Topic
Every decision we've filed under Sentencing Guidelines.
The First Circuit affirmed a 144-month sentence for a defendant convicted of possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime and marijuana distribution. The court held that the district court properly weighed sentencing factors without needing to explicitly address every mitigating fact or explain why recommended sentences were rejected.
The Fifth Circuit affirmed a five-level sentencing enhancement for distributing child pornography in exchange for valuable consideration but vacated the sentence due to an incorrect application of a pattern-of-activity enhancement. The court held that while Lopez's participation in chatrooms constituted a valid exchange, the government failed to prove the requisite pattern of sexual abuse or exploitation.
The Fourth Circuit affirmed a 36-month prison sentence imposed after revoking a defendant's supervised release, rejecting the claim that the upward-variant sentence was plainly unreasonable. The court held that the district court exercised broad discretion and provided an adequate explanation based on the defendant's escalating violations and the need for public protection.
The Third Circuit affirmed Omoyoma Okoro's fraud convictions, rejecting his claims regarding the denial of remote testimony from a co-conspirator and the sufficiency of the evidence. The court held that the defense failed to comply with the District Court's specific conditions for remote testimony and found the jury verdict supported by substantial evidence.
The First Circuit affirmed the District Court's denial of Anthony Shea's request to vacate his federal firearms convictions, ruling that instructional errors regarding predicate crimes were harmless. The court also upheld the resentencing of Shea based on the erroneous application of the career offender guideline, which the government conceded no longer applied.
The Eighth Circuit affirmed the sentence imposed on Kenneth Moore for being a felon in possession of a firearm. The court granted counsel leave to withdraw after finding no non-frivolous issues for appeal.
The First Circuit affirmed Chang Goo Yoon's conviction for health care fraud, rejecting his challenges to evidentiary rulings regarding prior insurance investigations and sentencing enhancements. The court held that evidence of Yoon's knowledge of past investigations was probative of his specific intent and that the district court properly calculated intended loss and applied sentencing enhancements.
The Eleventh Circuit affirmed the convictions of Joan Manuel Estadella for felon in possession of a firearm and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. The court rejected challenges to the denial of a motion to suppress, the admission of evidence, and the sentencing calculation based on drug purity.
The Seventh Circuit granted appointed counsel's motion to withdraw and dismissed Kendall Guyton's appeal after determining the case was frivolous under Anders v. California. The court found no non-frivolous grounds to challenge Guyton's sex trafficking conviction or his 324-month sentence.
The Eleventh Circuit affirmed Javier Hernandez's convictions for migrant smuggling, transporting stolen vessels, and money laundering. The court held that the government's extraction of cell phone data after a warrant's expiration date was lawful under Federal Rule of Criminal Procedure 41 and that the evidence was sufficient to support the jury's verdict.