FILED U.S. COURT OF AP P EALS E LEV EN T HC IRC U IT MARCH 10, 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- 11294 N on -A rgum entC al endar

________________________ D. C . Do c k e tNo . 0 4 - 0 0 0 1 6 - C R - F T M- 2 9 - DN F 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 U A N R E Y E S , a .k .a . C a c o , 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

_________________________ ( M ar c h 10, 2006) B efo re T JO F L A T , B IR C H an d H U L L , C i rcu i tJu d g es. P E R C U R I A M: J u a n R e y e s ap p e a ls h is 1 3 7 - m o n th s e n te n c e f o rc o n s p ir a c y to p o s s e s s w ith2

i nt e ntt o di s tr i but e a nd t o di s tr i but e 5 ki l ogr a m s orm or e of c oc a i ne a nd 1, 000 ki l og ra m s or m ore of m ar i j uana, i n v i ol at i on of 21 U . S . C . §§ 84 6, 84 1(a) (1), ( b ) ( 1 ) ( A ) ( i i ) ( I I ) , a n d ( b ) ( 1 ) ( A ) ( v i i ) . A f t e rr e v i e w , w e a f

f i rm. I . F AC T UA L B AC KG RO UN D R e y e s a nd a c o- c ons pi r a t or , M i gue l G a r c i a , de l i ve r e d appr oxi m a t e l y 2, 250 gram s of c ocai ne t o a m i ni -s t orage uni t . R ey es w as tra vel i ng i n a 19 97 B ui ck L eS abre ow ned b y G ar ci a. A ft erl ea vi ng the st orage uni t , R ey es and G ar ci a w er e s t oppe d by the F l or i da H i ghw a y P a tr ol a nd a rr e s t e d. R e y e s pl e d gui l ty t o the drug c o n s p ir a c y c h a r g e , a d m ittin g th a t, b e g in n in g in 2 0 0 3 , h e h a d h e lp e d G a r c ia tr a ns por tc oc a i ne tha the kne w w oul d l a t e rbe s ol d. A f t e rR e y e s pl e d gui l ty , the di s tr i c tc our tc onduc t e d a s e nt e nc i ng he a r i ng. D ur i ng tha the a r i ng, the di s tr i c tc our the a r d c ons i de r abl e t e s t i m ony r e ga r di ng G a r c ia ’s p o s s e s s io n o f

a f ir e a r m d u r in g th e d ru g c o n s p ir a c y . C h r is to p h e rB r o w n , a s p e c ia l a g e n t w ith I m m ig r a tio n a n d C u s to m E n f o r c e m e n t ( “I C E ” ) , te s tif ie d th a t a s e a r c h o f M ig u e l G a r c ia ’s r e s id e n c e r e v e a le d a lo a d e d n in e - m illim e te rB e r e tta ha ndgun. B r ow n a l s o t e s t i f i e d, ba s e d on s ur ve i l l a nc e a nd m a i l s e i z e d dur i ng the e x e c u tio n o f

a s e a r c h w a rr a n t, th a t R e y e s w a s liv in g in th e G a r c iar e s id e n c e . M ark S tra ng , a s peci al agentw i th the D rug E nforcement A gency ( “ D E A ”) , te s tif ie d th a t h e h a d m o n ito r e d a c o n v e r s a tio n b e tw e e n M ig u e l G a r c iaa n d h is3

