FI L ED U.S. COURT OF APPEAL S EL EVENTH CI RCUI T MARCH 14, 2012 J OHN L EY CL ERK [DO N OT PUBLISH]
IN THE UN ITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS
FOR THE ELE VENTH CIRCUIT

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__ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ D.C. Dock et No. 8 :1 0- cr-0 01 03 -VMC- AEP-2
UNITED STAT ES OF AMERIC A,
Pl ai nt iff -Ap pe ll ee,

ve rs us JOSE SOLIS , a.k .a. Jo se Ran ge l, J r., Defen da nt -Ap pe ll an t.

__ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ App eal fro m

th e Uni te d S ta te s Di st ric t Co ur t for th e Mi dd le Dis tri ct of F lo rid a

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__ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ (Ma rch 14 , 20 12 )
Befo re MAR CUS, COX an d S ILER, Cir cu it Ju dg es
. *
PER CURI AM:

Honora ble Eug ene E . Siler, J r., United States Circuit J udg e for the Six th Circuit, sit ting * by desig nation.Jo se So li s app eal s hi s 17 1- m on th to ta l sen te nc e, im po se d afte r he pl ed gu il ty
to co ns pi racy to di st rib ut e co cai ne an d m et ha m ph et am in e, di st rib ut io n of co cai ne an d

m et ha m ph et am in e, po ss es si on of m et ha m ph et am in e, an d po ss es si on of a fir earm in
f u r t h e r an ce of a dr

ug tra ffi ck in g cri m e. On ap pe al , So li s ch al le ng es th e di st ric t

co ur t’s fin di ng th at he was in el ig ib le fo r a two -le ve l red uc ti on to hi s of fen se le ve l

. Afte r th or ou gh rev ie w, we affi rm
. W e rev ie w fact ua l de te rm in at io ns of a di st ric t co ur t’s sa fet y -v al ve de ci si on fo r cl ear erro r an d it s le ga l in te rp ret at io n de no vo
. Uni te d St at es v. Po y at o, 45 4 F.3 d
12 95 , 12 97 (1 1t h Ci r. 20 06 ). The de fen da nt ha s th e bu rd en of pr ov in g hi s el ig ib il it y fo r s a f e t y- v al ve rel ie f. Uni te d St at es v. Jo hn so n, 37 5 F.3 d 13 00 , 13 02 (1 1t h Ci r. 20 04 ).
In 20 10 , th e gu id el in e pr ov is io n co rres po nd in g to So li s’s co nvi ct ion s, U

. S. S. G. § 2D1 .1, al lo wed a two -le ve l red uc ti on to a de fen da nt ’s of fen se le ve l if th e de fen da nt

m et al l fiv e of th e sa fet y -v al ve pr ov is io ns un de r U.S.S.G. § 5C 1.2 (a). U

. S .S.G. § 2 D 1

. 1( b) (1 1)

. To qu al ify fo r sa fet y -v al ve rel ie f un de r § 5C 1.2 (a), th e de fen da nt

m us t sh ow, am on g ot he r th in gs , th at he “ di d no t

. . . po ss es s a f i r e a r m o r ot he r da ng ero us weap o n ( o r in du ce an ot he r pa rti ci pa nt to do so ) in co nn ect io n wit h th e of fe n s e
. ” U

. S.S.G. § 5C 1.2 (a)( 2)

. In th is ap pe al , th is is th e on ly on e of th e fiv e

sa fet y -v al ve cri te ria th at th e p art ie s d is pu te

.

2U nle ss the defen da nt “ in du ces ” an ot he r’s po ss es si on acco rd in g to th e la ng ua ge

of § 5C 1.2 (a)( 2) , we ha ve he ld th at “ po ss es si on ” of a fir earm , wit h res pe ct to th e

sa fet y -v al ve pr ov i s i on , “ do es no t in cl ud e reas on ab ly fo res eeab le po ss es si on of a fir earm by co -co ns pi rat or s.” Uni te d St at es v. Cl av ijo , 16 5 F.3 d 13 41 , 13 43 (1 1t h Ci r. 19 99 ) (p er cu ria m ). Howev er, th e co m men t a ry fo ll owi ng § 5C 1.2 st at es th at

