USA v. Donald Broomfield

Filing

Opinion issued by court as to Appellant Donald Broomfield. Decision: Affirmed. Opinion type: Non-Published. Opinion method: Per Curiam. The opinion is also available through the Court's Opinions page at this link http://www.ca11.uscourts.gov/opinions.

Case: 16-16495

Date Filed: 10/03/2017

Page: 1 of 3

[DO NOT PUBLISH]

IN THE UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS
FOR THE ELEVENTH CIRCUIT
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No. 16-16495
Non-Argument Calendar
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D.C. Docket No. 3:14-cr-00156-TJC-PDB-1

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA,
Plaintiff-Appellee,
versus
DONALD BROOMFIELD,
Defendant-Appellant.
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Appeal from the United States District Court
for the Middle District of Florida
________________________
(October 3, 2017)
Before WILLIAM PRYOR, JULIE CARNES and JILL PRYOR, Circuit Judges.
PER CURIAM:

Case: 16-16495

Date Filed: 10/03/2017

Page: 2 of 3

Donald Broomfield appeals his sentence of 180 months of imprisonment for
conspiring to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine, 21 U.S.C. §§ 841(a)(1),
841(b)(1)(A), 846, and possessing with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of
cocaine, id. § 841(a)(1), (b)(1)(B). Broomfield argues that his sentence below the
advisory guideline range is substantively unreasonable. We affirm.
Between 2010 and August 2014, Broomfield smuggled from Texas to
Florida more than 50 kilograms of cocaine that he concealed in hidden
compartments in his Chrysler 300 sedan and in a Chevrolet Tahoe vehicle. He
divided the cocaine into smaller quantities for himself and for his recruits, which
included his cousin, Donshay Christia, Mandis Thomas, and James Degelmann, to
sell at $26,000 to $43,000 per kilogram. Broomfield also recruited Raymond
Priester to transport cash from Atlanta, Georgia, and from Jacksonville to Texas.
When arrested, Broomfield possessed 1,600 grams of cocaine, $5,000 in cash, and
a card for a self-storage facility inside which police officers discovered a small
amount of cocaine and $4,000 in cash.
The district court did not abuse its discretion by imposing a belowguidelines sentence. Broomfield initially faced an advisory guideline range of 262
to 327 months, but the district court sustained his objection to a two-level
enhancement for obstruction of justice, which lowered his sentencing range to 210
to 262 months. The district court then varied downward an additional 30 months to
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Case: 16-16495

Date Filed: 10/03/2017

Page: 3 of 3

reflect that Broomfield was “a first-time offender.” The district court reasonably
determined that a sentence of 180 months accounted for “the amount of drugs that
. . . [Broomfield transferred] from Texas into Florida”; his management of “a fairly
sophisticated operation”; his recruitment of “his cousin and other people . . .
acquainted with him”; his desire to retain the lifestyle he had “as a pro football
player”; and the need “to promote respect for the law and provide just
punishment,” to deter him and other persons “in a [similar] situation,” and to
“protect[] the public from further crimes from him.” 18 U.S.C. § 3553(a).
Broomfield argues that the district court failed to consider that his coconspirators
had alternative motives for testifying against him, but the district court was in the
best position to assess the witnesses’ credibility and determined that Broomfield,
although “not your typical drug dealer,” was “try[ing] to minimize what . . . [he
had] done.” See United States v. Ramirez-Chilel, 289 F.3d 744, 749 (11th Cir.
2002). Broomfield’s sentence, which is well below his statutory maximum penalty
of imprisonment for life, is reasonable. See United States v. Gonzalez, 550 F.3d
1319, 1324 (11th Cir. 2008).
We AFFIRM Broomfield’s sentence.

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