Filed: Aug. 13, 2019
Latest Update: Mar. 03, 2020
Summary: Case: 19-40033 Document: 00515074749 Page: 1 Date Filed: 08/13/2019 IN THE UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS FOR THE FIFTH CIRCUIT United States Court of Appeals Fifth Circuit FILED No. 19-40033 August 13, 2019 Summary Calendar Lyle W. Cayce Clerk UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, Plaintiff-Appellee v. MANUEL SALVADOR VEGA-RIVAS, also known as Manuel Rivas-Vega, Defendant-Appellant Appeal from the United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas USDC No. 2:18-CR-663-1 Before WIENER, HAYNES,
Summary: Case: 19-40033 Document: 00515074749 Page: 1 Date Filed: 08/13/2019 IN THE UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS FOR THE FIFTH CIRCUIT United States Court of Appeals Fifth Circuit FILED No. 19-40033 August 13, 2019 Summary Calendar Lyle W. Cayce Clerk UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, Plaintiff-Appellee v. MANUEL SALVADOR VEGA-RIVAS, also known as Manuel Rivas-Vega, Defendant-Appellant Appeal from the United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas USDC No. 2:18-CR-663-1 Before WIENER, HAYNES, a..
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Case: 19-40033 Document: 00515074749 Page: 1 Date Filed: 08/13/2019
IN THE UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS
FOR THE FIFTH CIRCUIT
United States Court of Appeals
Fifth Circuit
FILED
No. 19-40033 August 13, 2019
Summary Calendar
Lyle W. Cayce
Clerk
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA,
Plaintiff-Appellee
v.
MANUEL SALVADOR VEGA-RIVAS, also known as Manuel Rivas-Vega,
Defendant-Appellant
Appeal from the United States District Court
for the Southern District of Texas
USDC No. 2:18-CR-663-1
Before WIENER, HAYNES, and COSTA, Circuit Judges.
PER CURIAM: *
Manuel Salvador Vega-Rivas appeals his illegal reentry conviction and
the resulting 21-month sentence. For the first time on appeal, he argues that
the district court erred in applying the enhanced 20-year statutory maximum
of 8 U.S.C. § 1326(b)(2) to his offense because his prior Florida burglary
conviction was not an aggravated felony. He moves this court to remand to the
* 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 R. 47.5, the court has determined that this opinion should not
be published and is not precedent except under the limited circumstances set forth in 5TH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.
Case: 19-40033 Document: 00515074749 Page: 2 Date Filed: 08/13/2019
No. 19-40033
district court for amendment of judgment or, in the alternative, for an
extension of time to file his reply brief.
Because his § 1326(b)(2) argument was not raised below, this court’s
review is limited to plain error. See United States v. Vonn,
535 U.S. 55, 58-59
(2002). To demonstrate plain error, Vega-Rivas must show a forfeited error
that is clear or obvious and that affects his substantial rights. See Puckett v.
United States,
556 U.S. 129, 135 (2009). If he makes this showing, this court
has the discretion to correct the error, provided that it “seriously affects the
fairness, integrity, or public reputation of judicial proceedings. See
id.
(internal quotation marks, cite, & brackets omitted).
Vega-Rivas is correct that Florida burglary is not an aggravated felony
because the relevant statute, FLA. STAT. ANN. § 810.02, lacks a physical force
element and does not comport with the generic definition of burglary of a
dwelling. United States v. Urbina-Fuentes,
900 F.3d 687, 692-94 (5th Cir.
2018). Consequently, Vega-Rivas’s prior conviction was not an aggravated
felony. Instead, the prior conviction was just a felony, which means the illegal
reentry conviction should have been under § 1326(b)(1), which carries a 10-
year maximum rather than the 20-year cap that applies when illegal reentry
follows an aggravated felony. Compare 18 U.S.C. § 1326(b)(1), with
id. §
1326(b)(2).
But the district court’s error does not require us to vacate Vega-Rivas’s
sentence, as the difference in the statutory maximum does not impact the 21-
month sentence. Nevertheless, it is appropriate to fix the judgment, which
may have future consequences, to reflect that Vega-Rivas’s conviction was
under 8 U.S.C. § 1326(b)(1). See United States v. Mondragon-Santiago,
564 F.3d 357, 369 (5th Cir. 2009). Defendant’s unopposed motion for summary
remand to enter an amended judgment is GRANTED.
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