Source: http://openjurist.org/435/f3d/1350
Timestamp: 2013-12-05 00:21:07
Document Index: 750361346

Matched Legal Cases: ['§ 841', '§ 2', '§ 3', '§ 4', '§ 4', '§ 841', '§ 4', '§ 4', '§ 4']

435 F3d 1350 United States v. Williams | OpenJurist
435 F. 3d 1350 - United States v. Williams	Home435 f3d 1350 united states v. williams
435 F3d 1350 United States v. Williams 435 F.3d 1350
UNITED STATES of America, Plaintiff-Appellant,v.Marcus Raqual WILLIAMS, Defendant-Appellee.
No. 05-11594 Non-Argument Calendar.
January 13, 2006.
Roberta Josephina Bodnar, Orlando, FL, for Plaintiff-Appellant.
Hubert Kyle Fletcher, Jr. (Court-Appointed), Oviedo, FL, for Defendant-Appellee.
Before TJOFLAT, BLACK and MARCUS, Circuit Judges.
The Government appeals the district court's sentence of 90 months' imprisonment imposed on Marcus Raqual Williams. The Government asserts the sentence is unreasonable, and the district court should have sentenced within the United States Sentencing Guidelines range of 188 to 235 months' imprisonment. We find Williams' 90-month sentence reasonable, and affirm his sentence.
Williams met with an undercover agent and two other individuals in December 2003, at which time Williams agreed to sell the agent half of a crack cocaine "cookie" for $350. The cookie was found to weigh five grams. Williams pled guilty to one count of possessing with intent to distribute and distributing five grams or more of a mixture containing crack cocaine, in violation of 21 U.S.C. §§ 841(a)(1), 841(b)(1)(B)(iii). The presentence investigation report (PSI) set an advisory base offense level under the Guidelines at 32, pursuant to U.S.S.G. § 2D1.1(c)(4).1 Three levels were subtracted pursuant to an acceptance of responsibility adjustment under § 3E1.1. The calculation for the total offense level was 29.
Williams met the qualifications for a career offender enhancement under § 4B1.1 because he had two prior felony convictions for either crimes of violence or controlled substance offenses with a statutory penalty of 25 years or more, which raised Williams' total offense level to 34. The two prior felonies cited for this enhancement were (1) possession of cocaine with intent to sell or deliver, and (2) carrying a concealed firearm. The PSI then included the 3-level adjustment for acceptance of responsibility and calculated the enhanced offense level to be 31. Williams' criminal history category was V, which automatically increased to VI because § 4B1.1 career offender status applied. The mandatory minimum term of imprisonment under 21 U.S.C. § 841(b)(1)(B) was 5 years and the maximum term was 40 years, but based on the total enhanced offense level of 31 and criminal history category of VI the Guidelines range was 188 to 235 months' imprisonment.
Williams objected to the PSI's application of the § 4B1.1 career offender enhancement on the ground his prior conviction for carrying a concealed weapon was not a crime of violence. Williams maintained his prior offense could not meet the requirements to apply the career offender enhancement under § 4B1.1. At the sentencing hearing, Williams reiterated this argument and asserted United States v. Gilbert, 138 F.3d 1371 (11th Cir.1998), should not apply to his situation. Williams urged the court to take a more individualized approach to his sentence, pursuant to United States v. Booker, 543 U.S. 220, 125 S.Ct. 738, 160 L.Ed.2d 621 (2005).
The Government asserted the district court should apply the § 4B1.1 enhancement and sentence Williams within the resulting Guidelines range because Gilbert was still good law in this circuit. The Government further contended the career offender enhancement was appropriate (1) given the numerous offenses Williams had committed previously, and (2) because controlled substance offenses and crimes of violence require more severe sentences.