# 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 6- 44 56

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In re Sea le d C as e

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Uni te d S ta te s Di st ric t Co ur t fo r th e Weste rn Dis tri ct of M is so ur i - Kan sa s C it y

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Su bm it te d: Nov em

be r 13 , 20 17 Fi le d: Ju ne 12 , 20 18

__ __ __ __ __ __ Befo re COLLOTON, MELLOY , and GRUENDER, Circu it Ju dg es

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COLLOTON, Ci rcu it Ju dg e.

The ap pe ll an t in th is fed eral cri m in al cas e m ov ed to red uc e hi s se nt en ce aft er

a ret ro act iv e am en dm en t to th e se nt en ci ng gu id el in es lo wered th e ba se of fen se le ve l fo r hi s dr ug tra ffi ck in g of fen se

. The di st ric t co ur t ru le d th at th e ap pe ll an t wa s 1
in el ig ib le fo r a se nt en ce red uc ti on be cau se hi s amend ed gu id el in e ran ge was

un ch an ge d by th e am en dm en t. Alt ho ug h we an al y ze th e m ot io n di ffer en tl y , we ag ree th at th e ap pe ll an t was in el ig ib l e fo r a red uc ti on , an d we th eref or e affi rm th e or de r de nyin g t he ap pe ll an t’s m ot io n.

The Hon or ab le Bri an C. W im es , Uni te d St at es Dis tri ct Ju dg e fo r th e W es te rn 1 Dis tri ct of M is so ur i.The ap pe ll an t pl ead ed gu il ty in Ja nu ary 20 08 to co ns p ira cy to di st rib ut e a

c o n t r o l le d su bs ta nc e. His of fen se co nd uc t an d cri m in al hi st or y res ul te d in a n ad vi so ry gu id el in e ran ge of 32 4 to 40 5 m on th s’ im pr is on m en t, bu t th e st at ut or y

m ax im um pe na lt y fo r hi s o f

f e n s e was 24 0 m on th s’ im pr is on m en t, se e 21 U.S.C. § 84 1( b) (1 )(C)
, so 24 0 m on th s be cam e th e “ gu id el in e se nt en ce.” Se e USSG § 5G1 .1. The di st ric t co ur t va rie d do wnwar d fro m th e gu id el in e se nt e n c e un de r 18 U.S.C. § 35 53 (a) an d im

po se d a te r m o f 2 1 0 m on th s’ im pr is on m en t. In 20 13
, th e co ur t red uc ed th e se nt en ce to 15 0 m on th s un de r Fed eral Ru le of Cri m in al Pro ced ur e 35 (b ), ba se d on a m ot io n by th e go ve rn m en t to refl ect th e ap p e l l a nt ’s pr ov is io n of

su bs ta nt ia l as si st an ce t o a ut ho rit ie s.

In Sep te m

be r 20 16
, th e ap pe ll an t m ov ed to r ed uc e hi s se nt en ce un de r 18 U.S.C. § 35 82 (c) ba se d on a ret ro act iv e am en d men t to th e se nt en ci ng gu id el in es

. Am en dm en t 78 2 red uc ed th e ap pe ll an t’s ba se of fen se le ve l by two le ve ls an d res ul te d in an am en de d gu id el in e ran ge of 26 2 to 32 7 m on th s’ im pr is on m en t. The d i st ric t

co ur t co nc lu de d th at be cau s e t h e st at ut or y m ax im um se nt en ce of 24 0 m on th s’ im pr is on m en t was l o w e r th an th e m in im um of th e ap pe ll an t’s am en de d gu id el in e

ran ge , hi s “ gu id el in e ran ge rem ai ns un ch an ge d an d he is no t el ig ib le fo r a fu rth er red uc ti on .”

A co ur t m ay red uc e a de fen da nt ’s se nt en ce if he was se nt en c e d “b a s e d on a

se n t en ci ng ran ge th at ha s su bs eq ue nt ly be en lo wered by th e Sen te nc in g Co m m is si on .” 18 U.S.C § 35 82 (c)( 2)

. The ap pe ll an t’s m ot io n fo r red uc ti on fal te rs
at a th res ho ld es ta bl is he d by the pl ai n l an gu ag e of § 35 82 (c): hi s se nt en ce was no t

“ ba se d on ” a se nt en ci ng ran ge th at was su bs eq ue nt ly lo wered
, be cau se t h e d i st ric t

co ur t di d no t co ns id er th e gu id el in e ran ge of 32 4 to 40 5 m on th s whe n it im po se d

se nt e n c e

. R at he r, th e co ur t was req ui red to di sr eg ard th e gu id el in e ran ge an d to

s e n t e n c e th e ap pe ll an t ba se d on th e st at ut or y m ax im um pe na lt y of 24 0 m on th s ’ im pr is on m en t. The lo wered gu i d e l i n e r an ge th us pl ay ed no rel ev an t pa rt in de te rm in in g th e ap pe ll an t’s s e n te nc e, an d he is in el ig ib le fo r a red uc ti on un de r

-2

-§ 35 82 (c). Ko on s v. Uni te d St at es , No. 17 -5 71 6, 20 18 W L 24 65 19 0, at *3 (U.S. Ju ne

4, 2 01 8)

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The ord er o f th e d is tri ct co ur t i s af fir m ed

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