United States of America v. Jaime Antonio Lara-Castillo

United States Court of Appeals
For the Seventh Circuit
Chicago, Illinois 60604
Submitted February 18, 2009
Decided February 20, 2009
Before
WILLIAM J. BAUER, Circuit Judge
KENNETH F. RIPPLE, Circuit Judge
MICHAEL S. KANNE, Circuit Judge
No. 08‐1289
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA,
Plaintiff‐Appellee,
v.
JAIME ANTONIO LARA‐CASTILLO,
Defendant‐Appellant.
Appeal from the United States District
Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin.
No. 2:07‐cr‐00134‐JPS‐1
J.P. Stadtmueller,
Judge.
O R D E R
Jaime Lara‐Castillo pleaded guilty to conspiracy to transport stolen over‐the counter
products and infant formula in interstate commerce, see 18 U.S.C. § 2314, and the district
court sentenced him to 57 months’ imprisonment. Lara‐Castillo filed a notice of appeal, but
his appointed attorney has moved to withdraw because he cannot discern a nonfrivolous
basis for appeal. See Anders v. California, 386 U.S. 738 (1967). We invited Lara‐Castillo to
comment on counsel’s motion, see CIR. R. 51(b), which he has done. We thus review the
potential issues identified in counsel’s facially adequate brief and Lara‐Castillo’s Rule 51(b)
response. See United States v. Schuh, 289 F.3d 968, 973‐74 (7th Cir. 2002).
NONPRECEDENTIAL DISPOSITION
To be cited only in accordance with
Fed. R. App. P. 32.1

-- 1 of 2 --

No. 08‐1289 Page 2
Counsel considers whether Lara‐Castillo could challenge the reasonableness of his 57‐
month prison sentence but concludes that any such argument would be frivolous. We
agree. A sentence within a correctly calculated Guidelines range is presumptively
reasonable. Rita v. United States, 127 S. Ct. 2456, 2462 (2007); United States v. Harvey, 516 F.3d
553, 556 (7th Cir. 2008). In assessing reasonableness, we ask whether the district court gave
“meaningful consideration” to the sentencing factors set forth in 18 U.S.C. § 3553(a). United
States v. Shannon, 518 F.3d 494, 496 (7th Cir. 2008). Here, the district court properly
calculated a Guidelines range of 57 to 71 months and imposed a term at the very bottom
of that range after taking into account the factors in § 3553(a), including Lara‐Castillo’s HIV‐
positive diagnosis, his daughter’s rare medical condition, and his status as an
undocumented alien. The court also noted the serious nature of the offense and the cost
to taxpayers associated with housing Lara‐Castillo. Counsel cannot identify any basis
for concluding that Lara‐Castillo’s 57‐month sentence might be the exception to Rita’s
presumption of reasonableness, nor can we.
In his Rule 51(b) response, Lara‐Castillo poses two challenges to the district court’s
calculation of his sentence. First, he argues that the court erred by failing to give him a one‐
level reduction for acceptance of responsibility based on his having notified authorities of
his intent to plead guilty. See U.S.S.G. § 3E1.1(b). However, he received the reduction when
the court subtracted three levels for his accepting responsibility. Second, Lara‐Castillo
contends that the district court erred by adding two points to his criminal history
calculation because, he insists, he was not on probation when he committed the offense at
issue. See id. § 4A1.1(d). But the plea agreement and presentence report, which the court
adopted without objection, described Lara‐Castillo as a full participant in the conspiracy
while on parole in 2004 and 2005. Any such arguments would therefore be frivolous.
Lara‐Castillo also suggests that the plea agreement used at sentencing was a different
version from the one he signed. Yet he provides no evidence for this assertion. Moreover,
the agreement advises that the “sentencing court will make its own determinations
regarding any and all issues relating to the imposition of sentence.” And at sentencing the
district court used the presentence report to establish a Guidelines range, which both parties
accepted. Thus, the claim is baseless.
For the above reasons, counsel’s motion to withdraw is GRANTED, and the appeal is
DISMISSED.

-- 2 of 2 --