Opinion ID: 4544768
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Underlying Conviction & Sentence

Text: In February 2016, a grand jury indicted Barajas-Palomar, a native and citizen of Mexico, in relevant part, for reentering the United States, without permission, after previously having been convicted of possessing cocaine, in violation of 8 U.S.C. § 1326(a), (b)(1) (Count One). Barajas-Palomar pled guilty. According to the presentence investigation report (“PSI”), Barajas-Palomar first was deported from the United States in December 1992, subsequently tried to reenter the United States, and again was deported five other times; additionally, in 2011 and 2013, he was convicted of illegal entry. Accordingly, the PSI determined that, based on a total offense level of 10 and a criminal history category of III, the guideline range was 10 to 15 months of imprisonment, with up to 3 years of supervised release. The district court adopted the PSI’s calculations; however, finding that Barajas-Palomar’s history of recidivism was “shocking,” the court concluded that an above-guideline sentence was warranted to deter him, promote respect for the law, and protect the public. The court varied upward and sentenced BarajasPalomar to 36 months of imprisonment, to be followed by 3 years of supervised 2 Case: 20-10045 Date Filed: 06/29/2020 Page: 3 of 9 release. The conditions of his supervised release included not committing any other federal, state, or local crime, and the special condition of not reentering the United States without permission if he was deported. Barajas-Palomar was deported in October 2018.