# U ni te d S ta te s Co ur t of A pp ea ls For the Eig hth Circu it

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No. 1 3- 24 85

__ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ _ Uni te d S ta te s o f Am eri ca

ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll l Pla in ti

ff - App el le e

v.

Dav id E. McMa st er

ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll l Defe nd

an t - Ap pe ll an t

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Uni te d S ta te s Di st ric t Co ur t fo r th e Dis tri ct of No rth Dako ta - Bi sm arck

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Su bm it te d: Marc h 1 4, 2 01 4 Fil ed : M ay

9, 2 01 4 [Un pu bl is he d]

__ __ __ __ __ __ Befo re COLLOTON, SHEPHERD, and KELLY , Cir cu it Ju dg es

.

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PER CURI AM.

Dav id E. McMa st er p le d g ui lt y to co ns pi racy to co m

m it ba nk an d wire frau d affe ct in g a fin an ci al in st it ut io n in vi ol at io n of 18 U.S.C. § 13 49

. The di st ric t cou rt 1

The Hon or ab le Dan ie l L. Hov la nd
, Unite d St at es Dis tri ct Ju dg e fo r th e Dis tri ct 1 of Nort h Dak ot a.se nt en ced McM as te r to 18 8 m on th s im pr is on m en t. McM as te r ap pe al s, as se rti ng th at th e di st ric t co ur t e r red in ap pl y in g th e se nt en ci ng en ha nc em en t un de r se ct io n 2B 1.1 (b )(1 6) ( B ) ( i) of th e Sen te nc in g Gui de li ne s fo r su bs ta nt ia ll y jeop ard iz in g th e

sa fet y an d so un dn es s of a fin an ci al in st it ut io n. W e di sm is s th e ap pe al
, ho ld in g th at McM as te r kn owi ng ly and vo lu nt ari ly w ai ve d h is rig ht to ap pe al on th is gro un d.

“ W e rev ie w de no vo whe th er a de fen da nt waiv ed th e rig ht to a p p e a l a

se nt en ce.” Uni te d St at es v. Azu re, 57 1 F.3 d 76 9, 77 2 (8 th Ci r. 20 09 ). “ [W] ai ve rs are

co nt ract ua l ag reem en ts be twee n a de fen da nt an d th e Gov ern m en t an d sh ou ld no t be

eas il y vo id ed by th e co ur ts .” Uni te d St at es v. And is
, 33 3 F. 3 d 8 8 6
, 8 9 1 (8 th Ci r. 20 03 ) (en ba nc ). “ W e wil l ge ne ral ly en fo rce su ch a waiv er as lo ng as th e ap pe al fal ls wit hi n th e sc op e of th e wai ve r, an d th e de fen da nt ’s acce ss io n to th e pl ea agre em en t

an d th e waiv er was kn owi ng an d vo lu nt ary. ” Azu re, 57 1 F.3 d at 77 2. A waiv er m ay be av oi de d, ho wev er, if th e en fo rcem en t wou ld res ul t in a m is carr ia ge of jus ti ce. Id

.

McM as te r pl ed gu il ty pu rs ua nt to a writ te n ag reem en t th at co nt ai ne d a waiv er of hi s rig ht to ap pe al hi s co nv ic ti on an d se nt en ce. Alt ho ug h McM as te r res erv ed hi s rig ht to ap pe al a se nt en ce gr e a te r th an th e up pe r li m it of th e se nt en ci ng ran ge de te rm in e d b y th e co ur t, McM as te r rece iv ed a 18 8- m on th se nt en ce, whi ch is si gn ifi can tl y le ss th an th e up pe r li m it of 23 5 m on th s de te rm in ed by th e di st ric t co ur t. Acco rd in gl y , th is ap pe al fal ls wit hi n t he sco pe of t he waiv er.

Mo reo ve r, care fu l rev ie w of th e reco rd refl ect s th at McM as te r kn owi ng ly an d

vo lu nt a ril y as se nt ed to th e pl ea ag reem en t an d waiv er. Bo th McM as te r an d hi s
at to rn ey si gn ed th e ag reem en t, an d th e ag reem en t was t ho ro ug hl y ex pl ai ne d by t he di st ric t co ur t. McM as te r co nf irmed hi s un de rs ta nd in g of th e di st ric t co ur t’s sp eci fic ad vi se m en t th at pu rs ua nt to th e pl ea ag reem en t “ [y ou ] ag ree to gi ve up or waiv e y ou r rig ht to ap pe al th e co n v i c t i o n o n yo ur reco rd an d th e se nt en ce th at I or de r y ou to

se rv e as lo ng as I or de r a se nt en ce th at fal ls wit hi n th e se nt en ci ng gu id el in es th at are fo un d to ap pl y to y ou .” The di st ric t co ur t al so in fo rm ed McM as te r th at a se nt en ci ng

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-ran ge of 18 8 to 23 5 m on th s— a ran ge refl ect in g th e fo ur le ve l e n h a n c em en t un de r

se ct io n 2B 1.1 (b )(1 6) (B)( i) of th e Sen te nc in g Gui de li ne s— c ou ld ap pl y to hi m

. Fi na ll y , at se nt en ci ng , th e di st ric t co ur t de te rm ine d tha t the appl ic ab le gu id el in e ran ge

was in de ed 18 8 to 23 5 m on th s. Thu s, we fin d th e reco rd fu ll y su pp or ts a va li d ap pe al waiv er to whi ch no ex cep ti on to en fo rcem en t is ap pl ic ab le un der these ci rcu m st an ces

. See And is
, 33 3 F.3 d at 89 2 (“ [A]n al le ga ti on th at th e se nt en ci ng jud ge m is ap pl ie d th e Sen te nc in g Gui de li ne s or abu se d hi s or her di sc ret io n is no t su bjec t t o app eal in th e face of a va li d a pp eal waiv er.”) . Accor di ng ly, we di sm is s t he ap pe al

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