Opinion ID: 177425
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: Marks's Mandatory Minimum Sentence Under Williams

Text: The second argument we address is Marks's claim that the district court erred by sentencing him to a consecutive mandatory minimum sentence of five years' imprisonment on Count 8 for use of a firearm in furtherance of the drug-trafficking charged in Count 1, pursuant to which Marks was subject to a greater minimum sentence than five years. See 18 U.S.C. § 924(c)(1)(A). Here, the district court determined that Marks's mandatory minimum sentence of five years' imprisonment on his § 924(c) conviction must run consecutively to his sentence on his narcotics conviction under 21 U.S.C. § 841(a)(1), even though the latter conviction carried a mandatory minimum of ten years' imprisonment. See 21 U.S.C. § 841(b)(1)(A). This ruling, though not objected to below, was plain error requiring a remand for resentencing. [3] See United States v. Williams, 558 F.3d 166, 170 (2d Cir.2009). We therefore vacate the five-year sentence imposed on Count 8 and remand for resentencing. In resentencing Marks, the district court of course retains discretionary authority to impose a consecutive sentence consistent with its responsibility under 18 U.S.C. § 3553. See United States v. Whitley, 529 F.3d 150, 158 (2d Cir.2008).