# 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- 14 80

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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.

Den ni s Sh ark ey , II

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

an t - Ap pe ll an t

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No. 1 7- 19 17

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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.

Ja co b B ur to n

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

an t - Ap pe ll an t

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App eal s fr om

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 - Dub uq ue

__ __ __ __ __ __Su bm it te d: Jan ua ry 10 , 20 18

Fi le d: Ju ly 18, 2 01 8

[Pu bl is he d]

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Befo re SM ITH, Chi ef J ud ge , MELLOY and SHEPHERD, Circ ui t J ud ge s.

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PER CURI AM.

Den ni s Sh ark ey an d J aco b Bu rto n di st rib ut ed m et ha m ph et am in e th ro ug ho ut

no rth ern Io wa. The y were char ge d wit h c on sp ira cy to di st rib ut e m et ha m

ph et am in e

in vi ol at io n of 21 U

. S .C. § 84 1( a), an d th ey bo th pl ed gu il ty. The di st ric t co ur t 1

se nt en ced Sh ark ey t o 1 4 0 m on th s im pr is on m en t an d Bu rto n to 15 4 m on th s

im pr is on m en t. Bo th de fen da nt s ap pe al

, ci ti ng erro rs wit h th ei r se nt en ces

. W e affi rm

.

I.

At so m e po in t in 20 13

, la w en fo rcem e n t d i sc ov ered a m et ha m ph et am in edi st rib ut io n op erat io n ne ar Dub uq ue

, Io wa. Afte r so m e in ve st ig at io n, Mi ch ael Ben t

was id en ti fie d as a pr im ary di st rib ut or in th e op erat io n. The go ve rn m en t pr oc eed ed

th ro ug h th e pr op er ch an ne ls an d ob ta in ed a wire ta p fo r Ben t’s ph on e. By m on it or in g

th is wire ta p, la w en fo rc e m en t di sc ov ered Sh ark ey an d Bu rto n were lo wer-l ev el

di st rib ut or s o pe ra

tin g unde r Be n t. Bo th de fen da nt s in tro du ced pr os pe ct iv e cu st om ers

to Ben t, an d bo th so ld va rio u s a m ou nt s of m et ha m ph et am in e on a nu m

be r of

oc cas io ns in fu rth eran ce of th e sc he m e. The de fen da nt s were ch arg ed by in di ct m en t

in May 20 16 an d each ul ti m at el y p l e d g u i l t y to a si ng le ch arg e of co ns pi racy to

di st rib ut e m et ha m

ph et am in e.

1 The Hon or ab le Leo na rd T. St ran d, Ch ie f Ju dg e, Uni te d Stat es Dis tri ct Co ur t

fo r th e Nor th ern Dis tri ct of I owa

.

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-In pr ep arat io n fo r se nt en ci ng

, th e pr ob at io n of fic e p r ep ared a pr es en te nc e

in ve st ig at io n rep or t (“ PSR” ) on each of th e de fen da nt s. Sh ark ey ’s PSR as si gn ed hi m

a to ta l offe ns e le ve l of 29 an d a cri m in al hi st or y cat eg or y of V. Bu rto n’s no te d th at

he ha d a to ta l o ffen se le ve l of 29 an d a cri m in al hi st or y cat eg or y of IV. As a res ul t

of th is in fo rm at io n, t he pa rti es ag reed th at Sh ark ey ’s ad vi so ry sen te nc in g g ui de li ne

ran ge was 14 0 to 1 7 5 mo n t h s a n d Bu rto n’s was 15 1 to 18 8 m on th s. The co ur t

se nt en ced Sh ark ey

an d B ur to n, re sp ect iv el y , to 14 0 a nd 15 4 m on th s i m pr is on m en t.

Bo th de fen da nt s ap pe al , arg ui ng th at th e di st ric t cou rt im po se d su bs ta nt iv el y

un reas on ab le sen te nc es , and Bu rto n a ss ert s an ad di ti on al cla im of pr oc ed ur al erro r.

II.

