Court Opinion

ID: 9902179
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-11-23 22:00:29.288126+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T09:21:46.774053
License: Public Domain

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                                             UNPUBLISHED

                               UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS
                                   FOR THE FOURTH CIRCUIT

                                               No. 23-4153

        UNITED STATES OF AMERICA,

                             Plaintiff - Appellee,

                      v.

        NORMAN LAQUINN HEWETT,

                             Defendant - Appellant.

        Appeal from the United States District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina, at
        Wilmington. James C. Dever III, District Judge. (7:20-cr-00163-D-1)

        Submitted: November 16, 2023                                Decided: November 22, 2023

        Before AGEE and RICHARDSON, Circuit Judges, and FLOYD, Senior Circuit Judge.

        Affirmed in part, dismissed in part by unpublished per curiam opinion.

        ON BRIEF: Mitchell G. Styers, BANZET, THOMPSON, STYERS & MAY, PLLC,
        Warrenton, North Carolina, for Appellant. David A. Bragdon, Assistant United States
        Attorney, John Gibbons, Assistant United States Attorney, OFFICE OF THE UNITED
        STATES ATTORNEY, Raleigh, North Carolina, for Appellee.

        Unpublished opinions are not binding precedent in this circuit.
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        PER CURIAM:

               Norman Laquinn Hewett seeks to appeal the 108-month sentence imposed

        following his guilty plea to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute

        500 grams or more of cocaine and 28 grams or more of cocaine base, in violation of

        21 U.S.C. §§ 841(b)(1)(B), 846; possession with intent to distribute 28 grams or more of

        cocaine base, in violation of 21 U.S.C. § 841(a)(1), (b)(1)(B); and possession of a firearm

        by a felon, in violation of 18 U.S.C. §§ 922(g)(1), 924(a)(2) (2018). * Hewett’s counsel has

        filed a brief pursuant to Anders v. California, 386 U.S. 738 (1967), questioning whether

        Hewett’s sentence is reasonable.       Although informed of his right to file a pro se

        supplemental brief, Hewett has not done so.

               The Government has filed a motion to dismiss the appeal on the ground that

        Hewett’s appeal is barred by the appeal waiver included in the plea agreement. We review

        de novo the validity of an appeal waiver. United States v. Cohen, 888 F.3d 667, 678 (4th

        Cir. 2018). Where, as here, the Government seeks to enforce the appeal waiver and has

        not breached the plea agreement, we will enforce the waiver if it is valid and the issue being

        appealed falls within the waiver’s scope. United States v. Manigan, 592 F.3d 621, 627 (4th

        Cir. 2010). A defendant validly waives his appeal rights if he agreed to the waiver

               *
                 Section 924(a)(2) was amended and no longer provides the penalty for § 922(g)
        convictions; the new penalty provision in 18 U.S.C. § 924(a)(8) sets forth a statutory
        maximum sentence of 15 years’ imprisonment for a § 922(g) offense. See Bipartisan Safer
        Communities Act, Pub. L. No. 117-159, § 12004(c), 136 Stat. 1414, 1329 (2022). The 15-
        year statutory maximum does not apply in this case, however, because Hewett committed
        the offense before the June 25, 2022, amendment of the statute.

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        “knowingly and intelligently.” Id. To determine whether a waiver is knowing and

        intelligent, “we consider the totality of the circumstances, including the experience and

        conduct of the defendant, his educational background, and his knowledge of the plea

        agreement and its terms.” United States v. McCoy, 895 F.3d 358, 362 (4th Cir. 2018)

        (internal quotation marks omitted). Generally, “if a district court questions a defendant

        regarding the waiver of appellate rights during the [Fed. R. Crim. P.] 11 colloquy and the

        record indicates that the defendant understood the full significance of the waiver, the

        waiver is valid.” Id. (internal quotation marks omitted).

               Upon review of the plea agreement and the transcript of the Rule 11 hearing, we

        conclude that Hewett knowingly and voluntarily waived his right to appeal and that any

        challenge to his sentence falls squarely within the compass of the appellate waiver.

        Accordingly, we grant the Government’s motion in part.

               Pursuant to Anders, we have reviewed the entire record and have found no

        meritorious issues for appeal that fall outside the scope of the appeal waiver. We therefore

        affirm the remainder of the district court’s judgment. This court requires that counsel

        inform Hewett, in writing, of the right to petition the Supreme Court of the United States

        for further review. If Hewett requests that a petition be filed, but counsel believes that such

        a petition would be frivolous, then counsel may move in this court for leave to withdraw

        from representation. Counsel’s motion must state that a copy thereof was served on

        Hewett.

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              We dispense with oral argument because the facts and legal contentions are

        adequately presented in the materials before this court and argument would not aid the

        decisional process.

                                                                          AFFIRMED IN PART,
                                                                          DISMISSED IN PART

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