa - Ced ar Ra pi ds

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Su bm it te d: May 18, 2 01 8 Fi le d: Aug us t 2 7, 2 01 8 [Un pu bl is he d]

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Befo re WOL LMAN, BENTON, an d S TRAS, Ci rcu it Ju dg es

.

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PER CURI AM.

We s le y Sch m el zer pl ead ed gu il ty to po ss es si on wit h in te nt to di st rib ut e a

co nt ro ll ed su bs ta nc e in vi ol at io n of 21 U.S.C. § 84 1( a)(1 ) an d (b )(1 )(B)

. Afte r de te rm in in g th at Sch m el zer w a s a care er of fen de r un de r Uni te d St at es Sen te nc in g Gui de li ne s (U.S.S.G. or Gui de li ne s) § 4B 1.1
, b a s e d o n wha t it fo un d to be si xpr ed ic at e of

fen se s, th e di st ric t co ur t se nt en ced hi m to 23 5 m on th s’ im pr is on m en t, to 1
be fo ll owe d by a fiv e-year te rm of su pe rv is ed rel eas e. Sch m el zer al le ge s pr oc ed ur al

erro r in hi s s en te nc e an d c ha ll en ge s i ts su bs ta nt iv e rea so na bl en es s. We affir m

.

The pr ob at io n of

fic e’s pr es en te nc e rep or t (PSR ) reco m m en de d th at Sch m el zer be cat eg or iz ed as a care er of fen d e r b a s e d on hi s: (1 ) Mar ch 20 02 co nv ic ti on fo r de li ve ry of a co nt ro ll ed su bs ta nc e, (2 ) Apr il 20 0 2 co nv ic ti on fo r po ss es si on of

co cai ne wit h in te nt to de li ve r, (3 ) Ja nu ary 20 10 co nv ic ti on fo r po ss es si on of pr ec ur sor
pr od uc ts us ed to m an uf

act ur e a co nt ro ll ed su bs ta nc e (p os se ss io n of pr ecu rs or s)
, (4 )
Mar ch 20 10 co nv ic ti o n f o r po ss es si on of pr ecu rs or s, (5 ) May 20 10 co nv ic ti on fo r
po ss es si on of pr ecu rs or s, an d (6 ) Mar ch 20 13 co nv ic ti on fo r do m es ti c as sa ul t cau si ng bo di ly in jury (s tra ng ul at io n)

. Sch m el zer di d no t ob ject to hi s caree r of

fen de r st at us

or to th e ch arac te riz at io n of th e si x of fen se s as pr ed ic at e of

fen se s. Acco rd in gl y , th e PSR de te rm in ed th at Sch m el zer ha d a to ta l of fen se le ve l of 31 an d a cri m in al hi st or y
cat eg or y o f I V
, res ul ti ng in an ad vi so ry Gui de li ne s ran ge of 18 8 to 23 5 m on th s’
im pr is on m en t.

Sch m el zer fil ed a m ot io n fo r do wnwar d va ria nc e, whi ch th e d i s t r i ct co ur t de ni ed

. In im

po si n g s e n t e n c e , th e di st ric t co ur t st at ed th at Sch m el zer ha d a

“ [s ]ign ifi can t an d ve r y se rio us cri m in al hi st or y ” an d is “ in th e tru es t se ns e a care er cri m in al
, a c a r e e r of

fen de r.” The di st ric t co ur t al so no te d th at Sch m el zer ha d

“ m ul ti pl e pr io r co nv ic ti on s for bu rg la ry , as sa ul ts , m ul ti pl e do m es ti c ab us e as sa ul ts , th eft
, po ss es si on of co nt ro ll ed su bs ta nc e, fel on y de l i v e r y of co nt ro ll ed su bs ta nc es , fel on y po ss es si on of co cai ne wit h in te nt to de li ve r, es cap e,

