United States v. Juanico, CR 14-3095 JB
| Decision Date | 16 December 2015 |
| Docket Number | No. CR 14-3095 JB,CR 14-3095 JB |
| Parties | UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, Plaintiff, v. BRIAN J. JUANICO, Defendant. |
| Court | U.S. District Court — District of New Mexico |
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, Plaintiff,
v.
BRIAN J. JUANICO, Defendant.
No. CR 14-3095 JB
UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE DISTRICT OF NEW MEXICO
December 16, 2015
MEMORANDUM OPINION AND ORDER
THIS MATTER comes before the Court on the Presentence Investigation Report, disclosed March 25, 2015. The Court held a hearing on April 23, 2015. The primary issue is what fine to impose upon Defendant Brian J. Juanico, who has a total net worth of $95,347.00, but also must make child support and other payments on his existing assets. The Court will impose a fine of $53,423.55, payable in thirty-six monthly installments of $1,484.00, and will defer payment of the fine until Juanico begins supervised release.
The Court takes its facts from the Presentence Investigation Report (disclosed March 25, 2015)("PSR"), which the United States Probation Office ("USPO") prepared. The Court will first outline the facts of Juanico's offense. It will then briefly describe Juanico's financial condition.
1. The Offense of Conviction.
On April 6, 2014, Juanico assaulted and strangled his "on and off" girlfriend, Jane Doe. PSR ¶¶ 8, 12 at 4, 5. Juanico and Doe were separated at the time of the offense -- Doe came to his house to pick up her daughter. See PSR ¶ 12, at 5. Doe later stated that Juanico strangled her
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until she felt that she "was going to die and not see her children again." PSR ¶ 13, at 5. After Juanico released his grip, Doe began to scream, and he "grabbed her face, putting both his thumbs in her mouth toward the back of her throat." PSR ¶ 14, at 6. He tore off her clothes, threatened her with a golf club, and threatened to shoot her with a gun he kept in the living room. See PSR ¶ 14, at 6.
Both Juanico and Doe are members of the Acoma Indian Tribe, and the assault took place within the Acoma Indian Reservation in Cibola County, New Mexico. See PSR ¶ 8-9, at 4-5. On April 7, 2014, Doe contacted an Acoma Tribal Police officer, who took photographs of significant injuries to her neck and arms. See PSR ¶ 9, at 5. Tribal authorities arrested Juanico on May 1, 2014. See PSR ¶ 11, at 5.
2. Juanico's Financial Condition.
The Court understands that the only ruling that Juanico intends to appeal is the Court's imposition of a fine. Juanico's financial condition is important to that decision. Accordingly, the Court will discuss his ability to pay child support, his education, his employment, his assets, and his liabilities.
a. Child Support.
Juanico says that, before his arrest, he was paying a total of roughly $400.00 each month in child support for his oldest daughters, Tianna, age 16 and Tylenne, age 14. See PSR ¶ 87, at 18. He last saw these children in 2002. See PSR ¶ 57, at 14. When he is released, he will be required to support three other minor children: two sons, ages 10 and 15, and one daughter, age 12. See PSR ¶¶ 59, 87, at 14, 18.
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b. Education and Employment.
Juanico graduated from Grants High School in Grants, New Mexico on May 19, 1995. See PSR ¶ 74, at 16. He was ranked twenty-second out of 145 students and participated in the school's Reserve Officers' Training Corps ("ROTC") program. PSR ¶ 74, at 16. From July 31, 1995 to September 26, 1995, Juanico studied diesel mechanics at the Universal Technical Institute in Phoenix, Arizona. See PSR ¶ 75, at 16. Although he dropped out of the program, he has specialized skills as a mechanic and a commercial driver's license. See PSR ¶ 75-76, at 16.
Juanico is currently unemployed. See PSR ¶ 87, at 18. He began working as a mechanic in 1995 and has held numerous positions as a mechanic throughout New Mexico. See PSR ¶¶ 74, at 16. At the time of his arrest, Juanico worked as a mechanic and welder, earning an annual salary of $55,286.40. See PSR ¶ 78, at 17. After his arrest, he held a similar job until he changed his plea on January 23, 2015. See PSR ¶ 77, at 16.
c. Assets and Liabilities.
The USPO reports that Juanico owns a mobile home worth $130,000.00, and three vehicles: (i) a 1991 Nissan pickup worth $800.00; (ii) a 2002 Ford F-350 pickup worth $12,000.00; and (iii) a 2013 Ford F-150 pickup worth $20,000.00. See PSR ¶ 88, at 18. He also owns mechanic tools worth $5,000.00 and has a 401(k) retirement savings account with Vanguard-Peabody worth $23,000.00. See PSR ¶ 88, at 18-19. His assets, overall, are worth $190,800.00. See PSR ¶ 88, at 18-19. His liabilities, including his mobile home loan, vehicle loans, personal loans, and collection accounts amount to $95,453.00. See PSR ¶ 88, at 18-19. His net worth is therefore $95,347.00. See PSR ¶ 88, at 18-19.