br othe rE rne s t o G a r c i a dur i ng w hi c h the y di s c us s e d a r e c e nttr a f f i c s t op i nvol vi ng M i gue l . M i gue l G a r c i a w a s a s ke d i f he ha d the gun w i th hi m a tthe t i m e of the s t op, t o w hi c h he r e pl i e d tha tthe pol i c e c oul d do nothi ng t o hi m be c a us e he ha d a p e r m it a n d th a t h e a lw a y s h a d th e g u n in th e c a r . L ui s C ue va s , a c o- c ons pi r a t or , t e s t i f i e d tha tR e y e s w a s pr e s e ntdur i ng s e ve r a l drug tr a ns a c t i ons be tw e e n hi m a nd M i gue l G a r c i a . C ue va s t e s t i f i e d tha the re ca l l ed se ei ng a ni ne-m i l l i m et erhand gu n o n the fl oo r of G ar ci a’ s B ui ck L eS abre o n th ree o ccasi o n s i n w h i ch R eyes w as p resen t . H e t est i fi ed th ato n th ese occa si on s both G ar ci a a nd R ey es rode t og ether i n the ca r. M oreover, C uevas t es t i fi ed thaton tw o o cc as i on s G ar ci a s ho w ed hi m the hand gu n. H e a l so t es t i fi ed tha tG a r c i a ha d t ol d hi m tha the ha d gott e n a gun l i c e ns e . O n c r os s - e xa m i na t i on, C ue va s a dm i tt e d tha the ha d nots e e n R e y e s ha ndl e the gun a nd tha the c oul d not r e m e m be rthe e xa c tda t e s w he n he s a w the gun on the f l oorof the c a r . A l s o on cr oss- exam i nat i on , defe nse c ou nsel po i nt ed ou tthe contra di ct i on betw ee n C uevas’ s t es t i m on y thatR ey es and G ar ci a w er e a l w ay s t og ether a nd the fa ctthat R e y e s w a s i nc a r c e r a t e d f r om M a r c h 2001 t o O c t obe r2002. A le x S a n c h e z , a c o - c o n s p ir a to r , te s tif ie d th a t R e y e s w a s a lw a y s p r e s e n t w ith G ar ci a, and reca l l ed R ey es col l ec t i ng m on eyfr om hi m up on hi s r ec ei ptof a m a r i j ua na s hi pm e nt . S a nc he z t e s t i f i e d tha the s ol d be tw e e n 10 a nd 20 guns t o theAf ter Unite d St ate s v . B oo ker, 54 3 U .S. 22 0, 12 5 S. Ct. 73 8 ( 20 05 ), thesentenc ingc ourt sti ll 1 must calculate the S entenc ing Guidelines correctly . United States v. Crawf ord, 407 F .3d 1174, 1178 (11th Cir. 2005). Additionally , “ [p ]o st-Booker, wecontinue to review the district cour t’s application of theGuide lin e s ju st a s w edid pre -B oo ker . . . . ” Unite d State s v. El lis , 41 9 F .3 d 11 89 , 1 19 2 ( 11 th Cir. 2005). “We review the district c ourt’s finding s of fac t under U.S.S.G. § 2D1.1(b)( 1) for clea r error, and theapplication of theSentencingGuidelines to those facts de novo.” United States v. Gallo, 195 F.3d 1278, 1280 ( 11th Cir. 1999). 4 G ar ci as . F urtherm ore, S anchez t es t i fi ed thathe and M i gu el G ar ci a goti nt o an a r gum e nti n M a y 2002 ove rS a nc he z ’ s r e f us a l t o c ont i nue c utt i ng c oc a i ne f orthe G a r c i a s , a nd tha tM i gue l G a r c i a c onf r ont e d hi m a nd gunf

i r e w a s e xc ha nge d. B as ed on thi s e vi dence, the di stri ctcourtfoun d thatM i gu el G ar ci a posse ss ed a f i r e a r m . T he di s tr i c tc our ta l s o f ound tha ta tw o- l e ve l f

i r e a rm e nha nc e m e nt p u rsu an tt o U . S . S . G . § 2 D 1 . 1 (b )(1 ) w as ap p ro p ri at e b ecau se (1 ) R eyes w as a m e m be rof

the c ons pi r a c y a tthe t i m e G a r c i a pos s e s s e d the f i r e a rm , ( 2) the pos s e s s i on of

the f i r e a r m w a s i n f

ur the r a nc e of

the c ons pi r a c y a nd ( 3) the po ss es si on w as re as on abl y f ores ee abl e t o R ey es . R ey es obj ec t ed t o the court appl y i ng the tw o- l e ve l e nha nc e m e nt . T he di s tr i c tc our ts e nt e nc e d R e y e s t o 137 m onths ’ i m pr i s onm e nt . T hi s appe a l f ol l ow e d. I I . DI S CUS S I ON O n app ea l , R ey es ar gu es thatthe di stri ctcourterre d i n app l yi ng the fi re arm enhancem ent . S ec t i on 2D 1. 1(b)(1), w hi ch se t s outspec i fi c off ense char ac t er i st i cs 1 p ert ai n i n g t o d ru g o ffen ses, p ro v i d es fo r a tw o -l ev el i n crease in th e b ase o ffen se l evel “ [i ] f adang er ou s w eapo n (i ncl ud i ng a f i re arm ) w as po ss es se d . . . . ”On appe al, R eyes does not challeng e the district court’s findings that Garcia possessed the 2 firea rm, that his possession was in furtherance of the conspiracy or that Reyes wa s a member of the conspiracy

