Opinion ID: 619103
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Convictions and Sentencing

Text: After four days of testimony, the Government rested its case. At the close of the Government's case, the Defendants all made general motions to dismiss based on insufficiency of the evidence, which were denied. None of the Defendants presented a case. The jury reached a verdict later on the fourth day of the trial. Defendants were all convicted on Count One, conspiring to possess with intent to distribute 50 or more grams of crack and a quantity of marijuana. Dalton was convicted on Counts Two, Three, and Four, possessing with intent to distribute five grams or more of crack, possession of a firearm in furtherance of the crimes charged in Counts One and Two, and felon in possession of a firearm. Miller was acquitted on Counts Two and Five. Defendants were all convicted on Count Six, conspiring to obstruct an official proceeding. Lance was convicted on Count Seven, using a telephone to facilitate the conspiracy to sell crack. Finally, Dalton was convicted of Counts Eight and Nine, possession with intent to distribute 50 or more grams of crack and using a telephone to facilitate the possession with intent to distribute 50 or more grams of crack. Before sentencing, Dalton filed a motion for a judgment of acquittal or new trial, arguing again that the handgun and crack should have been suppressed. Dalton cited testimony at trial that drew into question Perez's and Moore's testimony at the suppression hearing. Dalton also cited the federal indictment of Moore for his alleged involvement in the cover-up of a man's death in 2005. The district court denied Dalton's motion. The district court also denied a motion to continue Defendants' sentencings until after Sentencing Guidelines were issued pursuant to the Fair Sentencing Act of 2010 (FSA). Dalton was sentenced on September 15, 2010, to life imprisonment on Counts One, Two and Eight; 120 months on Count Four; 240 months on Count Six; and 96 months on Count Nine, all to be served concurrently. Dalton was also sentenced to 60 months on Count Three, to be served consecutively to the other counts. The district court determined that the FSA did not apply retroactively to Dalton's case, but that even if it did, the district court would have imposed the same sentence pursuant to the factors in 18 U.S.C. § 3553(a). Lance was also sentenced on September 15, 2010. The district court sentenced him to life imprisonment on Count One; 240 months on Count Six; and 96 months on Count Seven, all to be served concurrently. Again, the district court determined that even if the FSA applied retroactively, Lance would have received the same sentence. Miller was sentenced on September 29, 2010. The district court sentenced Miller to 240 months on Count One and 210 months on Count Six. All but 60 months of the term of imprisonment imposed on Count Six were to run concurrently with the sentence imposed on Count One, for a total of 300 months of imprisonment. Again, the district court noted that even if the FSA applied retroactively, his sentence would have been the same.