Opinion ID: 51142
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Details of Lamb’s Sentence

Text: In the presentence investigation report (“PSI”), Lamb was classified as a career offender with a criminal history category of VI and a total offense level of 37, resulting in Guidelines range of 360 months to life imprisonment,with an additional, consecutive, minimum term of five years (60 months) for Count 4 20 (possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug-trafficking offense). At a status conference following Lamb’s conviction, the district court stated that based on Lamb’s criminal history, it thought the Guidelines range was unreasonable. Noting that the career offender classification was the result of felonies Lamb committed when he was 17 and 18 years old, the district court stated “I think” a criminal history category of III is more appropriate. The court went on to state “I think” an offense category of 30 is more appropriate, and that this number was reached by “disregarding” the career offender enhancement. At the sentencing hearing, the Government argued that if the court wanted to impose a sentence below the Guidelines range, it should do so by imposing a downward departure based on the factors set forth in § 3553(a). Stating that the Guidelines range had been correctly calculated in the PSI, the district court continued to express reservations about the reasonableness of a 420-month sentence (the Guidelines minimum). Lamb argued that although the Guidelines range was “technically” correct, the court should use its discretion to disregard the career offender enhancement. After expressly noting that it had considered the § 3553(a) factors, and after discussing how several of those factors applied to Lamb’s case, the district court sentenced to Lamb to a total of 181 months imprisonment, consisting of 120 months as to each of Counts 1 and 3 to be served 21 concurrently, 121 months as to each of Counts 2 and 5 to be served concurrently with each other and concurrently with Counts 1 and 3, and 60 months as to Count 4 to be served consecutively to the terms imposed as to Counts 1, 2, 3, and 5.