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Articles Posted in Federal Sentencing

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Sentence increase upheld for possession of a credit card skimmer

In U.S. v. Cruz, the defendant and her brother obtained credit cards numbers which they purchased from a waiter working at a Flanigan’s restaurant in Hialeah, Florida. Using a credit card skimming device, the waiter sold the skimmed numbers to a codefendant who was married to Cruz. Cruz’s sister also…

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A probation sentence for a doctor convicted of Medicare fraud was rejected as too low

In U.S.v. Kuhlman, the defendant was a doctor of chiropractic medicine who owned and operated clinics in the Atlanta area. For five years he submitted $2,944,883 in fraudulent billings to Medicare for fictitious medical services. He did this by submitting HCFA forms to insurance companies indicating that medical procedures were…

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Challenge to the use of a Florida state court prior conviction to enhance sentence fails

In U.S. v. Gandy the defendant was convicted of possession of a firearm and sentenced to 180 months. His sentence had been enhanced under the Armed Career Criminal Act (ACCA) because he had been convicted of at least three prior violent felonies. In challenging the sentence he argued that the…

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A defendant may be eligible for a safety valve reduction for a drug offense when receiving a 2-point increase for possession of a gun but it will be difficult

In U.S. v. Carrillo the 11th Circuit dealt with question whether a defendant convicted of a drug offense and receiving a 2-point guidelines increase for the possession of a firearm can be eligible for a safety valve reduction. The court ruled that that the provisions are not mutually exclusive but…

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Life sentence enhancement based on juvenile prior does not violate the cruel and unusual clause of the Constitution

The defendant in U.S. v. Hoffman was sentenced to life for his conviction of conspiracy to distribute of 50 or more grams of methamphetamines in violation of 21 U.S.C. §§ 841(a)(1), 846, and with possession with intent to distribute methamphetamines. Prior to trial on these federal crimes the government filed…

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Amendment restricting a sentence reduction under revised sentencing guidelines does not violate Ex Post Facto Clause

In U.S. v. Colon, the defendant, Christina Colon, pleaded guilty to the federal crime of distribution of crack cocaine and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense. The Pre-sentence Report calculated her range at 46- 57 months and the district court varied down to 36 months.…

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Though it seems obvious, the 11th Circuit decided that a conviction for firing a gun in the direction of a helicopter was a crime of violence

In U.S. v. McGuire, the defendant challenged the sufficiency of the evidence to support his conviction of attempting to damage, destroy, disable, set fire to, or wreck an aircraft in the special aircraft jurisdiction of the United States in violation of 18 U.S. C. §32(a)(1). After McGuire shot of several…

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An individual becomes a guidelines “victim” of an unlawful transfer of identification information when the information is used

The issue here is whether the unauthorized transfer of an individual’s identifying information to another party involves the actual use of that information for a fraudulent purpose such that the individual whose identifying information was transferred is as victim under U.S.S.G 2B1.1(b)(2)(B). This sentencing guideline provides for a 4 level…

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Defendent sentenced even after indictment was withdrawn

First, you need the background facts of McIntosh’s first trip to the 11th Circuit. In U.S. v. McIntosh, the defendant was indicted in federal court for distributing crack cocaine and for a firearm related offense. The charges arose from a November 2005 traffic stop when an officer found the drugs…

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By pleading guilty to the indictment charging a prior aggravated felony, the defendant waived any appeal to his objection to the charge

Sandra Day O’Connor sat on this panel also. The opinion was written by Judge Pryor. In U.S. v. Garcia-Sandobal, the defendant, citizen of Honduras, entered the United States illegally and committed a variety of crimes. After he was deported in 1998, he reentered illegally, and committed more crimes, including a…

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