W e “ fir st en su re th at th e di st ric t c o u r t co m m it te d no si gn ifi can t pr oc ed ur al

erro r[] su ch as fai li ng to cal cu la te (o r im pr op erl y cal cu la ti ng ) th e Gui de li ne s ran ge .”

See Gall v. Uni te d S t a t e s

, 5 5 2 U.S. 3 8, 51 (2 00 7)

. W e th en rev ie w t he su bs ta nt iv e

reas on ab le ne ss of th e de fen da nt s’ se nt en ces fo r ab us e of di sc ret io n. Uni te d St at es v.

Ph el p s

, 5 3 6 F

. 3 d 86 2, 86 9 (8 th Ci r. 20 08 ). “ [S]ub st an ti ve ap pe ll at e rev ie w in

se nt en ci ng cas es is na rro w an d de fere nt ia l

. . . , [an d] it wil l be th e un us ua l cas e whe n

we rev ers e a di st ric t co ur t se nt en ce— whe th er wit hi n, ab ov e, or be lo w th e ap pl ic ab le

Gui de li ne s ran ge —as su bs ta nt iv el y un reas on ab le .” Uni te d St at es v. Feem st er , 5 72

F. 3 d 4 5 5, 46 4 (8 th Ci r. 20 09 ) (en ba nc ) (in te rn al qu ot at io n m ark s om it te d)

. On

su bs ta nt iv e rev ie w, an ab us e of di sc ret io n oc cu rs if th e d i s t r i c t co ur t “ (1 ) fai ls to

c o ns id er a rel ev an t fact or th at sh ou ld ha ve rece iv ed si gn ifi can t weig ht ; (2 ) g i v e s

si gn ifi can t weig ht to an im pr op er or irr el ev an t fact or ; or (3 ) co ns i d e r s o n l y th e

ap pr op ria te fact or s bu t in weig hi ng th os e fact or s co m m it s a cl ear erro r of jud gm en t.”

U n i t e d St at es v. Pi ck ar

, 66 6 F.3 d 11 67

, 11 69 (8 th Ci r. 20 12 ) (in te rn al qu ot a t i o n

m ark s om it te d)

. A wit hi n- gu id el in e se nt en ce m ay be acco rd ed a pr es um pt io n of

reas on ab le ne ss on ap pe al

, bu t “ [t]hi s pres um pt io n .

. . m ay

be reb ut te d b y

refe ren ce

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-to th e st at ut or y se nt en ci ng fact or s fo un d in 18 U

. S.C. § 35 53 (a).” Uni te d St at es v.

Bat ti es t , 55 3 F .3d 11 32 , 11 36 (8t h C ir. 2 00 9) (in te rn al qu ot at io n m ark s o m it te d)

.

A.

Sh ark ey co nt en ds th at hi s 14 0- m on th se nt en ce is su bs ta nt iv el y un reas on ab le

.

W e be gi n fro m a pr es um

pt io n of reas on ab le ne ss gi ve n th at hi s se nt en ce is at th e ve ry

bo tt om of th e ap pl ic ab le gu id el in e ran ge

. See Uni te d S t a t e s v. W il li am s

, 59 9 F.3 d

83 1, 83 4 (8 th Ci r. 20 10 ). The on ly m ean s by wh ic h Sh ark ey at te m pt s to ov erco m e

th is pr es um

pt io n is hi s as se rti on th at th e di st ric t co ur t co ns id ered an im pr op er fact or

in arri vi ng at hi s se nt en ce be cau se th e co ur t m en ti on ed th at Sh ark ey in tro du ced ot he r

“ cu st om ers ” to Ben t. Thi s was erro r, Sh ark ey as se rts

, be cau s e t h e o n l y two

“ cu st om ers ” he in tro du ced to Ben t were a co nf id en ti al in fo rm an t an d an un de rco ve r

po li ce of fic e r

. W e are aware of no au th or it y st at in g th at a di st ric t co ur t can no t

co ns id er an in fo rm an t an d u n d e rco ve r of fic er as cu st om ers fo r th e pu rp os es of

di sc us si ng a de fen da nt ’s ro le in a cri m in al en te rp ris e. Thi s arg um en t al so bypas se s

en ti rel y th e fact th at Sh ark ey un d o u b t e d l y be li ev ed th es e in di vi du al s were ge nu in e

cu st om ers at t h e ti m e of th e in tro du ct io ns

. The di st ric t co ur t di d no t ab us e it s

di sc ret io n in se nt en ci ng Sh ark ey to 14 0 m on th s. Cf. Uni te d St at es v. LeGran d

