United States v. Eduardo Vargas-Perez

MEMORANDUM

Eduardo Vargas-Perez appeals from the district court’s order revoking supervised release and challenges the imposition of two conditions of supervised release. We have jurisdiction under 28 U.S.C. § 1291 , and we affirm.

Vargas-Perez contends that the district court erred by imposing two standard conditions of supervised release requiring that Vargas-Perez “not frequent places where controlled substances are illegally sold, used, distributed, or administered,” and “not associate with any persons engaged in criminal activity [or] with any person convicted of a felony.” He argues that the conditions violate 18 U.S.C. § 3583 and due process because they lack an explicit mens rea requirement. We review for plain error, see United States v. Vega, 545 F.3d 743, 747 (9th Cir.2008), and find none. Vargas-Perez’s challenge fails because prohibited criminal acts are presumed to require an element of mens rea. See id. at 750 (upholding a nonassociation condition after construing it to require knowing association with the prohibited group); see also United States v. Phillips, 704 F.3d 754, 768 (9th Cir.2012) (supervised release condition restricting a defendant from frequenting…