Source: http://openjurist.org/106/f3d/1213
Timestamp: 2015-11-26 00:53:13
Document Index: 734320355

Matched Legal Cases: ['§ 846', '§ 371', '§ 201', '§ 846', '§ 371', '§ 201']

106 F3d 1213 United States v. Marmolejo | OpenJurist
106 F. 3d 1213 - United States v. Marmolejo HomeFederal Reporter, Third Series106 F.3d
106 F3d 1213 United States v. Marmolejo 106 F.3d 1213
UNITED STATES of America, Plaintiff-Appellee-Cross-Appellant,v.Reynaldo MARMOLEJO, Defendant-Appellant-Cross-Appellee.
No. 95-20983.
Alice Ann Burns, Paula Camille Offenhauser, Asst. U.S. Attys., Houston, TX, for Plaintiff-Appellee-Cross-Appellant.
Doanh The Nguyen, Houston, TX, for Defendant-Appellant-Cross-Appellee.
Before HIGGINBOTHAM, SMITH and EMILIO M. GARZA, Circuit Judges.
Reynaldo Marmolejo appeals his convictions under 21 U.S.C. § 846, 18 U.S.C. § 371, and 18 U.S.C. § 201(b)(2), urging that they are not supported by sufficient evidence. The government cross-appeals the sentence given to Marmolejo claiming that the district court erred in failing to enhance Marmolejo's sentence for possession of a firearm and in reducing his sentence for acceptance of responsibility and being a minor participant. We reject Marmolejo's contentions and, finding merit in the government's contentions, vacate Marmolejo's sentence and remand to the district court for sentencing consistent with this opinion.
Reynaldo Marmolejo, a former INS agent, was indicted and convicted for his role in transporting drugs for the Juan Garcia Abrego organization. In 1986, the Ortiz cell of the Abrego organization began transporting drugs across the border in INS buses and vans used to transport undocumented aliens detained in Bayview, Texas to Houston for deportation hearings. The INS vehicles were not searched at the immigration checkpoint in Sarita, Texas and were manned by armed INS agents. This was therefore an easy way to transport the drugs, if there were INS agents willing to stop their vehicle for loading and unloading of the contraband.
Joe Polanco and Mario Santana, former INS agents, admitted to transporting marijuana and cocaine in INS vehicles. As part of their plea bargains with the government, they agreed to testify against Marmolejo at his trial. They both testified that he knew that drugs were being transported in the INS vehicles and that he agreed to transport drugs for a cash payment. Specifically, they testified that Marmolejo was present at and assisted in the transport of approximately 200 kilograms of cocaine on January 26, 1990. Santana originally implicated Marmolejo in a statement given to FBI Special Agent Kim Woxman. When Marmolejo discovered that Santana had confessed, he suggested that Santana get a lawyer and feign mental illness in order to suppress his statement to Agent Woxman.
The jury found Marmolejo guilty of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine and marijuana, in violation of 21 U.S.C. § 846, conspiracy to commit money laundering, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 371, and aiding and abetting in the bribing of a public official, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 201(b)(2). The presentence investigation report found that Marmolejo had transported 200 kilograms of cocaine and gave Marmolejo a base offense level of 38. The report recommended increasing the base lev