. . . 3 fel on y po ss es si on s of pr ecu rs or s, [an d] ha ras sm en t.” It st at ed th at Sch m el zer “ was on st at e pa pe r whe n he co m m it te d th is of

fen se ” an d th at he ha d si x pr ed ic at e of fen se s in su pp or t of hi s

c a r e e r o ffen de r st at us , whi ch di d no t ta ke in to acco un t a “ nu m be r of se rio us

The Hon or ab le Lin da R. Rea de
, Uni te d St at es Dis tri ct Ju dg e fo r th e Nor th ern 1 Dis tri ct of I owa

.
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-co nv ic ti on s” fro m whe n he was y ou ng er, in cl ud in g th ird -d eg ree b u rg la ry , th eft
,

m ul ti pl e as sa ul ts , m

ul ti pl e in te rfer en ces wit h of fic ia l act s, m

ul ti pl e in st an ces of

op erat in g a m ot or ve hi cl e wit ho ut a li cen se , an d pu bl ic in to xi cat io n. The d i s tri ct

co ur t furt he r ad de d th at it ha d “ care fu ll y co ns id ered each an d eve ry fact or un de r 18
U n i t e d St at es Co de Sect io n 35 53 (a)” an d th at ev en if Sch m el zer were no t fo u n d t o be a care er of

fen de r, it “ wou ld de pa rt or va ry up ward to

. . . 2 35 m on th s, th e to p of
th e ad vi so ry gu id el in es , ba se d on [Sch m el zer’s] en ti re reco rd ;” th e se rio us ne ss of hi s cri m in al hi st or y ; hi s reci di vi sm ; hi s la ck of res pe ct for th e la w and ot he rs ; t he ne ed

to pr ov id e jus t pu ni sh m en t, to affo rd ad eq ua te pr ot ect io n, an d to pr ot ect t h e p u b l ic
fro m fur th er cr im es

.

“ In rev ie win g a ch al le ng e to a s en te nc e, we m us t fir st en su re th at th e di st ric t

co ur t co m m it te d no si gn ifi can t pr oc ed ur al erro r.” Uni te d St at es v. Tim be rla ke
, 67 9
F.3 d 10 08
, 10 1 1 ( 8 t h C i r. 20 12 ) (in te rn al qu ot at io n om it te d)

. “ If we di sc ov er no
pr oc ed ur al erro r, we th en co ns id er th e su bs ta nt iv e reas on ab l e n es s of th e se nt en ce im po se d u nd er a d efer en ti al ab us e-o f-d is cret io n s ta nd ard .” Id

.

Und er Gu i d e l i n e s § 4B 1.1 (a), a de fen da nt m ay be se nt en ced as a care er of fen de r if (1 ) he “ was at le as t ei gh te en y ears ol d at th e ti m e [h e] co m m it te d th e in st an t of fen se of co nv ic ti on ; (2 ) th e in st an t of fen se of co nv ic ti on is ei th er a cri m e of
vi ol en ce or a co nt ro ll ed su bs ta nc e of fen se ; an d (3 ) th e de fen da nt ha s at le as t two pr io r fel on y co nv ic ti on s of ei th er a c rime o f vi ol en ce or a co nt ro ll ed su bs ta nc e of fen se .”
As rel ev an t he re, th e te rm “ co nt r o l le d su bs ta nc e of fen se ” is de fin ed as an y st at e or fed eral of fen se th at is pu ni sh ab le by m or e th an on e y ear im pr is on m en t an d “ pr oh ib it s th e m an uf

act ur e, im po rt, ex po rt, di st rib ut io n, or di sp en si ng of a co nt ro ll ed su bs ta nc e

. . . or po ss es si on of a co nt ro ll ed su bs ta nc e

. . . wit h in te nt to m an uf act ur e, im po rt,

ex po rt, di st rib ut e, or di sp en se .” U.S.S.G. § 4 B1 .2(b ). Sch m el zer con ced es th at th e di st ric t co ur t co rrec tl y se nt en ced hi m as a care er of fen de r ba se d on hi s 20 02 de li ve ry of a co nt ro ll ed su bs ta nc e co nv ic ti on , h i s 2 0 0 2 po ss es si on of co cai ne wit h in te nt to

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-de li ve r co nv ic ti on , an d hi s 20 13 do m es ti c ab us e in vo lv in g st ran gu la ti on co nv ic ti on

.

