United States v. Rick Contreras

EDITH BROWN CLEMENT, Circuit Judge:

Rick Contreras pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute more than five kilograms of cocaine. His total offense level under the Sentencing Guidelines was 35, yielding a guideline range of 168 to 210 months of imprisonment. Because he agreed to waive his right to appeal, the government recommended that the district court grant a one-level reduction of his offense level under U.S.S.G. § 5K2.0. The district court thus departed downward, reducing Contreras’s offense level to 34, yielding a range of 151 to 188 months. The district court…