Source: http://ny.findacase.com/research/wfrmDocViewer.aspx/xq/fac.20080301_0000209.NNY.htm/qx
Timestamp: 2016-12-09 13:34:25
Document Index: 556708977

Matched Legal Cases: ['§ 841', '§ 841', '§ 3553', '§ 5', '§ 3582', '§ 1', '§ 2', '§ 5', '§ 5', '§ 5', '§ 1', '§ 3582', '§ 1']

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA,v.JAMES THOMAS, DEFENDANT.
Defendant was convicted upon his guilty plea of a violation 21 U.S.C. §§ 841(a) & 846. At the time of sentencing, the Court found Defendant to have a base offense level of 31, criminal history category of III, resulting in a presumptive United States Sentencing Guidelines ("Guidelines" or "U.S.S.G.") range of 155-188 months incarceration. Defendant was, however, subjected to a twenty year mandatory minimum sentence pursuant to 21 U.S.C. § 841(b). The government moved for a downward departure pursuant to 18 U.S.C. § 3553(e) and U.S.S.G. § 5K1.1 based on defendant's substantial assistance. The Court granted the motion and imposed a sentence of 110 months incarceration.
Defendant now moves for a reduction of his sentence pursuant to 18 U.S.C. § 3582(c)(2) and United States Sentencing Guidelines ("Guidelines" or "U.S.S.G.") § 1B1.10, in light of Amendment 706 to the Guidelines reducing the base offense level listed on the drug quantity table for most cocaine base (crack cocaine) offenses. See U.S.S.G. § 2D1.1(c); Def. Motion (dkt. # 815). For the reasons set forth below, the motion is denied.
Where a particular case involves a statutory mandatory minimum sentence that exceeds the applicable Guidelines range, the Court must set the Guidelines sentence at the statutorily required minimum. U.S.S.G. § 5G1.1(b); see United States v. Johnson, - F.3d -. -, 2008 WL 516518, at *4 (8th Cir. Feb. 28, 2008). Thus, when a defendant has a Guidelines range below the mandatory minimum before applying U.S.S.G. § 5G1.1(b), the Guidelines sentence becomes the statutory mandatory minimum. See U.S.S.G. § 5G1.1(b)("Where a statutorily required minimum sentence is greater than the maximum of the applicable guideline range, the statutorily required minimum sentence shall be the guideline sentence.")(emphasis added); see also Johnson, 2008 WL 516518, at *4.
The retroactive crack cocaine sentencing amendment, which affects only the Guidelines sentence (not the statutory sentence), offers Defendant no help. Johnson, 2008 WL 516518, at *4. The Guidelines sentence - either before or after application of the crack cocaine sentencing amendment - is still the statutory mandatory minimum. Inasmuch as the Guidelines sentence would not be changed by the retroactive crack sentencing amendment, the exclusion set forth at U.S.S.G. § 1B1.10(a)(2)(B) ("[the crack cocaine sentencing reduction amendment] does not have the effect of lowering the defendant's applicable guideline range") applies. Johnson, 2008 WL 516518, at *4. Accordingly, "[a] reduction in the defendant's term of imprisonment is not consistent with [the applicable] policy statement and therefore is not authorized under 18 U.S.C. § 3582(c)(2)." U.S.S.G. § 1B1.10(a)(2)(emphasis added); see also Johnson, 2008 WL 516518, at *4.
ORDERED that Defendant's motion to reduce his sentence (dkt. # 815) is DENIED.