Sch m el zer in st ead arg ue s th e di st ric t co ur t co mm i t t e d pr oc ed ur al erro r in

co ns id eri ng hi s t hr ee con vi ct io ns fo r po ss es si on of pr ecu rs or s as pred ic at e of fen se s

un de r Gui de li ne s §§ 4B 1.1 an d 4B1 .2. He co nt en ds th at th e st at ut e un de r whi ch he

was co nv ic te d, Io wa Co de § 12 4.4 0 1 (4 ), cri m in al iz es co nd uc t th at is ou ts id e th e Gui de li ne s de fin it io n of a “ co nt ro ll ed su bs ta nc e o ffen se .” W e ne ed no t de ci de th is
is su e, ho wev er, b ecau se ev en if Sc hm el zer’s p os se ss io n of pr ecu rs or of fen se s wer e d is reg ard ed
, he no ne th el es s wou ld qu al ify as a care er of fen de r ba se d on h i s t w o

un co nt es te d co nt ro ll ed su bs ta nc e of fen se s an d hi s on e un co nt es te d cri m e of vi ol en ce of fen se . Accor di ng ly, an y erro r in th e d is tri ct co ur t’s d et erm in at io n t ha t h e h ad si x
pr ed ic at e o ffen se s— in st ead of t hr ee— was ha rm le ss

.

Sch m el zer al so co nt en ds th at th e di st ric t co ur t im po se d a s ub st an ti ve ly

un reas on ab le s e n t e n ce by fai li ng to ap pr op ria te ly weig h th e se nt en ci ng fact or s se t fo rth in 18 U.S.C. § 35 53 (a). He arg ue s th at th e di st ric t co ur t pl aced to o m uc h weig ht

on hi s cri m in al hi st or y an d ex cl ud ed fro m it s co ns id erat io n ot he r rel ev an t § 35 53 (a)
fact or s. W e di sa gr ee. In ad di ti on to ex pr es sl y st at in g th at it ha d co ns id ered each of
the § 3553 (a) fact or s, th e di st ric t co ur t co ns id ered Sch m el zer’s ag e, fam il y , ed uc at ion
,

an d e m pl oym en t. It a ck no wled ge d h is fat he r-fi gu re ro le for hi s fi an cée’s c hi ld an d
hi s as se rti on th at he ha s m en ta l he al th is su es

. Aga in st th os e fact or s, ho wev er, an d as

no te d ab ov e, th e di st ric t co ur t weig he d Sch m e l z e r’s le ng th y cri m in al hi st or y , hi s reci di vi sm , t he ne ed to pr ov id e jus t pu ni sh m en t, an d th e ne ed to pr ot ect th e pu bl ic
fro m Sch m el zer’s fu rth er cri m es

. The di st ric t co ur t al so no te d th at Sch m el zer la ck ed

a pe rio d of so br ie ty su f

f i c i e n t to en ab le m en ta l he al th pr of es si on al s to accu rat el y d i a g n o s e th e ex te nt of an y se rio us m en ta l il ln es s. The di st ric t co ur t’s th or ou gh

co ns id erat io n o f th e § 35 53 (a) fa ct or s sat is fie s us th at it di d n ot ab us e it s d is cret io n in se nt en ci ng Sch m el zer as it di d. See Uni te d St at es v. Gas away , 68 4 F.3 d 80 4, 80 8 (8 th Ci r. 20 12 ) (h ol di ng th at th e di st ric t co ur t m ay ba la nc e th e § 35 53 (a) fact or s as it de em s ap pr op ria te ).

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-The se nt en ce is affi rm ed

. W e gr an t co un se l’s m ot io n fo r l eav e to wit hd raw.

W e de ny Sc hm el zer’s m ot io ns to s t r i k e th e br ie f pr ep ared by co un se l an d fo r le av e
to fil e a s up pl em en ta l b rie f.

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