Court Opinion

ID: 9957651
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2024-04-04 19:01:12.377795+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T08:18:33.498686
License: Public Domain

NOT FOR PUBLICATION                            FILED
                    UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS                         APR 4 2024
                                                                      MOLLY C. DWYER, CLERK
                                                                        U.S. COURT OF APPEALS
                           FOR THE NINTH CIRCUIT

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA,                       No. 23-1232
                                                D.C. No. 1:22-cr-00126-SPW-TJC-1
             Plaintiff - Appellee,

 v.                                             MEMORANDUM*

ISIDRO VEGA CARMONA, Isidro Vega-
Carmona,

             Defendant - Appellant.

                   Appeal from the United States District Court
                           for the District of Montana
                    Susan P. Watters, District Judge, Presiding

                            Submitted March 26, 2024**

Before:      TASHIMA, SILVERMAN, and KOH, Circuit Judges.

      Isidro Vega Carmona appeals from the district court’s judgment and

challenges the 168-month sentence imposed following his guilty-plea conviction

for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and possession with intent to

      *
             This disposition is not appropriate for publication and is not precedent
except as provided by Ninth Circuit Rule 36-3.
      **
             The panel unanimously concludes this case is suitable for decision
without oral argument. See Fed. R. App. P. 34(a)(2).
distribute methamphetamine, and aiding and abetting, in violation of 21 U.S.C.

§§ 841(a)(1) and 846, and 18 U.S.C. § 2. We have jurisdiction under 28 U.S.C.

§ 1291, and we affirm.

      Carmona contends that the sentence is substantively unreasonable given his

lack of criminal history, tragic personal background, and the aberrant nature of his

conduct. We review for abuse of discretion. See Gall v. United States, 552 U.S.

38, 51 (2007). The record reflects that the district court considered Carmona’s

background and “heartbreaking” childhood, but concluded that the substantial

amount of drugs involved in the offense warranted a low-end Guideline sentence.

Contrary to Carmona’s argument, the court acted within its discretion in weighing

these considerations. See United States v. Gutierrez-Sanchez, 587 F.3d 904, 908

(9th Cir. 2009) (“The weight to be given the various factors in a particular case is

for the discretion of the district court.”). The 168-month sentence is substantively

reasonable under the 18 U.S.C. § 3553(a) factors and the totality of the

circumstances. See Gall, 552 U.S. at 51.

      AFFIRMED.

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