Document ID: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-ca8-09-03756/USCOURTS-ca8-09-03756-0/pdf.json

Parties Involved:
Deon Leshawn Holmes
Appellant
United States of America
Appellee

Document Text:

United States Court of Appeals

FOR THE EIGHTH CIRCUIT

___________

No. 09-3756

___________

United States of America, *

*

Appellee, *

* Appeal from the United States

v. * District Court for the

* District of Minnesota.

Deon Leshawn Holmes, also known as *

Green Eyes, also known as Deon * [UNPUBLISHED]

Lashawn Holmes, *

*

Appellant. *

___________

Submitted: July 15, 2010

Filed: July 20, 2010

___________

Before WOLLMAN, MELLOY, and GRUENDER, Circuit Judges.

___________

PER CURIAM.

Deon Holmes pleaded guilty to conspiring to distribute 500 grams or more of

cocaine and 50 grams or more of cocaine base, in violation of 21 U.S.C. §§ 841(a)(1),

(b)(1)(A), and 846. The district court1

 departed below the Guidelines imprisonment

range of 151-188 months and the 10-year statutory minimum to impose a sentence of

1

The Honorable Michael J. Davis, Chief Judge, United States District Court for

the District of Minnesota.

Appellate Case: 09-3756 Page: 1 Date Filed: 07/20/2010 Entry ID: 3685093
108 months in prison. On appeal, Holmes’s counsel has filed a brief under Anders v.

California, 386 U.S. 738 (1967), suggesting that the sentence should have been lower.

We find no abuse of discretion, as the district court correctly calculated the

Guidelines range, granted the government’s motion for downward departure under

U.S.S.G. § 5K1.1 and 18 U.S.C. § 3553(e), and explained the resulting sentence. 

See United States v. Berni, 439 F.3d 990, 992-93 (8th Cir. 2006) (per curiam)

(reviewing sentence involving § 5K1.1 downward departure for reasonableness using

abuse-of-discretion standard; sentence was reasonable where court correctly

calculated Guidelines range, permissibly applied § 5K1.1 departure, and considered

resulting adjusted range and 18 U.S.C. § 3553(a) factors); see also United States v.

Haack, 403 F.3d 997, 1002-03 (8th Cir. 2005) (district court must first calculate

appropriate advisory Guidelines range, then consider whether traditional departures

apply, and then consider § 3553(a) factors in deciding whether to vary). Having

reviewed the record under Penson v. Ohio, 488 U.S. 75 (1988), we find no

nonfrivolous issues for review. Accordingly, we affirm, and we grant counsel leave

to withdraw.

______________________________

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Appellate Case: 09-3756 Page: 2 Date Filed: 07/20/2010 Entry ID: 3685093