Case Name: UNITED STATES of America, Plaintiff-Appellee, v. Billy Joe BURNS, Defendant-Appellant
Court: United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit
Jurisdiction: United States
Decision Date: 2006-10-24
Citations: 202 F. App'x 802
Docket Number: No. 05-20598
Parties: UNITED STATES of America, Plaintiff-Appellee, v. Billy Joe BURNS, Defendant-Appellant.
Judges: Before JOLLY, DeMOSS, and STEWART, Circuit Judges.
Reporter: West's Federal Appendix
Volume: 202
Pages: 802–803

Head Matter:
UNITED STATES of America, Plaintiff-Appellee, v. Billy Joe BURNS, Defendant-Appellant.
No. 05-20598
Conference Calendar.
United States Court of Appeals, Fifth Circuit.
Oct. 24, 2006.
James Lee Turner, Assistant U.S. Attorney, U.S. Attorney’s Office, Southern District of Texas, Houston, TX, for PlaintiffAppellee.
Marjorie A. Meyers, Federal Public Defender, Laura Fletcher Leavitt, Assistant Federal Public Defender, Federal Public Defender’s Office, Southern District of Texas, Houston, TX, for Defendant-Appellant.
Before JOLLY, DeMOSS, and STEWART, Circuit Judges.

Opinion:
PER CURIAM:
Billy Joe Burns was convicted of possession with intent to distribute less than 50 kilograms of marijuana; he was sentenced to 27 months of imprisonment and three years of supervised release. Burns now appeals the two-year term of imprisonment imposed following the revocation of his term of supervised release. He argues that the sentence imposed exceeds the maximum allowed by statute.
At issue is whether the felony classification of the underlying offense, which ultimately determines the maximum term of imprisonment upon revocation of supervised release, is determined by the Guidelines range calculated by the district court for the underlying offense or by the statute. We recently held that the appropriate classification is determined by the statutory section defining the offense. See United States v. Alfaro-Hernandez, 453 F.3d 280, 282 (5th Cir.2006).
Burns was convicted of possession with intent to distribute less than 50 kilograms of marijuana, a violation of 21 U.S.C. § 841(a)(1) and (b)(1)(D). Section 841(b)(1)(D) provides that, for cases involving less than 50 kilograms of marijuana, the defendant shall "be sentenced to a term of imprisonment of not more than 5 years." An offense having a maximum term of imprisonment of "less than ten years but five or more years" is a "Class D" felony. 18 U.S.C. § 3559(a)(4). For Class D felonies, the maximum term of imprisonment upon revocation of supervised release is two years. 18 U.S.C. § 3583(e)(3). Burns was sentenced to a term of imprisonment of 24 months, which is "within the statutorily acceptable range." Alfaro-Hernandez, 453 F.3d at 282.
AFFIRMED.
Pursuant to 5th Cir. R. 47.5, the court has determined that this opinion should not be published and is not precedent except under the limited circumstances set forth in 5th Cir. R. 47.5.4.