United States v. Robert Vargas

U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
United States v. Robert Vargas, 668 F. App'x 285 (9th Cir. 2016)

United States v. Robert Vargas

Opinion

MEMORANDUM **

Robert Vargas appeals from the district court’s judgment and challenges the 180-month sentence imposed following his guilty-plea conviction for conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine, in violation of 21 U.S.C. §§ 841(a)(1) and 846; possession with intent to distribute MDMA, in violation of 21 U.S.C. § 841(a)(1); and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 924(c). We dismiss.

*286 Vargas contends, that his sentence is substantively unreasonable in light of an alleged overstatement to his criminal history and the disparity between his sentence and that of his codefendant. The government argues that this appeal should be dismissed based on an appeal waiver contained in the parties’ plea agreement. Reviewing de novo, see United States v. Lightfoot, 626 F.3d 1092, 1094 (9th Cir. 2010), we dismiss. Vargas gave up the right to appeal his sentence as long as it did not exceed “the top of the applicable guideline range.” Whether the applicable guideline range is the 195-228 month range calculated by the court at sentencing, or the 181-211 month range calculated in the plea agreement and that Vargas now suggests the court should have used, the appeal waiver bars Vargas’s appeal of his 180-month sentence.

DISMISSED.

**

This disposition is not appropriate for publication and is not precedent except as provided by Ninth Circuit Rule 36-3.

Reference

Full Case Name
UNITED STATES of America, Plaintiff-Appellee, v. Robert VARGAS, Defendant-Appellant
Status
Unpublished