United States v. Lizardo-Figueroa, 10th Cir. (2008)
FILED
United States Court of Appeals
Tenth Circuit
UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS
TENTH CIRCUIT
May 7, 2008
Elisabeth A. Shumaker
Clerk of Court
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA,
Plaintiff - Appellee,
No. 07-3304
v.
(D. Kansas)
EDGUAR LIZARDO-FIGUEROA,
(D.C. No. 06-CR-20021-KHV)
Defendant - Appellant.
ORDER AND JUDGMENT *
Before PORFILIO, ANDERSON, and BRORBY, Circuit Judges.
After examining the briefs and appellate record, this panel has determined
unanimously that oral argument would not materially assist in the determination
of this appeal. See Fed. R. App. P. 34(a)(2); 10 th Cir. R. 34.1(G). The case is
therefore ordered submitted without oral argument.
Defendant and appellant Edguar Lizardo-Figueroa pled guilty to one count
of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute fifty grams or more of
methamphetamine, 500 grams or more of cocaine, and a detectable amount of
This order and judgment is not binding precedent except under the
doctrines of law of the case, res judicata, and collateral estoppel. It may be cited,
however, for its persuasive value consistent with Fed. R. App. P. 32.1 and 10th
Cir. R. 32.1.
marijuana. He also pled guilty to four counts of possession with intent to
distribute or distribution of various amounts of methamphetamine, cocaine and
marijuana. The district court sentenced Lizardo-Figueroa to 235 months
imprisonment, and he appeals.
Lizardo-Figueroas appointed counsel, James L. Spies, has filed an Anders
brief and moved to withdraw as counsel. See Anders v. California, 386 U.S. 738
(1967). Lizardo-Figueroa has submitted his own pro se pleading, and the
government has filed a response brief. For the reasons set forth below, we agree
with Mr. Spies that the record in this case provides no non-frivolous basis for an
appeal, and we therefore grant his motion and dismiss this appeal.
BACKGROUND
On May 26, 2006, a second superceding indictment was filed by the
government against Lizardo-Figueroa and twelve co-defendants. LizardoFigueroa was named in counts one, eight, thirteen, fourteen and fifteen of the
indictment. Count one charged him with conspiracy to possess with intent to
distribute fifty grams or more of methamphetamine, 500 grams or more of
cocaine, and a detectable amount of marijuana, in violation of 21 U.S.C.
841(a)(1), (b)(1)(A)(viii), (b)(1)(B)(ii), (b)(1)(D) and 846, and 18 U.S.C. 2.
Counts eight and thirteen charged Lizardo-Figueroa with possession with intent to
distribute and distribution of fifty grams or more of methamphetamine, in
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violation of 21 U.S.C. 841(a)(1), (b)(1)(A)(viii) and 18 U.S.C. 2. Count
fourteen charged him with possession with intent to distribute 50 to 500 grams or
more of cocaine, in violation of 21 U.S.C. 841(a)(1), (b)(1)(B)(ii) and 18 U.S.C.
2. Count fifteen charged him with possession with intent to distribute
marijuana, in violation of 21 U.S.C. 841(a)(1), (b)(1)(D) and 18 U.S.C. 2.
Lizardo-Figueroa pled guilty to all counts.
In preparation for sentencing, a presentence report (PSR) was prepared
by the United States Probation Office. In calculating Lizardo-Figueroas base
offense level, the PSR applied a two-level enhancement pursuant to United States
Guideline Commission, Sentencing Manual (USSG), 2D1.1(b)(1) on the
ground that a firearm was possessed in connection with the offense and that it was
not clearly improbable that the firearm was connected to the crime. The basis for
the enhancement is that law enforcement authorities found two firearms while
searching a residence connected to Lizardo-Figueroa and in which
methamphetamine, cocaine and marijuana were found.
The PSR also included information about Lizardo-Figueroas criminal
history and specific offender characteristics. Lizardo-Figueroa had no criminal
history points. He had also experienced a difficult childhood in Honduras, and
had been beaten by his stepfather and lived alone in the streets for one year when
he was twelve years old. The PSR noted that Lizardo-Figueroa had entered the
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United States illegally in 2001 and worked in this country in order to earn money
to send home to his son in Honduras.
