Opinion

United States v. Brown

Court
Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit
Filed
May 31, 1996
Status
Unpublished
Cited by
0 cases
Authority
More cited than 27.8%

The opinion

UNPUBLISHED

UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS

FOR THE FOURTH CIRCUIT

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA,

Plaintiff-Appellee,

v. No. 95-5307

LONNIE BROWN,

Defendant-Appellant.

Appeal from the United States District Court

for the Northern District of West Virginia, at Wheeling.

Frederick P. Stamp, Jr., Chief District Judge.

(CR-94-50083)

Submitted: April 30, 1996

Decided: May 31, 1996

Before HALL, WILKINS, and NIEMEYER, Circuit Judges.

_________________________________________________________________

Affirmed by unpublished per curiam opinion.

_________________________________________________________________

COUNSEL

Hunt L. Charach, Federal Public Defender, C. Cooper Fulton, Assis-

tant Federal Public Defender, Charleston, West Virginia, for Appel-

lant. William D. Wilmoth, United States Attorney, Paul T. Camilletti,

Assistant United States Attorney, Wheeling, West Virginia, for

Appellee.

_________________________________________________________________

Unpublished opinions are not binding precedent in this circuit. See

Local Rule 36(c).

_________________________________________________________________

OPINION

PER CURIAM:

Lonnie Brown appeals from the imposition of a ten-year sentence

for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and to possess with

intent to distribute the same following a guilty plea. Brown seeks

vacatur of his sentence and a new sentencing hearing. Brown's attor-

ney has filed a brief in accordance with Anders v. California, 386

U.S. 738 (1967), raising one potentially meritorious issue, but noting

that even were this issue decided in Brown's favor it would not affect

the outcome of his case. Brown has filed a supplemental brief, but

argues only the issue briefed by his attorney.

Specifically, Brown and his attorney argue that there was insuffi-

cient evidence to prove that the methamphetamine at issue was

D-methamphetamine rather than L-methamphetamine. Unlike

U.S.S.G. § 2D1.1 (1994), 21 U.S.C. § 841 (1988) makes no distinc-

tion between types of methamphetamine. The ten-year mandatory

minimum sentence imposed when 100 or more grams of methamphet-

amine are involved thus applies whether the drug at issue is

D-methamphetamine or L-methamphetamine. See United States v.

Massey, 57 F.3d 637, 638 (8th Cir. 1995); United States v. Acklen, 47

F.3d 739, 742 (5th Cir. 1995). Accordingly, so long as 100 or more

grams were involved any error the district court may have made in

sentencing Brown as if the methamphetamine was D-methampheta-

mine would have no effect on the length of his sentence and would

therefore be no more than harmless error. Because we find that over

100 grams of methamphetamine were involved, we hold that this

claim does not entitle Brown to the relief his seeks.*

_________________________________________________________________

*We also grant the Government's motion to incorporate its brief as its

response to Brown's pro se supplemental brief.

2

In accordance with the requirements of Anders , we have examined

the entire record in this case and find no other meritorious issues for

appeal. We therefore affirm Brown's sentence and require that coun-

sel inform Brown, in writing, of his right to petition the Supreme

Court of the United States for further review. If Brown requests that

a petition be filed, but counsel believes that such a petition would be

frivolous, then counsel may move this Court for leave to withdraw

from representation. Counsel's motion must state that a copy thereof

was served on Brown.

We dispense with oral argument because the facts and legal conten-

tions are adequately presented in the materials before the Court and

argument would not aid the decisional process.

AFFIRMED

3

This is a copy of a public record, reproduced as it was published. It is not legal advice, and it may not be the version a court would rely on. Check the official source before you cite it.

A word about cookies

We need a few to keep you signed in and the library working. The rest help us see which pages people use and where they get stuck. They stay off unless you say yes.