FI LED U. S . COURT OF AP PE ALS E L E V E N T H C IR C U IT Se pt e m be r 25, 2008 T HOM AS K. KAHN CL E RK [ 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. 08- 11513 N on -A rgum entC al endar

________________________ D. C . Do c k e tNo . 0 7 - 0 0 3 7 9 - C R - T - 3 0 - MAP 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 Y O A N K Y S P E R E Z , 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

_________________________ ( S e p t e m b e r 25, 2008) B efo re D U B IN A , M A R C U S an d P R Y O R , C i rcu i tJu d g es. P E R C U R I A M: Y oank ys P er ez appeal s f rom the di strict co urt ’ s 24-m on th sent ence af t er pl e a di ng gui l ty t o one c ountof know i ngl ya nd w i l l f

ul l ym a nuf

a c tur i ng 100 or m or e m a r i

j ua napl a nt s , i n vi ol a t i on of 21 U . S . C . § 841( a ) ( 1) an d ( b) ( 1) ( B ) ( vi i ) a nd2

18 U . S . C . § 2. B e c aus e P e r e z qua l i f i e d f orr e l i e f unde rthe s a f

ety-v al ve pr ovi s i on i n U . S . S . G . § 5 C 1.2 (a ), th e di stri ctcourtse nt ence d P er ez bel ow the fi ve-y ear st atuto ry m in i m um se nt ence and atthe l ow -e nd of hi s app l i cabl e gui del i ne rang e. O n ap p e a l, P e r e z c o n te n d s th a t: ( 1 ) th e d is tr ic t c o u rt e rr e d i n c a lc u la tin g h is appl i cabl e gui del i ne rang e; and (2) hi s s en te nce w as un re as on abl e und erU ni t ed S ta te s v . B o o k e r , 5 4 3 U .S . 2 2 0 ( 2 0 0 5 ) , b e c au s e th e c o u rt ap p lie dth e G u id e lin e s in ama n d a t o ry f

a s h i o n . A f

t e rth o r o u g h r e v i e w , w e a f f i rm. W e r evi ew de no vo the di stri ct co urt ’ s gui del i ne ca l cul at i on s. U ni t ed S t at es v . D e V e g te r , 4 3 9 F .3 d 1 2 9 9 , 1 3 0 3 ( 1 1 th C ir . 2 0 0 6 ) . “W e r e v ie w ap r o p e r ly p r e s e rv e d c la im o f

B o o k e re rr o rd e n o v o . . . .” I d . F ir s t, w e f

i n d n o m e r i tto P e r e z ’s c o n te n tio n th a t th e d is tr ic t c o u rt e rr e d in cal cu l at i n g h i s g u i d el i n e ran g e. A d efen d an tq u al i fi es fo rrel i ef u n d er th e safetyva l ve pr ovi s i on i n § 5C 1. 2( a ) i f he i s c onvi c t e d unde r , i nt e ra l i a , 21 U . S . C . § 841, and satisfi es fi ve spec i fi ed cr i t er i a. U . S . S . G . § 5 C 1. 2(a) ; se e 18 U . S . C . § 3 55 3(f) (p ro v i d i n g th e sam e). S u bjectt o § 5 C 1 . 2 (b ), i f a d efen d an tm eet s th ese r e q u ir e m e n ts , “th e c o u rt s h a ll im p o s e as e n te n c e in a c c o r d a n c e w ith th e ap p lic ab le g u i d e l i n e s wi th o u tr e g a r d t o a n ys t a tu t o rym i n i m u m s e n t e n c e . . . . ” U. S . S . G. § 5C 1. 2( a ) . H ow e ve r , § 5C 1. 2( b) pr ovi de s i n fu l l : “ In the c a s e of ade f e nda nt( 1) w h o m e e ts th e c r ite r ias e t f o rth in s u b s e c tio n ( a ) ; a n d ( 2 ) f o rw h o m th e s ta tu to r ily3

r e qui r e d m i ni m um s e nt e nc e i s a tl e a s tf i ve y e a r s , the of

f e ns e l e v el ap p l i cabl e f

r om C hapt er s T w o (O ff

ense C on du ct ) and T hr ee (A d ju stm ent s) shal l be no tl es s than l evel 17 . ” U . S . S . G . § 5 C 1. 2(b). A l tho ug h the di stri ctcourtse nt ence d P erez to 24 m on ths’ i m pri sonm ent-- be l ow the 5- y e a rs t a tut ory m i ni m u m a nd a tthe l ow - e nd of hi s appl i c abl e gui de l i ne r a n g e - - P e r e z n o n e th e le s s c o n te n d s th a t th e d is tr ic t c o u rt e rr e d in c a lc u la tin g h is appl i c abl e gui de l i ne r a nge . H e a r gue s tha thi s ba s e of f e ns e l ev el o f

