United States v. Huerta-Tobon

Case: 20-10976 Document: 00515898172 Page: 1 Date Filed: 06/14/2021 United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit United States Court of Appeals Fifth Circuit FILED June 14, 2021 No. 20-10976 Lyle W. Cayce Summary Calendar Clerk United States of America, Plaintiff—Appellee, versus Juan Huerta-Tobon, Defendant—Appellant. Appeal from the United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas USDC No. 5:20-CR-31-1 Before Willett, Ho, and Wilson, Circuit Judges. Per Curiam:* Juan Huerta-Tobon challenges the substantive reasonableness of his 24-month prison sentence following his guilty-plea conviction for illegal reentry after deportation from the United States. “We review the substantive * Pursuant to 5th Circuit Rule 47.5, the court has determined that this opinion should not be published and is not precedent except under the limited circumstances set forth in 5th Circuit Rule 47.5.4. Case: 20-10976 Document: 00515898172 Page: 2 Date Filed: 06/14/2021 No. 20-10976 reasonableness of a sentence for abuse of discretion.” United States v. Nguyen, 854 F.3d 276, 283 (5th Cir. 2017). The district court gave ample consideration to all of the 18 U.S.C. § 3553(a) factors, as well as the arguments presented by counsel, and ultimately concluded that Huerta-Tobon’s criminal history and prior lenient sentences warranted an upward variance. Huerta-Tobon’s arguments, which focus on the “staleness” of his previous convictions, amount to no more than a request for us to reweigh the § 3553(a) factors. We will not do so, as “the sentencing court is in a better position to find facts and judge their import under the § 3553(a) factors with respect to a particular defendant.” United States v. Diehl, 775 F.3d 714, 724 (5th Cir. 2015). Overall, we cannot say that the district court, in its “extensive consideration and explanation of the appropriate sentence in light of the § 3553(a) sentencing factors,” failed to account for a factor that should have received significant weight, gave significant weight to an improper factor, or clearly erred in its balancing of the sentencing factors. Id. at 726. Accordingly, we AFFIRM the district court’s judgment. 2