The PSR calculated Lizardo-Figueroas total offense level as 38, which
included the enhancement for possession of the dangerous weapons. With a
criminal history category I, the total offense level of 38 yielded an advisory
Guidelines range of 235 to 293 months.
Lizardo-Figueroa filed objections to the PSR. In particular, he challenged
the two-level enhancement for possession of a firearm in connection with the
crime. He also filed a motion for a variance from the advisory Guidelines
sentence, arguing that a sentence of 120 months would be reasonable and would
satisfy the purposes of 18 U.S.C. 3553(a). The district court rejected his
argument regarding the enhancement, declined to grant him a variance, and
sentenced him to 235 months imprisonment. This appeal followed.
DISCUSSION
Under Anders, counsel [may] request permission to withdraw [from an
appeal] where counsel conscientiously examines a case and determines that any
appeal would be wholly frivolous. United States v. Calderon, 428 F.3d 928, 930
(10 th Cir. 2005) (citing Anders, 386 U.S. at 744). This process requires counsel
to:
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submit a brief to the client and the appellate court indicating any
potential appealable issues based on the record. The client may then
choose to submit arguments to the court. The [c]ourt must then
conduct a full examination of the record to determine whether
defendants claims are wholly frivolous. If the court concludes after
such an examination that the appeal is frivolous, it may grant
counsels motion to withdraw and may dismiss the appeal.
Id. (citing Anders, 386 U.S. at 744).
We agree with counsel that there is no non-frivolous issue related to the
district courts imposition of the sentence in this case. Lizardo-Figueroas
counsel states that Lizardo-Figueroa has directed him to raise two issues on
appeal: whether the district court erred in enhancing his sentence for possession
of a dangerous weapon in connection with the offense and whether the district
court erred in denying his motion for a sentencing variance. In his pro se
response to the Anders brief, Lizardo-Figueroa argues that his counsel provided
ineffective assistance by lying to him to get him to plead guilty, by not pursuing
the possibility of a plea agreement, by not seeking to suppress the results of a
search, by inaccurately predicting whether he would be held accountable for a
weapons enhancement, and by not adequately communicating with him. He also
argues that the district court erred in seeking to avoid unwarranted sentencing
disparities between Lizardo-Figueroa and his co-defendants. We explain why
each of these arguments is frivolous.
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I. Sentence Enhancement:
USSG 2D1.1(b)(1) provides for a two-level enhancement [i]f a dangerous
weapon (including a firearm) was possessed during commission of the offense.
The commentary to that section states, [t]he adjustment should be applied if the
weapon was present, unless it is clearly improbable that the weapon was
connected with the offense. USSG 2D1.1(b)(1), comment. (n.3). The
government bears the initial burden to prove possession of the dangerous weapon
by a preponderance of the evidence. Such possession can be satisfied by
showing mere proximity to the offense. United States v. Smith, 131 F.3d 1392,
1400 (10 th Cir. 1997). Thus, the government need only show that a temporal and
spatial relation existed between the weapon, the drug trafficking activity, and the
defendant. United States v. Zavalza-Rodriguez, 379 F.3d 1182, 1185 (10 th Cir.
2004) (internal quotation marks omitted). If such possession is established, the
burden shifts to the defendant to show that it is clearly improbable the weapon
was connected with the offense. United States v. Heckard, 238 F.3d 1222, 1233
(10 th Cir. 2001).
In addition, Section 1B1.3(a)(1) directs courts applying a specific offense
characteristic such as 2D1.1(b)(1) to consider all acts and omissions committed
or aided and abetted . . . that occurred during the commission of the offense,
which includes conduct of others in furtherance of the execution of the jointlyundertaken criminal activity that was reasonably foreseeable by the defendant,
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regardless whether a conspiracy is charged. United States v. McFarlane, 933
F.2d 898, 899 (10 th Cir. 1991) (quoting USSG 1B1.3(a)(1)(A) and (B) &
comment. (n.2)). Together, these provisions permit sentencing courts to attribute
to a defendant weapons possessed by his co-defendants if the possession of
weapons was known to the defendant or reasonably foreseeable by him. Id.
Finally, we have frequently noted that firearms are tools of the trade for drug
traffickers. See United States v. Martinez, 938 F.2d 1078, 1083 (10 th Cir. 1991).