16 s houl d ha ve be e n l ow e r e d by 3 l e ve l s f ora c c e pt a nc e of

r e s pons i bi l i tyunde r§ 3E 1. 1( a ) - ( b) a nd 2 l evel s und erthe sa fe ty- val ve re du ct i on i n § 2D 1. 1(b)(1 1 ), g i vi ng hi m a t ot al of f e ns e l e ve l of

11. P e r ez’ s a r gum e nti s f or e c l os e d by the pl a i n l a ngua ge of § 5 C 1 . 2 ( b ) , p r o v i d i n g th a t “ th e o f f e n s e l e v e l ap p l i c ab l e f r o m C h ap t e r s T wo ( O f f e n s e C o n d u c t) a n d T h r e e ( A d ju s tm e n ts ) s h a ll b e n o t le s s th a n le v e l 1 7 .” U . S . S . G . § 5C 1. 2( b) . T he “ of f e ns e l e ve l ” referred t o § 5C 1. 2( b) i s ba s e d on

“ C hapt er s T w o (O ff

ense C on du ct ) and T hree (A d j ustm ent s) ” and , there fore , i nc l ude s the s a f

e ty - va l ve r e duc t i on i n § 2D 1. 1 (b )(1 1 ) a nd the a dj us tm e ntf or a c c e pt a nc e of

r e s pons i bi l i ty i n § 3E 1. 1( a ) - ( b) . I d. ; s e e U n i t ed S t at e s v. N une z , 209 F e d . Ap p ’ x 8 9 6 , 8 9 8 ( 1 1 th C i r . 2 0 0 6 ) ( u n p u b l i s h e d o p i n i o n ) ( “ T h e t e x to f U. S . S . G. § 5C 1. 2( b) una m bi guous l y i ns truc t s tha ti n th e s e c i r c um s t a nc e s a n of f e ns e l e ve l of no l ow e rtha n 17 m us tbe s e ta f t e rC hapt e rT hr e e i s ap p l i ed . ” ) ; U ni t e d S t a t e s v.4

K e r e s z tu ry , 2 9 3 F .3 d 7 5 0 , 7 5 9 n .2 1 ( 5 th C ir . 2 0 0 2 ) ( “ U .S .S .G . § 5 C 1 .2 e x p r e s s ly f o rb i d s th e ap p lic a tio n o f C h ap te rT h r e e ( w h ic h in c lu d e s § 3 E 1 .1 ) to y ie ld ar e s u lt le s s th a n o f

f e n s e le v e l 1 7 .” ) . A c c o r d in g ly , th e d is tr i c tc o u rt d id n o t e rrin c a lc u la tin g P e r e z ’s ap p lic ab le g u id e lin e r a n g e in th is r e s p e c t. W e a ls o a r e u n p e r s u a d e d th a t th e d is tr ic t c o u rt c o m m itte d B o o k e re rr o rin im p o si n g P erez’s sentence. A d i stri ctco u rtco m m i t s erro r u n d er B o o k er i f its appl i e s the G ui de l i ne s i n am a nda t oryf a s hi on. U ni t e d S t a t e s v. S he l t on, 400 F . 3d 1325 , 13 30 - 31 ( 11 th Ci r . 20 05 ) ( “ Book e r e rr or e xi s t s w he n the di s tr i c tcourt m is ap p lie s th e G u id e lin e s b y c o n s id e r in g th e m a s b in d in g a s o p p o s e d to a d v is o ry .” ) . N o n e th e le s s , th e d is tr ic t c o u rt is s till r e q u ir e d a f te rB o o k e rto c a l c ul a t e the de f

e nda nt ’ s appl i c abl e gui de l i ne r a nge c orr e c t l y . U ni t e d S t a t e s v. P u g h , 5 1 5 F .3 d 1 1 7 9 , 1 1 8 9 ( 1 1 th C ir . 2 0 0 8 ) ( “[ A ] d is tr ic t c o u rt s h o u ld b e g in a ll se nt enci ng procee d ings by corr ec t l y c al cul at i ng the appl i cabl e G ui del i nes r ange. ”) (quo t i ng G al l v. U ni t ed S t at es , 12 8 S . C t . 58 6, 59 6 (20 07 )) . C o n tr a ry to P e r e z ’s a r g u m e n t, th e d is tr ic t c o u rt’s p r o p e rc a lc u la tio n o f h is G ui de l i ne s r a nge unde r§ 5C 1. 2( b) doe s n o t i ndi c a t e tha ti tbe l i e ve d the r a nge t o be bi nd i ng . F urther, there i s nothi ng i n the re cord t o s u g gestthatthe di stri ctcourt ap p l i e d th e Gu i d e l i n e s i n am a n d a t o ryf a s h i o n . Ac c o r d i n g l y , P e r e z h a s n o ts h o wn thatthe di stri ctcourtcom m i tt ed B oo ker e rr or i n i m po si ng hi s s ent ence . AF F I RME D.