Opinion ID: 181759
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 5

Heading: Rodriguez's Sentence is Reasonable.

Text: Rodriguez argues that his sentence of 12 months of imprisonment is unreasonable both procedurally and substantively. The party challenging a sentence has the burden of establishing unreasonableness. United States v. Talley, 431 F.3d 784, 788 (11th Cir.2005). To be upheld on appeal, a sentence must be both procedurally and substantively reasonable. United States v. Docampo, 573 F.3d 1091, 1100 (11th Cir.2009). We consider each requirement in turn. The district court committed no procedural error. A sentence is procedurally unreasonable if the district court erred by failing to calculate (or improperly calculating) the Guidelines range, treating the Guidelines as mandatory, failing to consider the § 3553(a) factors, selecting a sentence based on clearly erroneous facts, or failing to adequately explain the chosen sentenceincluding an explanation for any deviation from the Guidelines range. Gall v. United States, 552 U.S. 38, 51, 128 S.Ct. 586, 597, 169 L.Ed.2d 445 (2007). The district court considered the guidelines range and the section 3553(a) factors and adequately explained Rodriguez's sentence. Rodriguez argues that his sentence is procedurally unreasonable because the district court should not have considered that there were multiple victims in its decision to vary upward because an enhancement under section 2B1.1(b)(2)(A) of the sentencing guidelines was the proper mechanism for considering multiple victims, but we disagree. This Court has held that a district court can rely on factors in imposing a variance that it had already considered in imposing an enhancement, United States v. Amedeo, 487 F.3d 823, 833-34 (11th Cir.2007), and there is no requirement that a district court must impose an enhancement before granting a variance. Rodriguez's burden of establishing that his sentence is substantively unreasonable is heavy. See Gall, 552 U.S. at 51, 128 S.Ct. at 597. The district court has wide discretion to decide whether the section 3553(a) factors justify a variance. See id. That we might reasonably have concluded that a different sentence was appropriate is insufficient to justify reversal. Id. We will reverse only if we are `left with the definite and firm conviction that the district court committed a clear error of judgment in weighing the § 3553(a) factors by arriving at a sentence that lies outside the range of reasonable sentences dictated by the facts of the case.' United States v. McBride, 511 F.3d 1293, 1297-98 (11th Cir.2007) (quoting United States v. Williams, 456 F.3d 1353, 1363 (11th Cir.2006)). Rodriguez's sentence is substantively reasonable. Rodriguez argues that the sentence of 12 months of imprisonment is unreasonable because he is 54 years old, he has no prior criminal history, the offense was nonviolent, and he has already lost his job as a result of his actions, but the district court considered Rodriguez's personal characteristics and reasonably determined that an upward variance of six months was necessary to reflect the seriousness of the offense, promote respect for the law, and protect the public from future criminal conduct by Rodriguez. The district court was entitled to find that an upward variance was warranted based on the number of victims and the extensive nature of Rodriguez's unauthorized access. Although Rodriguez did not use the information he obtained to commit another crime, he used the information in a manner unwelcomed by his victims. Rodriguez's sentence of 12 months of imprisonment does not lie outside the range of reasonable sentences. See McBride, 511 F.3d at 1298. The district court did not abuse its discretion.