, 46 8

F.3 d 10 77

, 10 79 (8 th Ci r. 20 06 ) (aff irming de fen da nt ’s co nv ic ti on an d sen te nc e fo r

co ns pi racy to d is tri bu te m et ha m ph et am in e whe re on ly th ree dru g tran sa ct io ns were

m ad e wit h u nd erco ve r of fic er).

B.

F o r hi s pa rt, Bu rto n arg ue s th at th e co ur t co m m it te d pr oc ed ur al err o r i n

cal cu la ti ng hi s gu id el in es ran ge by reject in g h i s a r g u m en t th at he was en ti tl ed to a

two -le ve l m it ig at in g- ro le red uc ti on

. U n it ed St at es v. Hun t , 8 40 F.3 d 55 4, 55 7 (8 th

Ci r. 20 16 ) (p er cu ria m ) (“ W he th er a d e f e n d a n t p la y ed a m in or ro le is a qu es ti on of

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-fact

, rev ie we d f o r c l e ar erro r.” (in te rn al qu ot at io n m ark s om it te d) ). Und er USSG

§ 3 B1 .2(b ), a de fen da nt is en ti tl ed to a two -le ve l de crea se if he “ was a m in o r

pa rti ci pa nt in an y cri m in al act iv it y .” By it s te rm s, th is de du ct io n is av ai la bl e whe re

t h e de fen da nt ’s ro le “ m ak es hi m su bs ta nt ia ll y le ss cu lp ab le th an th e av era g e

pa rti ci pa nt in th e cri m in al act iv it y .” Id

. § 3B 1.2

, co m m en t. (n .3). The de fen da nt ha s

th e bu rd en of pr ov in g th at “ he or sh e is [a] m in or pa rti ci p a n t by co m pa ris on wit h

ot he r pa rti ci pa nt s an d by co m pa ris on wit h th e of

fen se fo r whi ch he or sh e was he ld

a c c o u n t a b l e.” Uni te d St at es v. Brad le y

, 64 3 F.3 d 11 21

, 11 29 (8 th Ci r. 20 1 1 )

(al te rat io n i n o rig in al ) (i nt ern al qu ot at io n m ark s om it te d) . Bur to n a tt em pt s t o m eet

th is bu rd en by as se rti ng th at he was on ly in vo lv ed in th e co ns pi racy fo r fiv e m on th s

an d th at on e of h i s p r i mar y fu nc ti on s in th e sc he m e was to m erel y de li ve r dr ug s

be twee n Ben t an d hi s cu st om ers

. Bu rto n fai ls to ack no wled ge

, ho wev er, th at du rin g

th is fiv e-m on th pe rio d, he di st rib ut ed at le as t 11 3 gr am s of m et ha m ph et am in e, whi ch

av erag es ou t t o n earl y

on e o un ce p er m on th

. Bu rto n th eref or e fai ls to sh ow h e was

a “ m in or pa rti ci pa nt

. . . by co m pa ris on wit h th e of

fen se fo r whi ch he or sh e was he ld

acco un ta bl e

. ” Id

. Add it io na ll y

, “ th is co ur t ha s co ns is te nt ly reject ed th e arg um en t

th at a di st rib ut or of co nt r o l l e d s u b st an ces de se rv es a m in or -ro le red uc ti on si m pl y

be cau se of th e pr es en ce of a la rg e r-s cal e up st ream di st rib ut or .” Id

. (in te rn al qu ot at io n

m ark s om it te d)

. The d is tri ct co ur t d id no t clea rly err in de nyin g th e m it ig at in g- ro le

ad jus tm en t, an d we d is cern no ot he r pr oc ed ur al erro rs in Bu rto n’s s en te nc in g.

