U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, 2021

United States v. Lugo-Soto

United States v. Lugo-Soto
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit · Decided April 7, 2021

United States v. Lugo-Soto

Opinion

Case: 20-50871 Document: 00515811351 Page: 1 Date Filed: 04/07/2021

United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit United States Court of Appeals Fifth Circuit FILED April 7, 2021 No. 20-50871 Lyle W. Cayce Summary Calendar Clerk

United States of America, Plaintiff—Appellee, versus Jose Francisco Lugo-Soto, Defendant—Appellant,

consolidated with _____________ No. 20-50887 _____________ United States of America, Plaintiff—Appellee, versus Francisco Lugo-Soto, Defendant—Appellant.

Case: 20-50871 Document: 00515811351 Page: 2 Date Filed: 04/07/2021 No. 20-50871 c/w No. 20-50887

Appeals from the United States District Court for the Western District of Texas USDC No. 4:17-CR-161-1 USDC No. 4:19-CR-886-1

Before Jolly, Elrod, and Graves, Circuit Judges.

Per Curiam:* In 2020, Jose Francisco Lugo-Soto, also known as Francisco Lugo- Soto, among other aliases, pleaded guilty to entry into the United States after deportation in violation of 8 U.S.C. § 1326(a) and (b)(1) and was sentenced to 21 months of imprisonment and three years of supervised release.

Lugo-Soto previously pleaded guilty to entry into the United States after deportation and was sentenced to 10 months of imprisonment and three years of supervised release. The district court subsequently revoked his supervised release and sentenced him to 14 months of imprisonment with no further supervised release term.

In his sole argument on appeal, Lugo-Soto contends that the sentencing enhancement under § 1326(b) is unconstitutional in light of Apprendi v. New Jersey, 530 U.S. 466 (2000), and subsequent decisions because it allows a sentence above the otherwise applicable statutory maximum based on facts that are neither alleged in the indictment nor found by a jury beyond a reasonable doubt. Lugo-Soto concedes that his argument is foreclosed by Almendarez-Torres v. United States, 523 U.S. 224, 226-27 (1998), but seeks to preserve the issue for possible further review. The Government, agreeing that the issue is foreclosed, has filed an unopposed

* Pursuant to 5th Circuit Rule 47.5, the court has determined that this opinion should not be published and is not precedent except under the limited circumstances set forth in 5th Circuit Rule 47.5.4.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: 20-50871 Document: 00515811351 Page: 3 Date Filed: 04/07/2021

No. 20-50871 c/w No. 20-50887 motion for summary affirmance. In the alternative, the Government requests an extension of time to file a brief.

As the Government argues, and Lugo-Soto concedes, the sole issue raised on appeal is foreclosed by Almendarez-Torres. See United States v. Wallace, 759 F.3d 486, 497 (5th Cir. 2014); United States v. Pineda-Arrellano, 492 F.3d 624, 625-26 (5th Cir. 2007). Because the issue is foreclosed, summary affirmance is appropriate. See Groendyke Transp., Inc. v. Davis, 406 F.2d 1158, 1162 (5th Cir. 1969).

Although the appeals of Lugo-Soto’s illegal reentry conviction and supervised release revocation were consolidated, he has not briefed any challenge to the revocation or the revocation sentence. Consequently, he has waived any challenge to the revocation and revocation sentence on appeal.

See United States v. Thames, 214 F.3d 608, 611 n.3 (5th Cir. 2000); Fed. R. App. P. 28(a)(8)(A).

Accordingly, the Government’s motion for summary affirmance is GRANTED, the Government’s alternative motion for an extension of time to file a brief is DENIED, and the judgments of the district court are AFFIRMED.

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