Escolar Documentos
Profissional Documentos
Cultura Documentos
No. 09-5222
Appeal from the United States District Court for the Eastern
District of Virginia, at Richmond.
Robert E. Payne, Senior
District Judge. (3:09-cr-00211-REP-1)
Argued:
SHEDD,
Decided:
Circuit
Judges,
and
HAMILTON,
Senior
PER CURIAM:
Arturo Hernandez-Frias pleaded guilty to being found in
the United States after previously being deported subsequent to
a conviction for an aggravated felony, in violation of 8 U.S.C.
1326(a).
For the
I.
Hernandez-Frias, a native of Mexico, legally entered the
United States on a work permit when he was a teenager.
In 1990,
Mexico.
Each
time,
following
his
return
to
Mexico,
On July
the
convicted
influence
him
of
the
(DUI);
offense.
2
state
He
court
incurred
subsequently
another
DUI
DUI
authorities
conviction,
discovered
on
that
June
he
30,
was
2009,
U.S.
the
United
in
immigration
States
and
conviction
for
8 U.S.C. 1326(a).
an
aggravated
felony
in
violation
of
report (PSR), the probation officer determined that HernandezFriass offense commenced on July 23, 2005 -- the date on which
Hernandez-Frias was arrested for his first DUI in Virginia. 1
The
probation officer then used this date to calculate HernandezFriass criminal history score pursuant to the U.S. Sentencing
Guidelines (U.S.S.G.).
Based on the July 23, 2005 commencement date, the probation
officer added criminal history points for Hernandez-Friass drug
conviction
in
1990.
See
U.S.S.G.
4A1.1(a),
4A1.2(e)(1)
commencement
of
the
instant
offense).
Additionally,
the
the
September
4A1.1(d)
three-year
2005
for
good
his
(directing
behavior
first
the
DUI
addition
sentence
conviction.
of
two
imposed
See
criminal
in
U.S.S.G.
history
these
to
points,
and
others
not
relevant
this
appeal,
the
when the court asked if either party had any objections, defense
counsel stated that Hernandez-Frias has a question with regard,
apparently, to use of his prior record in [the] calculation of
his sentencing guidelines, [in that] some of the items on the
record are old.
do with when this criminal conduct started, how long before, you
know, the 15 years issue.
The
district
and
court
granted
Hernandez-Frias to confer.
recess
for
defense
counsel
adopted
the
presentence
report
as
tendered
by
the
probation
hearing
the
parties
sentencing
arguments,
the
After announcing
And if
II.
A.
Title 8, section 1326 of the U.S. Code prohibits aliens who
have been previously removed from this country from enter[ing],
attempt[ing] to enter, or [being] . . . found in, the United
States
without
permission
from
the
U.S.
Attorney
General.
district
court
miscalculated
his
criminal
history
score
the
commencement
of
his
offense.
He
asserts
that
the
commenced on June 30, 2009 -- not July 23, 2005 as stated in his
PSR.
the
Guidelines,
findings
United
for
clear
States
v.
we
typically
error
Allen,
and
446
review
its
legal
F.3d
522,
the
courts
conclusions
527
(4th
factual
de
Cir.
novo.
2006).
history
score
before
the
district
court,
we
review
To prevail, Hernandez-
substantial
rights.
Fed.
R.
Crim.
P.
52(b);
United
We hold that he
cannot
plainly
do
so;
the
district
court
did
not
err
in
first
criminal
history
enhancement
at
issue,
U.S.S.G. 4A1.1(a).
U.S.S.G. 4A1.2(e)(1).
Id.
case
law
holds
that
the
relevant
conduct
of
See, e.g.,
we
conclude
Hernandez-Frias,
States,
not
that
commenced
when
he
was
immigration authorities.
the
precise
date
of
the
upon
his
found
of
reentry
in
the
the
to
defendant,
the
United
United
States
by
Hernandez-Friass
reentry,
the
district
court reasonably used the date of his July 23, 2005 DUI as the
commencement date -- the first date that the record conclusively
establishes
Hernandez-Friass
illegal
presence
in
the
United
court
pursuant
to
conviction.
appropriately
4A1.1(a)
added
for
criminal
history
Hernandez-Friass
1990
points
drug
sentence
exceeding
thirteen
months 3
and
it
resulted
in
his
Therefore,
because
Hernandez-Frias
committed
part
of
his
1326
court
score
to
add
two
points
if
the
defendant
to
defendants
committed
any
part
criminal
of
the
justice
sentence.
U.S.S.G.
4A1.1(d)
cmt.
n.4.
B.
We also reject Hernandez-Friass alternative argument that,
even if his offense commenced upon his illegal reentry to the
United States, his offense could not have commenced prior to
December
2007.
The
unrebutted
evidence
in
the
record
that
his
most
recent
reentry
to
the
He did not
raise
this
argument
point
as
in
lacking
the
district
adequate
court,
factual
and
we
reject
support
to
show
his
plain
error.
Hernandez-Friass assertion that he left the United States
after July 23, 2005 rests entirely on the single statement in
his
PSR
Because
that
his
he
last
children
saw
reside
his
he
December
But
Hernandez-Friass
the
require
claims
2007.
this
would
Mexico,
in
that
argument
in
children
us
to
make
10
by
not
dating
the
commencement
of
Hernandez-Friass
III.
Finally,
committed
Hernandez-Frias
reversible
argues
error
in
that
the
failing
district
to
court
provide
an
See United
States v. Carter, 564 F.3d 325, 330 (4th Cir. 2009) (Regardless
of
whether
the
within-Guidelines
district
court
sentence,
it
imposes
must
an
place
above,
on
the
below,
or
record
an
court
committed
explanation
for
error
in
Hernandez-Friass
providing
sentence,
an
but
We
agree.
As a threshold matter, we note that Hernandez-Frias did
properly preserve an objection to his sentence.
challenge
to
defendant
need
pronounced
proceedings
an
insufficiently
not
explained
specifically
sentence,
draw[]
but
he
arguments
object
must
from
sentence,
after
at
To preserve a
the
some
3553
court
point
for
the
in
has
the
sentence
United
States v. Powell, 650 F.3d 388, 395 (4th Cir. 2011) (quoting
Lynn, 592 F.3d at 576).
end
of
the
recommended
advisory
guidelines
by
advisory
the
and
the
minimum
guidelines,
Hernandez-Frias
however,
Accordingly,
sentenced
him
Hernandez-Frias
to
72
preserved
months
an
sentence
The district
incarceration.
objection
to
his
sentence.
Because he preserved an objection, we apply harmless error
review in considering whether the district courts procedural
error warrants reversal.
standard,
the
demonstrates
government
that
the
error
may
did
avoid
not
reversal
have
Under that
only
if
substantial
it
and
of
[the
defendants]
sentence imposed.
(4th
Cir.
omitted).
2010)
The
arguments
would
not
have
affected
the
Government
quotation
has
marks
satisfied
that
and
alterations
burden
in
this
case.
At sentencing, Hernandez-Frias made several straightforward
arguments under 18 U.S.C. 3553(a), namely that his age, the
age
of
his
incarceration
sentence.
court
prior
on
family
and
counseled
the
in
impact
favor
of
of
his
lesser
considered
arguments.
his
convictions,
and
After
appreciated
hearing
Hernandez-Friass
Hernandez-Friass
3553(a)
arguments
and
Hernandez-Frias
3553(a). 5
would
accomplish
the
objectives
of
Hernandez-Frias
sentencing
arguments.
raised
uncomplicated,
Although
the
district
relatively
court
weak
erred
by
Under these
AFFIRMED
14