Source: http://tn.findacase.com/research/wfrmDocViewer.aspx/xq/fac.20170208_0000171.ETN.htm/qx
Timestamp: 2018-07-18 16:07:52
Document Index: 773719585

Matched Legal Cases: ['§ 2255', '§ 2255', '§ 846', '§ 1956', '§ 2255', '§ 2255', '§ 924']

ANTHONY THOMPSON, Petitioner,
Before the Court is Petitioner's motion to vacate, set aside, or correct his sentence pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 2255 [Doc. 593].[1] The United States responded in opposition on August 29, 2016 [Doc. 605]. Petitioner did not reply and the time for doing so has now passed. E.D. Tenn. L.R. 7.1, 7.2. For the reasons below, Petitioner's § 2255 motion [Doc. 593] will be DENIED and DISMISSED WITH PREJUDICE.
In 2009, Petitioner pled guilty to conspiring to distribute at least five kilograms of cocaine, in violation of 21 U.S.C. §§ 846 and 841(a)(1), (b)(1)(A), and conspiring to commit money laundering, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1956(h) [Doc. 254]. He went on to “knowingly and voluntarily waive[d] the right to file any motions or pleadings pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 2255, ” but for claims of ineffective assistance or prosecutorial misconduct [Id. ¶ 13(b)].
Based on two prior Tennessee convictions for aggravated assault [Presentence Investigation Report (PSR) ¶¶ 50, 51], and one prior Tennessee conviction for sale of cocaine [Id. ¶ 52], the United States Probation Office deemed Petitioner to be a career offender under Section 4B1.1 of the United States Sentencing Guidelines with a corresponding Guideline range of 262 to 327 months' imprisonment [Id. ¶¶ 43, 93]. On August 4, 2010, this Court granted the United States' motion for downward departure pursuant to Section 5K1.1 and sentenced Petitioner to an aggregate term of 144 months' imprisonment [Doc. 425]. No direct appeal was taken and Petitioner's conviction became final for purposes of § 2255(f)(1) on August 18, 2010, at expiration of time to file an appeal. See Sanchez-Castellano v. United States, 358 F.3d 424, 428 (6th Cir. 2004) (an unappealed judgment of conviction becomes final when the fourteen-day period for filing a direct appeal has elapsed).
The United States Supreme Court decided Johnson v. United States-invalidating the residual clause of the Armed Career Criminal Act (“ACCA”), 18 U.S.C. § 924(e)-on June 26, 2015. 135 S.Ct. 2551 (2015). Petitioner filed the instant petition for collateral relief less than one year later on June 14, 2016 [Doc. 593 (challenging his career offender enhancement)].
Petitioner articulates a single ground for relief, arguing that the Johnson decision removed aggravated burglary and solicitation of first-degree murder from Section 4B1.2's definition of “crime of violence” and that, without those convictions, he lacks sufficient predicate offenses for career offender enhancement [Doc. 593 (challenging use of aggravated assault offenses)].[2] The United States opposes the requested relief for three reasons: Petitioner waived the right to collaterally challenge his sentence in his plea agreement; the new “rule” created by extension of the Johnson decision to the Guideline context has not been “made” retroactively applicable to cases on collateral review; and both aggravated assault convictions remain crimes of violence under the Guidelines use-of-physical-force clause [Doc. 605]. Because this Court agrees that Petitioner has waived his right to litigate the instant collateral challenge, it declines to reach the second and third issues-retroactive application of the Johnson decision in the Guideline context and categorization of Petitioner's aggravated assault convictions as crimes of violence.