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On January 23, 2015, Juanico pled guilty, without a plea agreement, to three separate counts of assault of an intimate partner by strangling or suffocation under 18 U.S.C. §§ 1153 and 113(a)(8). See Plea Minute Sheet, filed January 23, 2015 (Doc. 34); PSR at 1. The parties do not dispute the PSR's calculations for Juanico's base offense level or applicable Guidelines range. See United States' Sentencing Memorandum at 1, filed April 16, 2015 (Doc. 37)("The United States has no objection to the facts, calculations, or analysis contained in the PSR."); Sentencing Memorandum on Behalf of Brian Juanico, filed April 20, 2015 (Doc. 39).
This case involves both incarceration and monetary sanctions against Juanico. As to imprisonment, the USPO states that Juanico's base offense level under the Guidelines should be 14. See PSR ¶ 27, at 8 (citing U.S.S.G. §§ 2X5.1 and 2A2.2). It applied a 3-level enhancement for the threatened use of a deadly weapon, namely the golf club and firearm. See PSR ¶ 28, at 8 (citing U.S.S.G. § 2A2.2(b)(2)(C)). It added a 4-level enhancement for an injury between "bodily injury" and "serious bodily injury" pursuant to U.S.S.G. § 2A2.2(b)(3)(D). PSR ¶ 29, at 9. Finally, it included a 2-level enhancement, because Juanico restrained the victim during the course of the offense. See PSR ¶ 30, at 9 (citing U.S.S.G. § 3A1.3). Because Juanico pled guilty and "clearly demonstrated acceptance of responsibility," the PSR decreased the offense level by 3 levels. PSR ¶ 35-36, at 9-10 (citing U.S.S.G. § 3E1.1(a)-(b)). It calculated a total offense level of 20, see PSR ¶ 37, at 10, which, when combined with his criminal history category of I, see PSR ¶ 44, at 11, results in a Guidelines imprisonment range of 33 to 41 months, see PSR ¶ 91, at 19.
The PSR states that Juanico faces mandatory special assessments of $100.00 for each of his three counts of conviction. See PSR ¶ 99, at 20. It also states that he faces discretionary
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fines on each count and that the statutory maximum for each is $250,000.00. See PSR ¶ 98, at 20 (citing 18 U.S.C. § 3571(b)). It says that the Guidelines indicate a total fine range -- for all Counts combined -- of $7,500.00 to $75,000.00. See PSR ¶ 100, at 20 (citing U.S.S.G. § 5E1.2(c)(3)). The PSR also states that, while Juanico does not owe restitution in this case because the victim has not requested it, see PSR ¶¶ 102-03, at 20 (citing 18 U.S.C. § 3663A), he owes the United States the costs of its prosecution, which the USPO calculates to be $2,440.97 per month while he is in Bureau of Prisons ("BOP") facilities, $2,217.73 per month while he is in community correction centers, and $263.50 per month, or $3,162.03 per year, while he is on supervised release, see PSR ¶ 101, at 20 (citing 18 U.S.C. § 3572(a)(6); U.S.S.G. § 5E1.2(d)(7)).
The Court held a sentencing hearing on April 23, 2015. See Transcript of Hearing, filed May 13, 2015 (Doc. 48)(taken Apr. 23, 2015)("Tr."). The Court announced its intent to levy a fine before imposing sentence, noting that Juanico "has more assets than many people that appear before the Court." Tr. at 12: 3-6 (Court). Juanico replied that he had more assets than most defendants, but that he had worked very hard to obtain them. See Tr. at 12:7-9 (Rivas). He added that he would have to sell many of his assets, including his mobile home, and that he had a continuing obligation to pay child support. See Tr. at 12: 9-15 (Rivas).
The Court then stated the sentence. See Tr. at 25:7-9 (Court). The Court indicated that sixteen factors put downward pressure on the Guidelines range. First are Juanico's unique characteristics. The Court noted that Juanico is an "educated person . . . a trained person." Tr. at 26:17-18 (Court). The Court stated that the letters to the Court on Juanico's behalf and the PSR indicated that he has worked very hard in his life. See Tr. at 26:18-19 (Court). The Court explained that, with some intervention, Juanico could "do well." Tr. at 26:21 (Court).
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The Court varied the equivalent of 5 offense levels, producing a working offense level of 15 and a criminal history category of I, resulting in a working Guidelines range of 18 to 24 months. See Tr. at 31:15-23 (Court). It sentenced Juanico to 18-months imprisonment, at the low end of this recalculated working range. See Tr. at 32:3-15 (Court). Most importantly for this Memorandum Opinion and Order, the Court explained that it would "impose a fine in this case, and the fine is going to be punitive because it's going to cover the cost of the incarceration, the cost to taxpayers. I think that can also substitute for some incarceration here." Tr. at 26:22-27:1 (Court). The Court expressly noted that the ability to impose a fine put downward pressure on the Guidelines sentence. See Tr. at 31:20-23 (Court).
Juanico's primary argument is that the state courts would not impose a sentence of more than time served for domestic violence. See Tr. at 7:6-15 (Rivas). The Court noted that the unwarranted disparities that the Court was trying to avoid were not with state courts, but with other federal courts. See Tr. at 27:1-4 (Court). The Court noted that Congress had passed the Violence Against Women Act, 18 U.S.C. §§ 2261-66, 42 U.S.C. §§ 13701-14040, and imposed "specific expectations of courts and prosecutors, and now on people on...
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