Court Opinion

ID: 9899394
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-11-16 18:00:46.845078+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T09:20:23.248768
License: Public Domain

United States Court of Appeals
                             For the Eighth Circuit
                         ___________________________

                                 No. 22-3625
                         ___________________________

                             United States of America

                                       Plaintiff - Appellee

                                         v.

                                    Alvaro Vite

                                    Defendant - Appellant
                                  ____________

                     Appeal from United States District Court
                    for the Northern District of Iowa - Western
                                  ____________

                          Submitted: September 18, 2023
                            Filed: November 16, 2023
                                  [Unpublished]
                                  ____________

Before SHEPHERD, KELLY, and STRAS, Circuit Judges.
                           ____________

PER CURIAM.

       The district court 1 increased Alvaro Vite’s sentence after finding, based in
part on the grand-jury testimony of a co-defendant, that he had fired at a house with
people inside. Although Vite believes he should receive a new sentence, we affirm.

      1
        The Honorable Leonard T. Strand, Chief Judge, United States District Court
for the Northern District of Iowa.
                                            I.

       After the shooting, Alvaro Vite pleaded guilty to being a drug user in
possession of a firearm. See 18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(3). The getaway driver was set to
testify at Vite’s sentencing hearing but changed his mind, so the district court relied
on his grand-jury testimony instead. Then, based on all the evidence, the court found
that Vite was the shooter and varied upward to reflect this “aggravating” fact. The
three issues in this appeal revolve, at least to some degree, around that finding.

                                           II.

       First, the getaway driver’s grand-jury testimony. No one disputes it was
hearsay, but the district court could still rely on it at sentencing if it had “sufficient
indicia of reliability.” U.S.S.G. § 6A1.3(a); see also United States v. Harris, 44
F.4th 819, 822 (8th Cir. 2022). The task of assessing reliability is a fact-intensive
one “committed to the sound discretion of the district court.” United States v.
Ngombwa, 893 F.3d 546, 557 (8th Cir. 2018) (citation omitted). Relevant factors
include “the consistency of the hearsay testimony, the timing and nature of the
declarant’s statements, . . . as well as other corroborating evidence.” United States
v. Sheridan, 859 F.3d 579, 583 (8th Cir. 2017).

       The district court considered these factors carefully. Although it expressed
some “concern[]” over the getaway driver’s refusal to testify despite “being directed
to do so,” it still concluded that his grand-jury testimony was “entitled to . . . some
weight” because it contained multiple statements against his interest. See United
States v. Shackelford, 462 F.3d 794, 796 (8th Cir. 2006). Not to mention that the
physical evidence, video footage, and earlier statements he made to a police
investigator corroborated what he said “under oath” to the grand jury. United States
v. Cross, 888 F.3d 985, 993 (8th Cir. 2018) (explaining that testimony “given under
oath” is reliable enough to use at sentencing (citation omitted)); see Ngombwa, 893

                                           -2-
F.3d at 557 (discussing what qualifies as corroboration). We cannot say, given these
circumstances, that the court abused its discretion.2

                                        III.

      Second, there was sufficient evidence supporting the district court’s finding
that Vite was the shooter. According to the getaway driver, only Vite had a 9mm
Ruger pistol with him that night. And shortly after Vite and an accomplice headed
toward the house, the driver heard multiple gunshots and then saw the two men
running back to the car.

       There was more. An officer who viewed home-security footage thought that
one of the two men depicted was Vite. But what may have been most incriminating
was Vite’s connection to the 9mm Ruger pistol, which was the same caliber as the
shell casings found at the scene. When officers arrested him several days later, he
had a loaded magazine and a box for it in his backpack. And his roommate, whom
officers also arrested, had the gun. This evidence was sufficient to find that Vite
was the shooter. See United States v. Kempter, 29 F.4th 960, 966 (8th Cir. 2022)
(explaining that district courts “may rely on facts proved by a preponderance of the
evidence” at sentencing, and we review any factfinding for clear error).

                                        IV.

       Third, Vite’s 72-month sentence, which reflected an upward variance from
the recommended range of 37 to 46 months, is substantively reasonable. See United
States v. Ridings, 75 F.4th 902, 907 (8th Cir. 2023) (reviewing the reasonableness
of a sentence, “including an upward variance,” for an abuse of discretion). The
district court sufficiently considered the statutory sentencing factors, 18 U.S.C.
§ 3553(a), and did not rely on an improper factor or commit a clear error of

      2
      To the extent Vite complains that he never had a chance to cross-examine the
getaway driver, he had no right to do so. See Cross, 888 F.3d at 993 (“[T]he
Confrontation Clause does not apply at sentencing hearings.” (citation omitted)).
                                        -3-
judgment. The court also explained why it decided to vary upward: he had shot “at
an occupied house,” which was “aggravating” and posed a danger to the public. See
id. § 3553(a)(2)(C). We cannot say it abused its discretion by placing significant
weight on this fact. See United States v. Bridges, 569 F.3d 374, 379 (8th Cir. 2009).

                                         V.

      We accordingly affirm the judgment of the district court.
                            ___________________

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