Turn in g to hi s arg um en t th at th e co ur t i m po se d a su bs ta nt iv el y

un reas on ab le

se nt en ce, Bu rto n co nt en ds th at th e co ur t ga ve si gn ifi can t weig ht to an im pr op er fact or

by “ si gn ifi can tl y ov erv al u[ i n g ] th e na tu re of th e bu rg la ry of fen se s in Bu rto n’s

cri m in al hi st or y .” In di sc us si ng Bu rto n’s cri m in al hi st or y as pa rt of it s co ns id erat io n

of th e 1 8 U.S.C. § 35 53 (a) fa ct or s, t he di st ric t co ur t s ta te d:

H e st art ed

—h e ha d an as sa ul t co nv ic ti on at th e ag e of 20

. Dom e s t i c

ab us e as sa ul t at th e ag e of 24

. Num ero us th eft an d bu rg la ry co nv ic ti on s.

And I co ns id er bu rg la ry

—I’m no t ta lk in g ab ou t an y st at ut or y de fin it io ns

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-he re, bu t I th in k bu rg la r y i s an un be li ev ab ly vi ol en t an d pe rs on al

of fen se

. I ha ve ne ve r be en th e vi ct im of a bu rg la ry

, bu t if m y ho us e was

bu rg la riz ed

, whe th er I was pr es en t or no t, I jus t th in k th at ’s a n

un be li ev ab l y s e r i ou s cri m e to co m m it ag ai ns t a vi ct im

, an d he ’s go t

nu m ero us bu rg la ry

co nv ic ti on s.

Ci ti ng Mat hi s v. Uni te d St at es

, 13 6 S. Ct

. 22 43 (2 01 6)

, Bu rto n arg ue s th is di sc us si on

of hi s pr io r bu rg la rie s wa s i n e r r o r b ecau se th e Su pr em e Co ur t he ld th at Io wa

bu rg la ry is no t a “ cri m e of vi ol en ce.” Thi s arg um en t read s to o m uc h in to Mat h i s

.

Tha t cas e de ci de d m erel y th at th e de fin it io n of “ bu rg la ry ” u n de r Io wa la w was

br oa de r th an th at of th e ge ne ric of fen se

. Mat hi s

, 13 6 S. Ct

. at 22 57

. As a res ul t, th e

Co ur t he ld th at a co nv ic ti on fo r Io wa bu rg la ry co ul d no t ser ve as a pr ed ic at e fel on y

fo r th e pu rp os es of th e Arm ed Care er Crim in al Act (ACCA). Id

. Here, Bu rto n was

no t se nt en ced un de r t h e A C C A

, so Mat hi s is la rg el y in ap po si te

. Mo reo ve r, in

arri vi ng at a pa rti cu la r se nt en ce, th e di st ric t co ur t is req ui red to co ns id er a de fen da nt ’s

cri m in al hi st or y

. See § 35 53 (a)( 1)

. Giv en th is req ui rem en t, th e di st ric t co ur t di d no t

a b u s e i t s di sc ret io n in ex pr es si ng it s vi ews on th e na tu re of Bu rto n’s pr io r

co nv ic ti on s. Cf. Uni te d St at es v. Fo y

, 61 7 F.3 d 10 29

, 10 36 -3 8 (8 th C i r

. 2 01 0)

(aff irming se nt en ci ng co ur t’s de ci si on to va ry up ward fro m to p of th e gu id el in es

ran ge be cau se of di st ric t co ur t’s th or oug h di sc us si on of de fen da nt ’s cri m in al hi st or y ).

Bu rto n’s th ird arg um en t is th at th e co ur t erre d by no t va ry in g do wnwar d ba se d

on a po li cy di sa gr eem en t wit h th e gu id el in es ran ge i mp o s ed in cas es in vo lv in g

m et ha m ph et am in e. See Uni te d St at es v. Hay es

, 94 8 F. Su pp

. 2d 10 09

, 10 15 -1 8 (N.D.

