Topic

Drug Trafficking

Every decision we've filed under Drug Trafficking.

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Civil 3401 Criminal 1957 Summary Judgment 807 Sentencing Guidelines 719 Civil Rights - Section 1983 648 Immigration (Civil) 646 Constitutional 536 Supervised Release 473 Civil Rights - Employment 367 Firearms 319 Qualified Immunity 251 Anders Brief 242
Mar 11 2026
11th Cir. 1:24-cr-00011-AW-MAL-1 Per Curiam

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA v. BRYAN JOSEPH BOWDEN

The Eleventh Circuit affirmed a 144-month prison sentence for drug trafficking and felon-in-possession offenses, rejecting the defendant's claim that the sentence was substantively unreasonable. The court held that the district court properly weighed the defendant's extensive history of domestic violence and drug recidivism under the abuse-of-discretion standard.

Criminal Drug Trafficking
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Mar 11 2026
1st Cir. 24-1297 Panel Decision

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA v. JACOB PARLIN

The First Circuit affirmed Jacob Parlin's conviction for drug distribution and conspiracy, ruling that any error in admitting a police officer's lay testimony regarding drug quantities was harmless. The court held that wiretapped conversations and the sheer volume of methamphetamine provided sufficient evidence of intent to distribute independent of the officer's testimony.

Criminal Drug Trafficking
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Mar 10 2026
United States Court… 24-3098 Panel Decision

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA v. CALVIN SMITH, ALSO KNOWN AS A-SAY

The D.C. Circuit vacated Calvin Smith's life sentences for drug conspiracy and racketeering, finding the drug sentence exceeded statutory limits and the racketeering sentence lacked required factual findings. The court also vacated a felony murder conviction on double jeopardy grounds and remanded the case for a new sentencing hearing.

Criminal Drug Trafficking Mandatory Minimum Sentencing Guidelines
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Mar 10 2026
4th Cir. 24-4546 Panel Decision

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA v. NICO AARON LOWERS

The Fourth Circuit held that individuals maintain a reasonable expectation of privacy in files stored in private cloud-based accounts, requiring law enforcement to obtain a warrant before searching them. Although the court found the warrantless search of the defendant's Google Drive files unconstitutional, it affirmed the conviction because the evidence was sufficiently attenuated from the illegal search.

Criminal Drug Trafficking Fourth Amendment - Search & Seizure Supervised Release
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Mar 10 2026
7th Cir. 23-1249 Panel Decision

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA v. DERRICK DAVIS

The Seventh Circuit affirmed a 84-month prison sentence for a felon in possession of a firearm, rejecting claims that the district court committed procedural error or imposed a substantively unreasonable sentence on remand. The court held that the judge properly relied on the defendant's boastful jail call and extensive criminal history to justify an above-Guidelines sentence, even after agreeing that evidence was insufficient to prove he fired a weapon.

Criminal Drug Trafficking Sentencing Guidelines
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Mar 10 2026
7th Cir. 24-1024 Panel Decision

United States v. Bull

The Seventh Circuit affirmed a drug trafficking sentence where the district court relied on the defendant's own post-arrest statements to calculate drug quantities. The court held that self-incriminating statements made by a defendant are sufficiently reliable for sentencing even if the defendant claims they were made while under the influence.

Criminal Drug Trafficking
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Mar 9 2026
6th Cir. 25-1358 Published

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA v. PHILLIP CLAUDIUS GRAY

The Sixth Circuit affirmed a 21-month prison sentence for Phillip Gray, who violated supervised release conditions through repeated drug use and combative behavior. The court found no procedural or substantive error, noting the district court adequately considered Gray's psychiatric history while prioritizing public safety and the need for custodial monitoring.

Criminal Drug Trafficking Sentencing Guidelines
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Mar 9 2026
11th Cir. 1:22-cr-20473-DPG-2 Per Curiam

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA v. JOSE SALAS-BORREGO

The Eleventh Circuit affirmed the defendant's convictions for drug conspiracy and possession aboard a vessel subject to U.S. jurisdiction under the Maritime Drug Law Enforcement Act. The court rejected all constitutional challenges regarding the statute's reach in exclusive economic zones and its definition of stateless vessels.

Criminal Drug Trafficking
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