Court Opinion

ID: 9950159
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2024-03-13 15:04:13.225696+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T14:35:52.792965
License: Public Domain

FIRST DISTRICT COURT OF APPEAL
                  STATE OF FLORIDA
                 _____________________________

                        No. 1D2023-1180
                 _____________________________

FRANK LEIJA MORENO,

    Appellant,

    v.

STATE OF FLORIDA,

    Appellee.
                 _____________________________

On appeal from the Circuit Court for Santa Rosa County.
Clifton Alan Drake, Judge.

                        March 13, 2024

ROWE, J.

     Frank Leija Moreno appeals his judgment and sentence for
two counts of human smuggling. The State charged Moreno with
two counts of human trafficking involving two persons under the
age of eighteen and two counts of human smuggling. Moreno
pleaded no contest to two counts of human smuggling in exchange
for the State dismissing the two human trafficking counts. Based
on our independent review of the record, we agree with appointed
counsel that the record reveals no basis for reversal.

                             Facts

     The record includes the probable cause arrest affidavit from
the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. The report includes
the following facts that formed the basis of the charges brought
against Moreno. On December 30, 2020, after observing several
moving violations, a Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s Deputy
conducted a routine traffic stop on Interstate 10 near mile marker
26. Moreno was the driver of the car. He had three passengers: a
fourteen-year-old male, a seventeen-year-old male, and a twenty-
year-old male. None of the passengers could communicate with the
deputy in English.

     The deputy described Moreno and the passengers as very
nervous, and observed what looked like a bullet hole in the chassis
of the vehicle. The Sherriff’s office requested assistance from the
Florida Department of Law Enforcement. FDLE communicated
with the Department of Homeland Security and determined that
Moreno was identified by U.S. Customs and Border Protection to
be the primary suspect in a Texas alien smuggling incident eight
days before his traffic top in Santa Rosa County.

     During the stop, Moreno made several statements to law
enforcement officers at the scene, including “Hey, I’m going to jail
today.” After being read his Miranda rights, Moreno told officers,
“I picked the kids up at a Love’s truck stop and I’m taking them to
‘Nepal.’ But that’s all I’m allowed to say about that.” Law
enforcement believed that Moreno was referring to Naples,
Florida.

     The juvenile passengers were taken into protective custody
and interviewed away from the scene. A translator assisted with
the interviews. The juveniles revealed that their journey began
when their families paid 8500 quetzal ($1,090.88 USD) to have
them brought from Guatemala to the United States. One of the
boys planned to live in South Florida with his aunt while working
to pay off his family’s debt. The other boy was en route to Central
Florida to do the same. Both boys told officers that Moreno was
part of an organization that transports people across the border.
They did not know Moreno before coming to the United States, but
expressed Moreno knew of their plans to travel to Florida and find
work to pay off their debts.

    The juveniles identified the twenty-year-old passenger,
Jackson Godinez, as the “coyote”—a person who facilitates and
guides persons illegally entering the United States. With help from

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Godinez, the juveniles traveled from Guatemala, through Mexico,
and then to the United States where they arrived in Odessa, Texas.
There, they were taken to a safehouse before travelling with
Moreno to Florida.

      Law enforcement interviewed Godinez while he was in
custody. After being advised of his Miranda rights, Godinez
described the journey to investigators. He had traveled with the
juveniles through Guatemala and Chihuahua, Mexico before
entering the United States. Moreno met the group while they were
still in Mexico to collect money. Moreno contacted the group again
once they had crossed the border into Texas. There, Moreno
collected more money and drove Godinez and the two boys to a
safehouse and provided them with new clothing. A few days later,
Moreno, Godinez, and the juveniles departed from Texas to travel
to Florida.

     Godinez told investigators that he knew one of the boys was
to be dropped off two hours into Florida, and the other boy was to
be dropped off near Naples. Moreno collected more money from
Godinez during the drive. Godinez intended to stay in Florida and
work for a family member.

     Investigators determined there was sufficient evidence that
Moreno knew he was transporting illegal aliens and that he
profited off of their transport. Moreno was arrested and charged
with two counts of human trafficking and two counts of human
smuggling. The trial court accepted Moreno’s plea, adjudicated
him guilty, and sentenced him to two five-year terms to be served
concurrently. After Moreno’s judgment and sentence was entered,
Moreno sought and was granted a belated appeal.

                            Analysis

     Moreno’s appointed counsel could not identify any reversible
error on direct appeal. Based on our independent review of the
record, we find no error by the trial court.

     Moreno entered a no contest plea to two counts of human
smuggling in exchange for the State dismissing the two human
trafficking counts. A defendant may appeal an issue following a no

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contest or guilty plea only when the issue is expressly reserved and
legally dispositive. §§ 924.051(4); 924.06(3), Fla. Stat. (2020).
Moreno did not reserve any issues for appeal.

     Even so, a limited class of issues remain appealable, including
(a) the lower tribunals lack of subject matter jurisdiction, (b)
violation of the plea agreement, (c) an involuntary plea, (d) a
sentencing error, or (e) as otherwise provided by the law. Fla. R.
App. P. 9.140(b)(2)(A)(ii); see also Amendments to Fla. R. App. P.,
696 So. 2d 1103, 1104–06 (Fla. 1996). And if an issue is raised
concerning an involuntary plea, the defendant must move to
withdraw the plea to preserve the issue for appeal. Fla. R. App. P.
9.140(b)(2)(A)(ii)(c); see also State v. Dortch, 317 So. 3d 1074 (Fla.
2021) (holding that there is no fundamental error exception to the
requirement that a defendant move to withdraw the plea in the
trial court before appealing the plea as involuntary). Moreno did
not raise any of these challenges nor did he move to withdraw his
plea.

     The record shows the trial court conducted a plea colloquy
that substantially complied with the requirements of Florida Rule
of Criminal Procedure 3.172. The trial court explained human
trafficking carried a maximum sentence of thirty years and human
smuggling carried a maximum sentence of five years. The court
also went over the terms of the plea agreement. The court advised
Moreno that if he was not a United States citizen, his plea could
result in deportation. Moreno confirmed that he understood the
rights he forfeited by entering the plea. Moreno further confirmed
that his attorney answered all his questions and that he was
satisfied with his counsel. Based on Moreno’s statements, the trial
court accepted his plea as knowingly and voluntarily entered.

    As to Moreno’s sentence, the record shows the sentence
imposed by the trial court was lawful. Human smuggling is a third-
degree felony, punishable by up to five years in prison.
§§ 787.07(1); 775.082(3)(e), Fla. Stat. (2020). The trial court
sentenced Moreno to concurrent terms of five years in prison for
two counts of human smuggling. Moreno’s sentence does not
exceed the statutory maximum.

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    Finding no error by the trial court, we AFFIRM Moreno’s
judgment and sentence.

B.L. THOMAS and ROBERTS, JJ., concur.

                _____________________________

    Not final until disposition of any timely and
    authorized motion under Fla. R. App. P. 9.330 or
    9.331.
               _____________________________

Jessica J. Yeary, Public Defender, and Jasmine Russell Dixon,
Assistant Public Defender, Tallahassee, for Appellant.

Ashley Moody, Attorney General, Tallahassee, for Appellee.

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