United States v. Ramon Salazar-Villarreal

Ramon Salazar-Villarreal pled guilty to one count of transporting illegal aliens within the United States in violation of 8 U.S.C. § 1324(a)(1)(B). The maximum penalty for this offense is five years imprisonment and a fine of $250,000. Id.; 18 U.S.C. § 3571(b)(1). The sentencing guidelines, however, set a sentencing range of only four to ten months if the defendant, like Salazar, has no criminal history. Salazar appeals his sentence to three years imprisonment and the assessment of $50 costs. Finding that the district court reasonably justified its departure from the sentencing guidelines, we…