Court Opinion

ID: 9906002
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-11-30 19:00:47.3312+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T09:24:03.489277
License: Public Domain

Case: 22-30637        Document: 00516984754             Page: 1      Date Filed: 11/30/2023

             United States Court of Appeals
                  for the Fifth Circuit
                                     ____________
                                                                               United States Court of Appeals
                                                                                        Fifth Circuit
                                      No. 22-30637
                                    Summary Calendar                                  FILED
                                    ____________                              November 30, 2023
                                                                                 Lyle W. Cayce
   United States of America,                                                          Clerk

                                                                      Plaintiff—Appellee,

                                            versus

   Tryton Alonzo Thomas,

                                              Defendant—Appellant.
                     ______________________________

                     Appeal from the United States District Court
                        for the Western District of Louisiana
                              USDC No. 5:21-CR-275-1
                     ______________________________

   Before Barksdale, Engelhardt, and Wilson, Circuit Judges.
   Per Curiam: *
         Tryton Alonzo Thomas pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with
   intent to distribute methamphetamine, in violation of 21 U.S.C. §§ 841(a)(1)
   (prohibiting unlawful acts with controlled substance), (b)(1)(A)(viii)
   (outlining sentencing for “50 grams or more of methamphetamine”), 846
   (prohibiting conspiracy). He was sentenced, inter alia, to 262 months’

         _____________________
         *
             This opinion is not designated for publication. See 5th Cir. R. 47.5.
Case: 22-30637      Document: 00516984754           Page: 2     Date Filed: 11/30/2023

                                     No. 22-30637

   imprisonment, based in part on a career-offender enhancement under
   Guideline § 4B1.1.
          Thomas contends his instant offense is not a qualifying controlled-
   substance offense. See Guideline § 4B1.2 cmt. n.1 (amended 2023) (defining
   terms). He maintains: the Guideline language does not include inchoate
   offenses; and, although the commentary does include such offenses, the
   commentary is inconsistent with the text of the Guideline.
          Although post-Booker, the Sentencing Guidelines are advisory only,
   the district court must avoid significant procedural error, such as improperly
   calculating the Guidelines sentencing range. Gall v. United States, 552 U.S.
   38, 46, 51 (2007). If no such procedural error exists, a properly preserved
   objection to an ultimate sentence is reviewed for substantive reasonableness
   under an abuse-of-discretion standard. Id. at 51; United States v. Delgado-
   Martinez, 564 F.3d 750, 751–53 (5th Cir. 2009). In that respect, for issues
   preserved in district court, its application of the Guidelines is reviewed de
   novo; its factual findings, only for clear error. E.g., United States v. Cisneros-
   Gutierrez, 517 F.3d 751, 764 (5th Cir. 2008).
          As reflected above, Guidelines interpretation and application are
   reviewed de novo. E.g., United States v. Sam, 467 F.3d 857, 861 (5th Cir.
   2006). Following completion of briefing in this case, our court, en banc,
   rejected a contention identical to Thomas’. United States v. Vargas, 74 F.4th
   673, 690, 697–98 (5th Cir. 2023) (en banc) (“[W]e reaffirm our longstanding
   precedent that inchoate offenses like conspiracy are included in the definition
   of ‘controlled substance offense’”.).
          AFFIRMED.

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