Court Opinion

ID: 9947982
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2024-03-06 01:00:35.106076+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T14:28:53.145007
License: Public Domain

Case: 23-40479           Document: 57-1         Page: 1      Date Filed: 03/05/2024

          United States Court of Appeals
               for the Fifth Circuit
                                  ____________                      United States Court of Appeals
                                                                             Fifth Circuit

                                   No. 23-40479                            FILED
                                                                       March 5, 2024
                                 Summary Calendar
                                 ____________                         Lyle W. Cayce
                                                                           Clerk
United States of America,

                                                                   Plaintiff—Appellee,

                                         versus

Juan Carlos Flores,

                                           Defendant—Appellant.
                  ______________________________

                  Appeal from the United States District Court
                      for the Southern District of Texas
                           USDC No. 1:22-CR-147-2
                  ______________________________

Before King, Haynes, and Graves, Circuit Judges.
Per Curiam: *
      Juan Carlos Flores appeals from the 63-month sentence of
imprisonment imposed following his guilty plea conviction for possession
with intent to distribute 25.9 grams of cocaine base. He argues that the
district court erred by denying his request for a downward variance and

      _____________________
      *
          This opinion is not designated for publication. See 5th Cir. R. 47.5.
Case: 23-40479          Document: 57-1      Page: 2   Date Filed: 03/05/2024

                                   No. 23-40479

imposing a within-guidelines sentence despite his advanced age and poor
health.
          We review the substantive reasonableness of the sentence for abuse of
discretion. United States v. Hernandez, 876 F.3d 161, 166 (5th Cir. 2017).
Flores has failed to rebut the presumption of reasonableness by showing that
the district court considered an improper factor, failed to consider a relevant
factor, or committed clear error of judgment in balancing the 18 U.S.C.
§ 3553(a) factors. See Hernandez, 876 F.3d at 166. His appellate arguments
amount to a mere disagreement with the weight that the district court
afforded to his mitigating arguments and his displeasure with the sentence
imposed, which is insufficient to support his contention that the sentence was
unreasonable. See United States v. Ruiz, 621 F.3d 390, 398 (5th Cir. 2010).
Flores is essentially asking us to reweigh the § 3553(a) factors, which we may
not do. See Hernandez, 876 F.3d at 167.
          Accordingly, the district court’s judgment is AFFIRMED.

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