Filed: May 27, 2005
Latest Update: Feb. 21, 2020
Summary: United States Court of Appeals Fifth Circuit F I L E D IN THE UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS FOR THE FIFTH CIRCUIT May 27, 2005 Charles R. Fulbruge III Clerk No. 04-40892 Summary Calendar UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, Plaintiff-Appellee, versus ISRAEL SALINAS-CAPISTRAN, Defendant-Appellant. - Appeal from the United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas USDC No. 2:04-CR-38-1 - Before REAVLEY, JOLLY, and HIGGINBOTHAM, Circuit Judges. PER CURIAM:* Israel Salinas-Capistran appeals the
Summary: United States Court of Appeals Fifth Circuit F I L E D IN THE UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS FOR THE FIFTH CIRCUIT May 27, 2005 Charles R. Fulbruge III Clerk No. 04-40892 Summary Calendar UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, Plaintiff-Appellee, versus ISRAEL SALINAS-CAPISTRAN, Defendant-Appellant. - Appeal from the United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas USDC No. 2:04-CR-38-1 - Before REAVLEY, JOLLY, and HIGGINBOTHAM, Circuit Judges. PER CURIAM:* Israel Salinas-Capistran appeals the ..
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United States Court of Appeals
Fifth Circuit
F I L E D
IN THE UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS
FOR THE FIFTH CIRCUIT May 27, 2005
Charles R. Fulbruge III
Clerk
No. 04-40892
Summary Calendar
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA,
Plaintiff-Appellee,
versus
ISRAEL SALINAS-CAPISTRAN,
Defendant-Appellant.
--------------------
Appeal from the United States District Court
for the Southern District of Texas
USDC No. 2:04-CR-38-1
--------------------
Before REAVLEY, JOLLY, and HIGGINBOTHAM, Circuit Judges.
PER CURIAM:*
Israel Salinas-Capistran appeals the 120-month sentence
imposed following his guilty-plea conviction for possessing with
the intent to distribute more than 1,000 kilograms of marijuana.
Salinas argues that the district court erred in calculating the
amount of weight attributed to him for sentencing purposes. He
contends that, under 21 U.S.C. § 802(16), “fibers” should have been
excluded from the weight of the marijuana and that, had they been
so excluded, he would not have been subject to the 10-year
*
Pursuant to 5TH CIR. R. 47.5, the court has determined that
this opinion should not be published and is not precedent except
under the limited circumstances set forth in 5TH CIR. R. 47.5.4.
No. 04-40892
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mandatory-minimum sentence under 21 U.S.C. § 841(b)(1)(A). He
asserts that the definition of marijuana for purposes of
determining drug weight and corresponding sentence under the
guidelines differs from the definition of marijuana for statutory
purposes.
The argument fails because both the indictment to which
Salinas unconditionally pleaded guilty and the factual basis for
his plea stipulated that the offense involved more than 1,000
kilograms, specifically 1,050 kilograms, of marijuana. Salinas has
never attempted to withdraw his guilty plea, and his valid plea
forecloses his challenge to the amount of drugs attributed to him
for sentencing purposes.
Salinas next argues that he was entitled to a sentence below
the mandatory minimum under the “safety-valve” provision of
U.S.S.G. § 5C1.2. He urges that the district court erred in
finding that he did not truthfully provide all information that he
had concerning the offense because the Government did not show that
any of the information he provided was false.
The district court’s determination that Salinas had not
truthfully provided all the pertinent information regarding the
offense is a factual determination reviewed for clear error. See
United States v. Miller,
179 F.3d 961, 963-64 (5th Cir. 1999); see
also United States v. Bringier,
405 F.3d 310, 315 n.3 (5th Cir.
2005). Salinas has not demonstrated error, clear or otherwise, on
the district court’s part. Although he relies on the fact that the
No. 04-40892
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Government did not show that any of the information he provided was
in fact false, Agent Thrash’s testimony shows that the information
Salinas provided was so general and vague that it could neither be
confirmed nor denied. The testimony indicates that, even if the
information Salinas gave was not false, it was incomplete. It
further indicates that Salinas’ story was incredible, given the
unlikelihood that a drug dealer would entrust such a large quantity
of marijuana with such a high street value to a person unknown to
or so tenuously connected to him.
Salinas has not demonstrated any error in the district
court’s judgment. Accordingly, the judgment is AFFIRMED.