Court Opinion

ID: 9951148
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2024-03-15 18:01:17.577374+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T14:37:42.781342
License: Public Domain

Case: 23-60414           Document: 53-1        Page: 1      Date Filed: 03/15/2024

          United States Court of Appeals
               for the Fifth Circuit
                                  ____________
                                                                       United States Court of Appeals
                                                                                Fifth Circuit
                                   No. 23-60414
                                 Summary Calendar
                                                                              FILED
                                                                        March 15, 2024
                                 ____________
                                                                         Lyle W. Cayce
United States of America,                                                     Clerk

                                                                  Plaintiff—Appellee,

                                         versus

Ankit Puri,

                                           Defendant—Appellant.
                  ______________________________

                  Appeal from the United States District Court
                    for the Southern District of Mississippi
                            USDC No. 3:19-CR-70-1
                  ______________________________

Before Elrod, Oldham, and Wilson, Circuit Judges.
Per Curiam: *
      Ankit Puri pleaded guilty, pursuant to a written plea agreement, to
conspiracy to commit bank fraud, mail fraud, and wire fraud, in violation of
18 U.S.C. § 1349. He was sentenced to 87 months of imprisonment and a
three-year term of supervised release. On appeal, Puri challenges only his

      _____________________
      *
          This opinion is not designated for publication. See 5th Cir. R. 47.5.
Case: 23-60414        Document: 53-1      Page: 2     Date Filed: 03/15/2024

sentence, arguing that the district court erred by imposing a four-level
organizer or leader enhancement.
       Invoking the waiver of appeal provision in Puri’s plea agreement, the
Government moves to dismiss his appeal or, alternatively, for summary
affirmance, asserting that the waiver is valid and enforceable and precludes
Puri’s sentencing challenge.      The motion for summary affirmance is
DENIED because the summary affirmance procedure is generally reserved
for cases in which the parties concede that the issues are foreclosed by circuit
precedent.
       As to the government’s motion to dismiss the appeal, a party forfeits
an argument by “failing to adequately brief the argument on appeal.” Rollins
v. Home Depot USA, 8 F.4th 393, 397 (5th Cir. 2021); Procter & Gamble Co. v.
Amway Corp., 376 F.3d 496, 499 n.1 (5th Cir. 2004) (collecting cases). Puri
has declined to respond to the government’s motion. He has therefore
forfeited any argument that the appeal waiver is invalid.
       The waiver of appeal provision bars Puri’s challenge to his sentence.
See United States v. Higgins, 739 F.3d 733, 736-37 (5th Cir. 2014); United
States v. Walters, 732 F.3d 489, 491 (5th Cir. 2013). Accordingly, IT IS
ORDERED that the Government’s motion for dismissal is GRANTED,
and the appeal is DISMISSED.