In this case, it is clear that the government met its initial burden and
Lizardo-Figueroa failed to show that it was clearly improbable that the weapons
found were connected to the drug trafficking. At Lizardo-Figueroas sentencing
hearing, Deputy Jesse Valdez, the lead case agent in the drug conspiracy
investigation involving Lizardo-Figueroa, testified that he had received
information from a confidential informant that drug purchases were being made at
a residence at 2014 North 16 th Street. When Valdez went to that location,
Lizardo-Figueroa was the only person present, and he granted consent to search.
During the search, a shotgun was seized from an upstairs bedroom closet and a
loaded .22-caliber handgun was found inside an air conditioning duct on the floor
of the television room, next to the kitchen. A large quantity of drugs was found
in the kitchen. Valdez characterized the place as a stash house. While no one
appeared to live there, Lizardo-Figueroa had a key to the house and admitted he
had rented it for a friend. Thus, it would be frivolous for Lizardo-Figueroa to
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argue that he showed that it was clearly improbable that the weapons were
connected to the drug distribution enterprise, or that their existence was not
reasonably foreseeable.
II. Denial of Variance:
We review a sentence for reasonableness, giving deference to the district
court under an abuse of discretion standard. See United States v. Smart, 518 F.3d
800, 806 (10 th Cir. 2008) (relying on Gall v. United States, 128 S. Ct. 586, 591
(2007)). Our appellate review for reasonableness includes both a procedural
component, encompassing the method by which a sentence is calculated, as well
as a substantive component, which relates to the length of the resulting sentence.
Id. at 802. In considering the substantive reasonableness of a sentence, we assess
whether the sentence is reasonable in light of the statutory sentencing factors set
forth in 18 U.S.C. 3553(a). A sentence falling within a correctly-calculated
advisory Guidelines range is entitled to a presumption of reasonableness, which
the defendant may rebut by showing the sentence is unreasonable in light of the
3553(a) factors. United States v. Kristl, 437 F.3d 1050, 1053-54 (10 th Cir.
2006) (per curiam).
Lizardo-Figueroa argued in his motion for a variance and at his sentencing
hearing that a sentence of 235 months was overly harsh and that his difficult
upbringing, lack of any prior criminal record, and his more modest role in the
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conspiracy were all mitigating factors the court should consider. In imposing the
235-month sentence, and rejecting his requested variance, the district court
acknowledged Lizardo-Figueroas arguments but found them unpersuasive. The
court stated that it was inappropriate to consider Lizardo-Figueroas personal and
family background in mitigation, and that the sentence was sufficient but not
greater than necessary to comply with the 3553(a) factors. The court also
specifically considered the possible disparity between Lizardo-Figueroas
sentence and those of his co-defendants, noting that if a variance was granted to
Lizardo-Figueroa, it would be a great injustice if Lizardo-Figueroas request
was granted while his co-defendants served longer sentences. There is no
nonfrivolous argument that the court erred in any way in imposing sentence on
Lizardo-Figueroa.
III. Ineffective Assistance of Counsel:
In his pro se response, Lizardo-Figueroa argues his counsel was ineffective
in a number of ways. Ineffective assistance of counsel claims should be brought
in collateral proceedings, not on direct appeal. Such claims brought on direct
appeal are presumptively dismissible, and virtually all will be dismissed. United
States v. Galloway, 56 F.3d 1239, 1240 (10 th Cir. 1995) (en banc). Such is clearly
the appropriate disposition here.
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IV. Consideration of Sentencing Disparities:
Finally, also in his pro se response, Lizardo-Figueroa appears to argue that
the district court erred by seeking to avoid unwarranted sentencing disparities
between Lizardo-Figueroa and his co-defendants when it refused to reduce
Lizardo-Figueroas sentence to 120 months, rather than the 235-month minimum
advisory Guidelines sentence. There was no error here. District courts are
directed to avoid unwarranted sentencing disparities between similarly situated
defendants, including co-defendants. See Gall, 128 S. Ct. at 600; see also Smart,
518 F.3d at 804-05.
CONCLUSION
For the foregoing reasons, we GRANT Lizardo-Figueroas counsels
motion to withdraw, and we DISMISS this appeal.
ENTERED FOR THE COURT
Stephen H. Anderson
Circuit Judge
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