United States of America v. Raymond Campos

United States Court of Appeals
For the Seventh Circuit
Chicago, Illinois 60604
Submitted July 24, 2025*
Decided July 24, 2025
Before
MICHAEL B. BRENNAN, Circuit Judge
AMY J. ST. EVE, Circuit Judge
NANCY L. MALDONADO, Circuit Judge
No. 24-2059
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA,
Plaintiff-Appellee,
v.
RAYMOND CAMPOS,
Defendant-Appellant.
Appeal from the United States District
Court for the Northern District of
Indiana, Hammond Division.
Nos. 2:11-CR-77-PPS & 2:13-CR-108-PPS
Philip P. Simon,
Judge.
O R D E R
Raymond Campos appeals the district court’s denial of his motion for a sentence
reduction under 18 U.S.C. § 3582(c)(2). The court concluded that Campos was ineligible
for a reduction and that the factors under 18 U.S.C. § 3553(a) counseled against it. We
affirm.
* We have agreed to decide the case without oral argument because the briefs and
record adequately present the facts and legal arguments, and oral argument would not
significantly aid the court. F ED. R. A PP . P. 34(a)(2)(C).
NONPRECEDENTIAL DISPOSITION
To be cited only in accordance with F ED. R. APP . P. 32.1

-- 1 of 3 --

No. 24-2059 Page 2
Campos pleaded guilty in 2013 to one count of conspiracy to participate in
racketeering activity (case no. 2:11-CR-77) and one count of murder in the aid of
racketeering (case no. 2:13-CR-108). The presentence investigation report calculated a
guidelines range of 360 months to life, based on a total offense level of 42 and a criminal
history category of III. The district court granted the government’s motion to reduce
Campos’s offense level to 36 because he substantially assisted in its investigation,
18 U.S.C. § 3553(e); U.S.S.G. § 5K1.1. The reduction in offense level, in turn, lowered his
guidelines range to 235 to 293 months. The court then adopted the PSR and sentenced
Campos to two 240-month prison terms, to run concurrently.
In 2020, the government moved to further reduce Campos’s sentence for
continuing assistance after he was incarcerated. F ED. R. C RIM . P. 35(b)(1). The court
granted this motion as well and reduced his sentence to 222 months.
In 2024, Campos moved for a sentence reduction under § 3582(c)(2) based on
Part A of Amendment 821 to the Sentencing Guidelines, a retroactive amendment that
lowered the number of criminal history “status” points for defendants like him who
committed certain offenses while serving another criminal sentence. Campos argued
that his revised criminal history category should be II rather than III, which, when
combined with his lowered offense level of 36, produced a new guidelines range of 210
to 262 months. He also contended that a reduction was supported by the § 3553(a)
factors, namely his evidence of rehabilitation. The government opposed the motion on
the grounds that the § 3553(a) factors did not support a further reduction.
The district court denied the motion. Campos was not eligible for a sentence
reduction under Amendment 821, the court explained, because the decrease in status
points did not change his guidelines range. The court determined that Campos’s
amended range remained 360 months to life, based on his original offense level of 42
and new criminal history category of II. But even if Campos were eligible for a sentence
reduction, the court continued, the § 3553(a) factors—specifically, the seriousness of
Campos’s murder offense (“shooting someone in the back” was “as offensive and
serious as it can get”)—counseled against any reduction.
On appeal, Campos challenges the district court’s conclusion that he was
ineligible for a sentence reduction and maintains that his rehabilitation justified a
reduction under § 3553(a). But even if we were to assume his eligibility for a sentence
reduction, the district court appropriately found that the § 3553(a) factors weighed
against relief. The analysis of the § 3553(a) factors is an “independent basis” upon
which a court may resolve a motion for sentence reduction, United States v. Williams,

-- 2 of 3 --

No. 24-2059 Page 3
65 F.4th 343, 349 (7th Cir. 2023), and just “one good reason” based on the § 3553(a)
factors is enough to deny relief, see id. (citation omitted). Here, the court acknowledged
Campos’s rehabilitation but provided an adequate reason to deny relief by noting that
Campos’s offense was as “serious as it can get.”
AFFIRMED

-- 3 of 3 --