United States Court of Appeals

For the Eighth Circuit 

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No. 21-3028

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United States of America

 Plaintiff - Appellee

v.

Zwannah Ahamadu Sarnor, also known as Z

 Defendant - Appellant

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Appeal from United States District Court 

for the District of North Dakota - Eastern

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Submitted: June 13, 2022

Filed: August 2, 2022

[Unpublished]

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Before GRUENDER, BENTON, and GRASZ, Circuit Judges. 

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PER CURIAM.

Zwannah Ahamadu Sarnor pled guilty to conspiracy to distribute a controlled 

substance in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2, 21 U.S.C. § 841(a)(1), and 21 U.S.C. § 846. 

The district court sentenced him above the guidelines to 210 months in prison. He 
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appeals the sentence. Having jurisdiction under 28 U.S.C. § 1291, this court 

affirms1

. 

Sarnor’s guideline range was 121 to 151 months. The district court described 

the sentence as both a departure and a variance, saying that “Certain factors weigh 

in favor of an upward variance,” and “I am therefore going to depart from the 

Sentencing Guideline range upward.” Sarnor did not object. He now challenges the 

lack of notice by the court to depart from the guidelines as required by Fed. R. Crim. 

P. 32(h). He also argues the court used facts not in the record as the basis for the 

departure. The government argues the sentence was a variance, and Rule 32 does 

not apply. 

Because Sarnor did not object at sentencing to the departure or the variance, 

this court reviews for plain error. United States v. Mireles, 617 F.3d 1009, 1012 (8th 

Cir. 2010). Under plain error analysis, Sarnor must show an error, that was plain, 

that affected substantial rights, and seriously affected the “fairness, integrity, or 

public reputation of judicial proceedings.” Id. at 1012-13. “An error affects a 

substantial right if it is prejudicial.” Id. at 1013, citing United States v. Olano, 507 

U.S. 725, 734 (1993). “A sentencing error is prejudicial if there is a reasonable 

probability the defendant would have received a lighter sentence but for the error.” 

Id. 

It is not clear that the district court procedurally erred here because it 

referenced both grounds for a departure and for a variance, thoroughly discussing 

the 18 U.S.C. § 3553(a) factors. See United States v. Washington, 515 F.3d 861, 

866–67 (8th Cir. 2008) (holding “no significant procedural error” when the district 

court described its sentence as a “variance or upward departure” and “appropriately 

considered the relevant factors of § 3553(a)” and adequately explained the variance). 

However, even assuming the court erred in failing to give notice as required by Rule 

1

The Honorable Daniel M. Traynor, United States District Judge for the 

District of North Dakota.
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32, any error was harmless and did not affect substantial rights because nothing 

shows the sentence would have been less had the court given notice of its intent to 

depart. See United States v. Quiver, 925 F.3d 377, 381 (8th Cir. 2019) (holding that 

“any procedural error in imposing an upward departure . . . would have been 

harmless because the district court justified its decision to impose a sentence above 

the advisory guideline range by referencing both the ground for departure and 18 

U.S.C. § 3553(a), and the court appropriately considered and explained the relevant 

§ 3553(a) factors” (cleaned up)). The sentence was properly based on § 3553(a) 

factors and facts in the record.

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The judgment is affirmed.

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