Source: http://nc.findacase.com/research/wfrmDocViewer.aspx/xq/fac.20190212_0000549.WNC.htm/qx
Timestamp: 2020-03-31 20:12:20
Document Index: 43907617

Matched Legal Cases: ['§ 3582', '§ 841', '§ 841', '§ 841', '§ 841', '§ 922', '§ 922', '§ 3582']

CHRISTOPHER EUGENE HARRIS, Defendant.
THIS MATTER is before the Court upon the pro se Defendant's Motion for Resentencing Pursuant to 18 U.S.C. § 3582 and Fair Sentencing Act of 2010 [Doc. 60], as amended and supplemented by the Defendant's Unopposed Motion for Amended Judgment under the First Step Act of 2018 filed by counsel [Doc. 62]. The Government, through counsel, consents to the requested relief.
In February 2008, the Defendant pled guilty to one count of violating 21 U.S.C. § 841(a) by possessing five or more grams of cocaine base with the intent to distribute. At sentencing in September 2008, the Court found that the offense involved more than 20 but less than 35 grams of cocaine base, a quantity that triggered the enhanced penalties of § 841(b)(1)(B). [See PSR at ¶¶ 2, 28]. Based on that finding, the Defendant faced a statutory minimum sentence of five years, a statutory maximum of forty years, and a minimum of four years of supervised release. [Id. at ¶¶ 120, 123]. The Court calculated a guidelines range of 188 to 235 months under the career-offender guideline. [Id. at ¶¶ 46, 121]. It then imposed a low-end sentence of 188 months and the required four-year term of supervised release. [See Doc. 19: Judgment at 2-3].
The Defendant is eligible for relief under the First Step Act because he was convicted of a “covered offense” under Section 404(a)'s definition. His offense was committed before August 3, 2010; he was subjected to the enhanced statutory penalties under § 841(b)(1)(B); and those statutory penalties were “modified by Section 2 . . . of the Fair Sentencing Act.” Because the Defendant is eligible for relief, this Court has the discretion under Section 404(b) to “impose a reduced sentence” in accordance with § 841(b)(1)(C)'s statutory penalties, which provide no minimum term of incarceration and a twenty-year maximum term, along with a three-year minimum term of supervised release.
Finally, the Court notes that the Supplemental Presentence Report indicates that the Defendant has received only one minor disciplinary action while in custody (that being more than ten years ago). [See Doc. 63: Supp. PSR at 2]. Additionally, the Defendant has successfully completed numerous educational programs and work assignments. With good time earned, he currently has a total of 153 months of BOP credited time. [Id.].
Based on the entire record of the case, including the Defendant's disciplinary record with the BOP, the Court, in its discretion reduces the Defendant's sentence to a period of time served plus ten (10) days. The Defendant's term of supervised release shall be reduced to a period of three (3) years.
The Defendant was also convicted of being a felon in possession of a firearm in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(1). While the Defendant's Judgment shows on its face that the Defendant's sentence was 188 months, this clearly exceeds the statutory maximum of 120 months for the § 922(g)(1) offense. Therefore, in the preparation of the Amended Judgment, the Clerk is directed to reflect that the sentence on Count One is time served plus ten (10) days, and that the sentence on Count Two is 120 months, within those terms to be served concurrently.
IT IS, THEREFORE, ORDERED that the pro se Defendant's Motion for Resentencing Pursuant to 18 U.S.C. § 3582 and Fair Sentencing Act of 2010 [Doc. 60], as amended and supplemented by the Defendant's Unopposed Motion for Amended Judgment under the First Step Act of 2018 filed by counsel [Doc. 62], is GRANTED, and the Defendant's sentence is hereby reduced to Time Served plus ten (10) days and the term of supervised release is hereby reduced to three (3) years. All other terms and conditions of the Defendant's Judgment [Doc. 19] shall remain in full force and effect.