Court Opinion

ID: 9831310
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-09-01 21:00:30.745569+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:12:21.293219
License: Public Domain

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                                            UNPUBLISHED

                               UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS
                                   FOR THE FOURTH CIRCUIT

                                              No. 22-4655

        UNITED STATES OF AMERICA,

                            Plaintiff - Appellee,

                     v.

        JOHN THOMAS COLEY,

                            Defendant - Appellant.

        Appeal from the United States District Court for the Middle District of North Carolina, at
        Greensboro. William L. Osteen, Jr., District Judge. (1:21-cr-00218-WO-1)

        Submitted: August 29, 2023                                        Decided: August 31, 2023

        Before KING, AGEE, and BENJAMIN, Circuit Judges.

        Affirmed by unpublished per curiam opinion.

        ON BRIEF: Louis C. Allen, Federal Public Defender, Lisa S. Costner, Assistant Federal
        Public Defender, OFFICE OF THE FEDERAL PUBLIC DEFENDER, Winston-Salem,
        North Carolina, for Appellant. Mary Ann Courtney, Assistant United States Attorney,
        OFFICE OF THE UNITED STATES ATTORNEY, Greensboro, North Carolina, for
        Appellee.

        Unpublished opinions are not binding precedent in this circuit.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

                  John Thomas Coley pled guilty to possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, in

        violation of 18 U.S.C. §§ 922(g)(1), 924(a)(2). The district court sentenced him to 75

        months’ imprisonment—four months above the high end of the advisory Sentencing

        Guidelines range—and three years of supervised release. On appeal, Coley’s counsel has

        filed a brief pursuant to Anders v. California, 386 U.S. 738 (1967), stating that there are no

        meritorious issues for appeal but questioning whether Coley’s sentence is greater than

        necessary to accomplish the sentencing goals enumerated in 18 U.S.C. § 3553(a).

        Although notified of his right to do so, Coley has not filed a pro se supplemental brief. We

        affirm.

                  We   review    Coley’s   sentence   for   reasonableness     under   a   deferential

        abuse-of-discretion standard. United States v. Torres-Reyes, 952 F.3d 147, 151 (4th Cir.

        2020). In conducting this review, we must first ensure that the sentence is procedurally

        reasonable, “consider[ing] whether the district court properly calculated the defendant’s

        advisory [G]uidelines range, gave the parties an opportunity to argue for an appropriate

        sentence, considered the 18 U.S.C. § 3553(a) factors, and sufficiently explained the

        selected sentence.” Id. (internal quotation marks omitted). We then review the substantive

        reasonableness of the sentence; that is, “we examine the totality of the circumstances to see

        whether the sentencing court abused its discretion in concluding that the sentence it chose

        satisfied the standards set forth in § 3553(a).” United States v. Arbaugh, 951 F.3d 167, 176

        (4th Cir. 2020) (cleaned up). “Where, as here, the sentence is outside the advisory

        Guidelines range, we must consider whether the sentencing court acted reasonably both

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        with respect to its decision to impose such a sentence and with respect to the extent of the

        divergence from the sentencing range.” United States v. Nance, 957 F.3d 204, 215 (4th

        Cir. 2020) (internal quotation marks omitted). However, because our review ultimately is

        for abuse of discretion, while we “may consider the extent of the deviation,” we “must give

        due deference to the district court’s decision that the § 3553(a) factors, on a whole, justify

        the extent of the variance.” Gall v. United States, 552 U.S. 38, 51 (2007).

               Here the district court properly calculated Coley’s advisory Guidelines range of 57

        to 71 months’ imprisonment, allowed the parties to present arguments, gave Coley the

        opportunity to allocute, and considered the relevant § 3553(a) factors. Furthermore, the

        court thoroughly explained Coley’s upward-variant sentence of 75 months’ imprisonment.

        Specifically, the court acknowledged Coley’s multiple suicide attempts, history of

        substance abuse, attempts at rehabilitation, and family support. However, the court

        emphasized that a four-month variance was necessary in light of Coley’s false and

        misleading statements to the court. We conclude that Coley’s sentence is procedurally and

        substantively reasonable.

               In accordance with Anders, we have reviewed the entire record and have found no

        meritorious grounds for appeal. Accordingly, we affirm the district court’s judgment. This

        court requires that counsel inform Coley, in writing, of the right to petition the Supreme

        Court of the United States for further review. If Coley 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 Coley.

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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

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