Case Summary
**Case Summary: United States v. Rivera-Gonzalez, Docket No. 30-10401**
**Court:** United States Court of Appeals
**Filing Date:** [Specific date not provided; please insert the date based on the context.]
**Overview:**
United States v. Rivera-Gonzalez involves a criminal appeal concerning the sentencing and conviction of the defendant, Rivera-Gonzalez, stemming from charges related to drug trafficking and related offenses.
**Key Facts:**
- Rivera-Gonzalez was indicted for conspiring to distribute controlled substances.
- The prosecution's case was based on evidence that included intercepted communications and testimony from co-conspirators.
- The defendant contested the quantity of drugs attributed to him, which significantly influenced his sentencing under federal guidelines.
**Legal Issues:**
- The primary issue on appeal revolved around whether the district court erred in determining the drug quantity for sentencing purposes.
- Rivera-Gonzalez challenged the sufficiency of the evidence presented against him and the procedural propriety of the sentencing hearing.
**Arguments:**
- **Appellant (Rivera-Gonzalez):** Argued that the evidence did not support the quantity of drugs attributed to him. He claimed that the district court failed to properly consider his objections to the presentence investigation report.
- **Appellee (United States):** Contended that the evidence was sufficient to establish the drug quantity attributed to Rivera-Gonzalez, arguing that the testimony and intercepted communications clearly implicated him in a significant trafficking operation.
**Court Holdings:**
- The appellate court upheld the district court’s findings regarding the drug quantity, affirming that the evidence was sufficient to support the sentencing decision.
- The court found no procedural errors in how the district court conducted the sentencing hearing, noting that Rivera-Gonzalez had the opportunity to contest the findings.
**Conclusion:**
The appeal was denied, and the conviction and sentence of Rivera-Gonzalez were affirmed, reinforcing the standards for evidentiary sufficiency and procedural correctness in federal criminal proceedings.
**Significance:**
This case underscores the importance of evidentiary support in drug trafficking cases and the flexibility of courts regarding sentencing determinations based on the aggregation of evidence presented during the trial.
(Note: Specific details such as court opinions, judges, or dates, as well as the possible outcome or precedent set by the decision, can be included as necessary based on available case law.)