Opinion ID: 613815
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: facts

Text: Vincent Elbert pleaded guilty to (i) one count of attempting, after a prior sex-offense conviction, to entice individuals under the age of eighteen to engage in sexual activity for which a person can be charged with a criminal offense, in violation of 18 U.S.C. §§ 2422(b) and 2426; (ii) one count of traveling in interstate commerce, after a prior sex-offense conviction, for the purpose of engaging in illicit sexual conduct, in violation of 18 U.S.C. §§ 2423(b) and 2426; and (iii) one count of distributing child pornography, after a prior conviction for aggravated sexual abuse, sexual abuse, or abusive sexual conduct involving a minor or ward, in violation of 18 U.S.C. §§ 2252A(a)(1) and 2252A(b)(1). [1] Prior to accepting the defendant's guilty plea, the district judge conducted a hearing in full compliance with Federal Rule of Criminal Procedure 11, including confirming: that Elbert understood the nature of the charges against him, that a sufficient factual predicate supported the charges to which he was pleading guilty, that Elbert understood the rights he was giving up by pleading guilty, and that he was satisfied with his counsel's representation. The district court also ensured that Elbert understood the statutory minimum and maximum sentences associated with each count of the indictment, including a mandatory minimum sentence of twenty years and maximum sentence of life imprisonment on count one. The government asked the district court to sentence Elbert to a within-Guidelines sentence of 360 months' to life imprisonment. The defendant sought a below-Guidelines sentence, citing an expert psychological evaluation which detailed trauma he experienced as a child and described the impact of his military service in Vietnam. At the conclusion of a thorough sentencing hearing, the district judge concluded that Elbert is a troubled personality who had made terrible mistakes, and that the mandatory minimum sentence of twenty years' imprisonment, to be followed by five years of supervised release, was sufficient, but not greater than necessary, in light of the nature and circumstances of the offense and the history and characteristics of the defendant, 18 U.S.C. § 3553(a), to adequately address the factors set out in 18 U.S.C. § 3553(a)(2). Elbert has filed a timely notice of appeal; his counsel has filed a motion to be relieved pursuant to Anders v. California, 386 U.S. 738, 87 S.Ct. 1396, 18 L.Ed.2d 493 (1967); and the government has moved for summary affirmance.