Topic

Criminal

Every decision we've filed under Criminal.

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Civil 2101 Summary Judgment 471 Sentencing Guidelines 419 Civil Rights - Section 1983 399 Immigration (Civil) 358 Constitutional 353 Supervised Release 289 Drug Trafficking 275 Firearms 215 Civil Rights - Employment 205 Intellectual Property 160 Qualified Immunity 153
Apr 2 2026
4th Cir. 25-4044 Per Curiam

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA v. SEBASTIAN REIGLE

The Fourth Circuit affirmed Sebastian Reigle's thirty-month upward variance sentence, ruling that the district court did not abuse its discretion by implicitly addressing his disparity argument. The court held that the sentencing judge's explicit rejection of Reigle's conduct as typical satisfied the requirement to consider all non-frivolous reasons for a lower sentence.

Criminal Guidelines Departure Sentencing Guidelines
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Apr 2 2026
5th Cir. 25-40563 Per Curiam

United States v. Juares-Perez

The Fifth Circuit granted the Federal Public Defender's motion to withdraw from representing the defendant on appeal. The court dismissed the criminal appeal after determining that the case presented no nonfrivolous issues for review.

Anders Brief Criminal
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Apr 2 2026
1st Cir. 25-1259 Panel Decision

United States v. Ponzo

The First Circuit affirmed the prison sentences and multi-million dollar forfeiture orders imposed on the Ponzo brothers for their bribery and fraud schemes involving the Mass Save program. The court rejected arguments regarding sentencing guideline calculations, enhancements, and the constitutionality of the forfeiture amounts, finding the district court's decisions supported by the evidence.

Criminal Forfeiture / Penalty Fraud
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Apr 2 2026
5th Cir. 24-60622 Per Curiam

United States v. Shepherd

The Fifth Circuit affirmed William Robert Shepherd III's conviction for possessing an unregistered short-barreled shotgun, ruling that his Second Amendment challenges are foreclosed by controlling precedent. The court held that because the statute remains constitutional as applied to short-barreled shotguns, Shepherd's facial challenge to the law must also fail.

Criminal Firearms Supervised Release
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Apr 2 2026
9th Cir. 1:23-cr-00031-RVM-2 Unpublished

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA v. JOSHUA HANS ABAT JAO

The Ninth Circuit affirmed the sentences and restitution orders for three defendants who conspired to defraud their employer, rejecting arguments that the district court erred in calculating loss amounts higher than those stipulated in their plea agreements. The court held that the district judge acted within its discretion to question witnesses and rely on presentence investigation reports to determine the true financial harm.

Criminal Sentencing Guidelines
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Apr 2 2026
1st Cir. 25-1203, 25-1259, 25-1327 Panel Decision

United States v. Ponzo

The First Circuit affirmed the sentences and multi-million dollar forfeiture orders against the Ponzo brothers, rejecting their challenges to sentencing enhancements and the calculation of criminal proceeds. The court held that the brothers' elaborate bribery scheme involving Mass Save contractors justified the prison terms and forfeiture amounts under federal law.

Criminal Forfeiture / Penalty Fraud Guidelines Departure
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Apr 2 2026
5th Cir. 25-40363 Per Curiam

United States of America Plaintiff— v. Noel Mercado Defendant—

The Fifth Circuit remanded the case to correct a clerical error in the Presentence Investigation Report that retained an inapplicable obstruction of justice enhancement. The court ordered the district court to amend the record to ensure official documents accurately reflect the sentencing proceedings without altering the defendant's conviction or sentence.

Criminal Obstruction of Justice Sentencing Guidelines
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Apr 2 2026
11th Cir. 2:22-cr-00026-LGW-BWC-4 Per Curiam

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA v. RACHAEL BYRD

The Eleventh Circuit granted the Government's motion to dismiss Rachael Byrd's appeal, enforcing the sentence-appeal waiver contained in her plea agreement. The court held that such waivers remain binding if made knowingly and voluntarily, regardless of any sentencing comments or alleged legal errors raised by the appellant.

Criminal Other Criminal
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Apr 2 2026
1st Cir. 25-1203, 25-1259, 25-1327 Panel Decision

United States v. Ponzo

The First Circuit affirmed the sentences and forfeiture orders of the Ponzo brothers, who orchestrated a massive bribery scheme involving the Mass Save energy program. The court rejected arguments regarding sentencing miscalculations and the constitutionality of the multi-million dollar forfeiture, upholding the penalties as reasonable and supported by the evidence.

Criminal Forfeiture / Penalty Fraud Sentencing Guidelines
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Apr 2 2026
5th Cir. 25-10292 Per Curiam

United States v. Ealey

The Fifth Circuit granted appointed counsel's motion to withdraw after finding no nonfrivolous issues for appeal. The court dismissed the appeal, leaving the underlying conviction intact without oral argument.

Anders Brief Criminal
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