Case Name: UNITED STATES of America, Plaintiff-Appellee, v. Fayad Bassam AZZAM, Defendant-Appellant, Julia Beatriz Castro, Defendant
Court: United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit
Jurisdiction: United States
Decision Date: 2013-05-14
Citations: 518 F. App'x 847
Docket Number: No. 12-12642
Parties: UNITED STATES of America, Plaintiff-Appellee, v. Fayad Bassam AZZAM, Defendant-Appellant, Julia Beatriz Castro, Defendant.
Judges: Before: PRYOR, MARTIN and FAY, Circuit Judges.
Reporter: West's Federal Appendix
Volume: 518
Pages: 847–848

Head Matter:
UNITED STATES of America, Plaintiff-Appellee, v. Fayad Bassam AZZAM, Defendant-Appellant, Julia Beatriz Castro, Defendant.
No. 12-12642
Non-Argument Calendar.
United States Court of Appeals, Eleventh Circuit.
May 14, 2013.
Steven E. Butler, Kenyen Ray Brown, Sean P. Costello, Donna Barrow Dobbins, U.S. Attorney’s Office, Mobile, AL, for Plaintiff-Appellee.
Thomas Jefferson Deen, III, T. Jefferson Deen, III, Fayad Bassam Azzam, Mobile, AL, for Defendant-Appellant.
Julia Beatrice Castro, Mobile, AL, pro se.
Before: PRYOR, MARTIN and FAY, Circuit Judges.

Opinion:
PER CURIAM:
Fayad Bassam Azzam appeals his convictions for conspiring to marry to evade immigration laws, 18 U.S.C. § 371, and marrying to evade the immigration laws, 8 U.S.C. § 1325(c). Azzam argues that his trial counsel was ineffective for waiting until after trial to investigate potential witnesses and obtain documents, and introducing the evidence belatedly in support of Azzam's motion for a new trial. Because the district court did not consider this argument and develop a record regarding the performance of trial counsel, we decline to consider Azzam's claim of ineffective assistance for the first time on direct appeal. See United States v. Bender, 290 F.3d 1279, 1284 (11th Cir.2002). Azzam can present his argument in a postconviction motion. 28 U.S.C. § 2255.
We AFFIRM Azzam's convictions.