United States v. Francisco Robles , 256 F. App'x 880 ( 2007 )


Menu:
  •                      United States Court of Appeals
    FOR THE EIGHTH CIRCUIT
    ___________
    No. 06-3619
    ___________
    United States of America,            *
    *
    Appellee,                *
    *
    v.                             * Appeal from the United States
    * District Court for the
    Francisco Robles, also known as      * District of Nebraska.
    Juan Valle Cillo,                    * [UNPUBLISHED]
    *
    Appellant.               *
    ___________
    Submitted: December 6, 2007
    Filed: December 13, 2007
    ___________
    Before WOLLMAN, COLLOTON, and BENTON, Circuit Judges.
    ___________
    PER CURIAM.
    A jury found Francisco Robles guilty of conspiring to distribute or possess with
    intent to distribute more than 500 grams of methamphetamine mixture, in violation
    of 
    21 U.S.C. § 846
    , and the district court1 sentenced him within the advisory
    Guidelines range to 240 months in prison and 5 years of supervised release. On
    appeal, his counsel has filed a brief under Anders v. California, 
    386 U.S. 738
     (1967).
    For the reasons discussed below, we affirm.
    1
    The Honorable Lyle E. Strom, United States District Judge for the District of
    Nebraska.
    Counsel first argues that the evidence was insufficient because the
    government’s trial witnesses lied. However, credibility determinations are the
    province of the jury, making them virtually unreviewable on appeal. See United
    States v. Davis, 
    471 F.3d 938
    , 948 (8th Cir. 2006). Accepting all of the trial evidence
    and inferences therefrom that support the verdict, as we must, we conclude that a
    reasonable jury could have found that a conspiracy involving 500 grams or more of
    methamphetamine mixture existed, Robles knew about it, and he knowingly became
    a part of it. See United States v. Urkevich, 
    408 F.3d 1031
    , 1036 (8th Cir. 2005)
    (standard of review and elements of offense).
    Next, counsel argues that the 240-month prison sentence is unreasonable
    because Robles was merely a drug user, not a dealer. This is the version of events that
    Robles advanced in his testimony at trial and in his allocution at sentencing, but it is
    clear that the district court disbelieved his story in favor of the government’s trial
    evidence. We conclude he has not shown that the court failed to consider a relevant
    factor that should have received significant weight, gave significant weight to an
    improper or irrelevant factor, or considered only the appropriate factors but committed
    a clear error of judgment in weighing those factors. See United States v. Haack, 
    403 F.3d 997
    , 1004 (8th Cir. 2005) (categories of error under reasonableness review).
    After reviewing the record independently under Penson v. Ohio, 
    488 U.S. 75
    (1988), and finding no nonfrivolous issues for appeal, we affirm the judgment of the
    district court.
    ______________________________
    -2-
    

Document Info

Docket Number: 06-3619

Citation Numbers: 256 F. App'x 880

Judges: Wollman, Colloton, Benton

Filed Date: 12/13/2007

Precedential Status: Non-Precedential

Modified Date: 11/5/2024