duringat the time of the posse ssion. 5 F urtherm ore, § 2 D 1. 1(b)(1)’ s f i re arm enhancem entm aybe appl i ed w hen a fi re arm i s pos s e s s e d by a c o- c ons pi r a t ori f the gove rnm e ntpr ove s by a pr e ponde r a nc e of the e vi de nc e : “ ( 1) the pos s e s s orof the f i r e a rm w a s a c o- c ons pi r a t or , ( 2) the po ss es si on w as i n furthera nce of the conspi ra cy , (3) the defendantw as a m em ber of the c ons pi r a c y a tthe t i m e of pos s e s s i on, a nd ( 4) the c o- c ons pi r a t orpos s e s s i on w a s r e a s o n ab ly f

o r e s e e ab le b y th e d e f

e n d a n t.” G a llo , 1 9 5 F .3 d a t 1 2 8 4 . R e y e s a r gue s tha the s houl d notha ve r e c e i ve d the f i r e a rm e nha nc e m e nt b e c a u s e th e g o v e rn m e n t f a ile d to s h o w th a t it w a s r e a s o n ab ly f o r e s e e ab le to h im thatM i gu el G ar ci a w ou l d p osse ss a f i re arm . W e di sa gree . A re vi ew of the re cord

2 r e ve a l s s ubs t a nt i a l e vi de nc e s uppor t i ng the c our t ’ s f i ndi ng tha tG a r c i a ’ s pos s e s s i on of the fi re arm w as re as on abl y f ores ee abl e t o R ey es . F i rs t , the courthear d t e s t i m ony f

r om C ue va s tha ton thr e e oc c a s i ons he m e tw i th G a r c i a a nd R e y e s a nd re ca l l ed se ei ng a ni ne-m i l l i m et erhand gu n o n the fl oo r of G ar ci a’ s L eS abre , that Ga r c i a a n d R e y e s h a d r i d d e n t o g e th e ri n th e c a rt o th e s e m e e t i n g s , a n d th a to n two o c c a s io n s G a r c ias h o w e d C u e v a s h is g u n . R e y e s a r gue s tha tC ue va s ’ t e s t i m ony w a s i ns uf f i c i e ntt o s uppor tthe enhancem entbecause i tw as ov er l y gener al and i ncon si st entgi ven thatC uevas6

coul d n otac coun tfor the l engthy peri od of R ey es ’ i ncar ce ra t i on du ri ng w hi ch R e y e s w a s s u p p o s e d ly w ith G a r c ia . A lth o u g h C u e v a s m a y h a v e b e e n v a g u e a s to the dat es he sa w the gu n o n the fl oo r of G ar ci a’ s c ar , C uevas a l w ay s m ai nt ai ned th a t R e y e s w a s p r e s e n t o n th o s e o c c a s io n s . F u rth erm o re, th e d i stri ctco u rth eard t est i m o n y fro m o th ers th atal so s u p p o r te d th e f

in d in g th a t G a r c ia ’s g u n p o s s e s s io n w a s r e a s o n ab ly f o r e s e e ab le to R e y e s . F o re x a m p le , th e d is tr ic t c o u r t h e a r dte s tim o n y f r o m A g e n t B r o w n th a t a s e a r c h of G a r c i a ’ s r e s i de nc e r e ve a l e d a l oa de d ni ne - m i l l i m e t e rB e r e tt a ha ndgun and thatR ey es had b ee n l i vi ng atthe re si dence atthe t i m e the se ar ch w arra ntw as e x e c u te d . A g e n t S tr a n g te s tif ie d th a t h e m o n ito r e d a c o n v e r s a tio n in w h ic h G a r c ia s ta te d to h is b r o th e rth a t h e h a d a g u n p e rm it a n d th a t h e a lw a y s k e p t th e g u n in h is c a r . F i na l l y , S a nc he z t e s t i f i e d ( 1) tha the s ol d be tw e e n t e n a nd tw e nty guns t o the G ar ci as , (2) thatdu ri ng a c on fr on t at i on w i th M i gu el G ar ci a i n M ay20 02 gu nfi re w a s e xc ha nge d a nd ( 3) tha tR e y e s a l w a y s a c c om pa ni e d G a r c i a a nd c ol l e c t e d drug p a y m e n ts f

o rG a r c ia . T hi s e vi dence i s c l ea rl y s uffi ci entt o sup po rtthe di stri ctcourt ’ s f i nd i ng that G a r c ia ’s p o s s e s s io n o f

th e f ir e a r m w a s r e a s o n ab ly f o r e s e e ab le to R e y e s . A cc ordi ng l y, w e a ff

i rm R ey es ’ s s ent ence . AF F I RME D.