# 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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__ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ _ 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 il m er Arq ui Varg as -Ro dr ig ue z
ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll lDefe 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 Dis tri ct of S ou th Dako ta - Abe rd een

__ __ __ __ __ __ Su bm it te d: Marc h 1 2, 2 01 8 Fi le d: Ju ne 6, 2 01 8 [Un pu bl is he d]

__ __ __ __ __ __ Befo re GRUENDER, BEAM, an d KELLY, Circ ui t J ud ge s.

__ __ __ __ __ __ PER CURI AM.

W il m er Arq ui Varg as -Ro dr ig ue z an d two co -d efen da nt s each pl ead ed gu il ty to on e co un t of id en ti ty th eft

. Varg as -Ro dr ig ue z’s un co nt es te d Gui de li ne s ran ge was 18 to 24 m on th s, bu t th e di st ric t co ur t va rie d up ward s an d se nt en ced hi m to 46

m on th s. In do in g so , th e di st ric t co ur t rel ie d pr im ari ly on two fact s : ( 1 ) Varg as Ro d r i g u e z st ol e a car fro m a ren ta l co m pa ny in Las Veg as an d dr ov e it to So ut hDak ot a, an d (2 ) Varg as -Ro dr ig ue z in st al le d cred it card sk im m ers on ga so li ne pu m

ps to st eal card nu m

be rs fo r us e on frau du le nt cred it an d de bi t card s. The se fact s, th e di st ric t co ur t he ld , m ad e Varg as -Ro dr ig ue z m or e cu lp a bl e th an hi s co -d efen da nt s, who m th e co ur t ha d al read y se nt en ced in se pa rat e pr oc eed in gs

. On ap pe al , Varg as Ro dr ig ue z co nt en ds th at th e di st ric t co ur t co m m it t e d pr oc ed ur al erro r an d im po se d

a su bs ta nt iv el y un reas on ab le se nt en ce. “ In rev ie win g a se nt en ce fo r pr oc ed ur al erro r,
we rev ie w th e di st ric t co ur t’s fact ua l fin di ng s fo r cl ear erro r an d it s ap pl ic at io n of th e gu id el in es de no vo .” Uni te d St at es v. Bark er, 55 6 F.3 d 68 2, 68 9 (8 th Ci r. 20 09 ). W e
rev ie w th e se nt en ce im

po se d fo r ab us e of di sc ret io n. Uni te d St at es v. Feem st er, 57 2 F.3 d 4 55 , 46 1 (8 th Cir . 20 09 ) (en ba nc ).

As to pr oc ed ur al erro r, Varg as -Ro dr ig ue z c o nt en ds th at th e di st ric t co ur t’s

va ria nc e was ba se d on cl earl y erro ne ou s fact s. See id

. (n ot in g th at “ [p ]roced ur al erro r in cl ud es

. . . se le ct in g a se nt en ce ba se d on cl earl y erro ne ou s fact s

. . .” (cl ean ed up )). Bec au se Varg as -Ro dr ig ue z d id no t ra is e th is ob jecti on be lo w, we m ay

rev ers e o nl y if th e di st ric t co ur t co mm i t te d a pl ai n erro r th at affe ct s Varg as -Ro dr ig ue z’s

su bs ta nt ia l ri gh ts . Uni te d S ta te s v . Vaug hn , 51 9 F .3d 80 2, 8 04 (8t h C ir. 2 00 8)

.
Tho ug h pl ai n erro r rev i e w o f s e nt en ci ng de ci si on s pl aces a he av y bu rd en on ap pe ll an ts , Varg as -Ro dr ig ue z ha s m et th at bu rd en

. Hav in g th or ou gh ly rev ie wed th e
reco rd , we fin d no ev id en ce th at Varg as -Ro dr ig ue z st ol e a car fro m a ren ta l co m pa ny in Las Veg as . And , a lt ho ug h th e reco rd refe ren ces m an uf act ur in g an d us in g s to le n cred it card s, we are un su re ho w th e d is tri ct co ur t co nc lu de d t ha t Var ga s- Ro dr ig ue z act ua ll y in st al le d card sk im mers on ga so li ne pu m ps

. Fi nd in g no reco rd ev id en ce fro m whi ch we can in tu it th e di st ric t co ur t’s co nc lu si on s, we m us t ho ld th at th e
se nt en ci ng va ria nc e was pl ai nl y erro ne ou s

. G i ve n th e va ria nc e ne arl y do ub le d Varg as -Ro dr ig ue z’s se nt en ce, we ha ve li tt le tro ub le co nc lu di ng it affe ct ed hi s
su bs ta nt ia l rig ht s. Be c a u s e th e se nt en ce su ffer ed fro m pl ai n pr oc ed ur al erro r, we
ne ed not re ac h V ar ga s- Rodr ig uez’ s ar gum en ts co nc er nin g subs ta

nti ve re as ona

ble ne ss.

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-W e v acat e an d re m an d fo r res en te nc in g.

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