“ de fen da nt ,” as us ed in § 5C 1.2 (a)( 2) , m ak es a de fen da nt acco un ta bl e fo r “ hi s own

co nd uc t an d co nd uc t th at he ai de d or ab et te d, co un se le d, co m m an de d , in du ced , pr oc ur ed , or wil lfu ll y cau se d. ” U

. S

. S .G. § 5C 1.2 cm t. n.4

. Sect io n 2 of Tit le 18
pr ov id es th at “ [ w ]h o ev er
. . . ai ds , ab et s, co un se ls , co m m an ds , in du ces or pr oc ur es [th e co m m is si on of an of

fen se ag ai ns t th e Uni te d St at es ] is pu ni sh ab le as a pr in ci pa l.”
18 U.S.C. § 2 (a).
In th is cas e, So li s an d se ve ral co -co ns pi rat or s were ch arg ed in an el ev en -co un t

su pe rs ed in g in di ct m en t. So li s was na m ed in Co un ts 1 th ro ug h 9, whi ch ch arg ed hi m

w i th co ns pi racy to di st rib ut e co cai ne an d m et ha m ph et am in e (Co un ts 1 an d 2 ) , di st rib ut io n of co cai ne an d m et ha mph et am in e (Co un ts 3- 7) , po ss es si on of

m et ha m ph et am in e (Co un t 8) , an d po ss es si on of a f i r earm in fu rth eran ce of a dr ug
tra ffi ck in g cri m e (Co un t 9)

. So li s pl ed gu il ty to a l l 9 c o u nt s, in cl ud in g Co un t 9,
whi ch ch arg ed hi m wit h vi ol at io ns of 18 U.S

. C

. § § 9 24 (c) an d 2: po ss es si on of a

3fir earm in co nn ect io n wit h a dr ug tra ffi ck in g of fen se ba se d on an ai di ng an d ab et ti ng th eo ry of l ia bi li ty.
W hi le a co -co ns pi rat or ’s reas on ab ly fo res eeab le po ss es si on of a fir earm do es

no t p recl ud e sa fet y -v al ve rel ie f un de r Cl av ijo , a de fen da nt who ai ds an d abe ts su ch
po ss es si on is tre at ed as a pr in ci pa l un de r th e gu id el in es an d face s th e sa m e se nt en ci ng

ex po su re as th e pr in ci pa l. See U.S.S.G. §§ 2X2 .1, 1B 1.3 (a)( 1) (A). And , as no te d,
th e co m m en ta ry fo ll owi ng § 5C 1.2 sp eci fic al ly st at es th at , wit h reg ard to sa fet y -v al ve rel ie f, a de fen da nt is acco un t a b l e f o r c o nd uc t th at he ai de d or ab et te d. U.S.S.G. § 5 C1 .2 cm t. n .4.
The un co nt ro ve rte d fact s fro m th e PSI s ho w th at du rin g a Decem be r 9, 20 09
dr ug tra ns act io n fo r whi ch So li s was pr es en t, on e of So li s’s co de fen da nt s, Vict or Galv an -Mo ren o, po ss es se d a lo ad ed ha nd gu n. Bas ed on So li s’s gu il ty pl ea to Co un t
9 (th e § 92 4( c) co un t) an d th es e fact s in th e PSI reg ard in g Galv an -Mo ren o’s fir earm
po ss es si on , So li s ad m it te d hi s li ab il it y fo r Galv an -M o r e n o’s fir earm po ss es si on du rin g th e Decem

be r 9, 20 09 dr ug tra ns act io n. The refo re, So li s can no t de m on st rat e th at he di d no t p os se ss a fi rear m in co nn ect io n wi th a dr

ug tra ffi ck in g o ffen se , and ,

as a res ul t, he do es no t qu al ify fo r sa fet y -v al ve rel ie f. The re was no cl ear erro r in th e di st r i c t co ur t’s de te rm in at io n th at So li s was in el ig ib le fo r su ch a red uc ti on to hi s of fen se lev el , and we affi rm
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