Io wa 20 13 ) (co lle ct ing ca se s an d ex pr es sin g dis ag reem en t wit h th e se nt en ces im po se d

in m et ha m

ph et am in e cas es )

. A s B ur to n no te s, we ha ve st at ed th at “ th e Su pr em e

Co ur t he l d i t was no t an ab us e of di sc ret io n fo r a di st ric t co ur t to va ry fro m th e

Gui de li ne s ba se d on it s po li cy di sa gr eem en t co nc ern in g th e di sp ari ty be twee n crac k

an d p o w d e r co cai ne se nt en ces .” Bat ti es t

, 55 3 F.3 d at 11 37 (ci ti ng Kim br ou gh v.

Uni te d St at es , 5 52 U.S. 8 5, 11 0- 11 (2 00 7 ) )

. Bu t Bu rto n fai ls to reco gn iz e th e ve ry

ne xt se nt en ce fro m Bat ti es t

, in whi ch we st at e “ th at Kim br ou gh di d no t m an da te th at

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-di st ric t co ur ts co n sid er th e crac k/ po wde r se nt en ci ng di sp ari ty an d [s en te nc in g co ur ts ]

do no t ac t [] un reas on ab ly, ab us e[] [th ei r] di sc ret io n, or oth erwi se co m m it [] error if

th ey do no t

. ” 5 5 3 F.3 d at 11 37 (fi rs t al te rat io n ad de d) (in te rn al qu ot at io n m ark s

om it te d)

. Here, th e co ur t ex pr es sl y co ns id ered Bu rto n’s po li cy arg um en t an d reject ed

it

. Thi s was w i t h i n i ts di sc ret io n. See Ph el ps

, 53 6 F.3 d at 86 9 (“ The di st ric t co ur t

co ns id ered Ph el ps ’s arg um en ts a n d f o u n d t he m un pe rs ua si ve

. It di d no t ab us e it s

di sc ret io n . . . .”).

Fi na ll y

, Bu rto n arg ue s th at th e co ur t erred by no t varying do wnwar d bec au se

o f hi s he al th is su es an d dr ug ad di ct io n. Sp eci fic al ly, Bu rto n as se rts th at h e h a s a

hi st or y of he art an d d e n t a l p r o b l em s, an d he cl ai m s th at hi s cri m in al act iv it y is

di rect ly ti ed to hi s lo ng st an di ng us e of m et ha m ph et am in e. The di st ric t co ur t

ex pr es s l y st at ed th at “ [t]he re are de fin it el y m it ig at in g fact or s he re” an d th at it was

“ cert ai nl y ta ki ng th os e in to co ns id erat io n.” It fur th er no te d th at Bu rto n pre se nt ed a

st ro ng arg um en t fo r m it ig at io n wit h refe ren ce to

, am on g ot h e r t h i n gs

, hi s “ m en ta l

he al th hi st or y ” an d th e “ hu ge pr ob le m he ha s ha d wit h m et ha m ph et am in e.”

Ult im at el y

, h ow ev er

, t he co ur t de te rm in ed th at Bu rto n was no t en ti tl ed to a do wnwar d

va ria nc e du e to th e pr es en ce of a nu m be r of di ffer en t ag gr av at in g fact or s, su ch as hi s

ex te ns iv e cri m in al h i s to ry an d hi s rece nt act io n in ex po si ng th e id en ti ti es of

co nf id en ti al co op erat in g wit ne ss es

. Giv en th at th e co ur t is free to as si gn so m e fact or s

m or e weig ht th an ot he rs

, no ab us e of di sc ret io n oc cu rred he re. See Pi ck ar

, 66 6 F.3 d

at 11 69 (“ The co ur t’s de ci si on to as si gn gr eat er weig ht to [th e de fen da nt ’s] cri m in al

hi st or y an d th e na tu re of hi s of fen se th an to m it ig at in g pe rs on al fac t o r s w a s well

wit hi n i ts wid e se nt en ci ng lat it ud e.”).

The di st ric t co ur t di d no t pr oc ed ur al ly err , a nd Bu rto n h a s fai le d to reb ut th e

pr es um pt io n o f rea so na bl en es s at ta ch ed to hi s wi th in -g ui de li ne s s en te nc e.

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-III.

Fo r th e reas on s st at ed ab ov e, we affi rm th e di st ric t co ur t in bo th of th es e cas es

.

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