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IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

EASTERN DISTRICT OF TEXAS 

TYLER DIVISION

 

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA,

v. 

CHRISTOPHER ROBERT 

EASTERLING

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CASE NUMBER 6:23-CR-00098-JCB

REPORT & RECOMMENDATION OF

UNITED STATES MAGISTRATE JUDGE

On October 16, 2023, the court conducted a hearing to consider the government’s petition 

to revoke the supervised release of Defendant Christopher Robert Easterling. The government was 

represented by Alan Jackson, Assistant United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Texas, 

and Defendant was represented by Ken Hawk, Federal Public Defender. 

Defendant originally pled guilty to the offense of Conspiracy to Distribute 

Methamphetamine and to Possess Methamphetamine with Intent to Distribute, A Class A felony. 

This offense carried a statutory maximum imprisonment term of life in prison. The guideline 

imprisonment range, based on total offense level of 31 and criminal history category of V, was 

168 to 210 months. On March April 23, 2015, U.S. District Judge William Orrick III of the 

Northern District of California sentenced Defendant to 140 months imprisonment, followed by 5

years of supervised release subject to the standard conditions of release, plus special conditions to 

include drug and/or alcohol treatment, mental health treatment, alcohol abstinence, no association 

with the Black Guerilla Family gang, registration as a drug offender, not possessing any false 

identification, no contact with co-defendants, cooperating with probation office’s collection of 

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DNA, and not possessing firearms, ammunition, destructive devices, or other dangerous weapons.

On January 18, 2023, Defendant completed his period of imprisonment and began service of the 

supervision term. 

Under the terms of supervised release, Defendant was required to obtain the permission of 

the court or the probation officer before leaving the judicial district. In its petition, the government 

alleges that Defendant violated his conditions of supervised release on September 8, 2023, when 

he left the Eastern District of Texas without permission from the court or the probation officer. 

If the court finds by preponderance of the evidence that Defendant violated the conditions 

of supervised release by leaving the judicial district without permission by the court or the 

probation officer, Defendant will have committed a Grade C violation. U.S.S.G. § 7B1.1(a). Upon 

finding of a Grade C violation, the court may (1) revoke probation or supervised release; or (2) 

extend the term of probation or supervised release and/or modify the conditions of supervision. 

U.S.S.G. § 7B1.3(a)(2). Considering Defendant’s criminal history category of V, the Guideline 

imprisonment range for a Grade C violation is 7 to 13 months. U.S.S.G. § 7B1.4(a). 

At the hearing, the parties indicated that they had come to an agreement to resolve the 

petition whereby Defendant would plead true to the Grade C violation of the conditions of 

supervision referenced above by leaving the judicial district without permission by the court or the 

probation officer. In exchange, the government recommended to the court a sentence of 13 months 

imprisonment, with no supervised release to follow. 

The court therefore RECOMMENDS that Defendant Christopher Robert Easterling’s plea 

of true be accepted and he be sentenced to 13 months imprisonment with no supervised release to 

follow. The court further RECOMMENDS that Defendant serve his sentence at FCI Mendota, 

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CA, or Sheridan, OR, if available. The parties waived their right to objections so this matter shall 

be immediately presented to the District Judge for consideration.

So ORDERED and SIGNED this 16th day of October, 2023.

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