COLLEEN KOLLAR-KOTELLY, UNITED STATES DISTRICT JUDGE.
Defendant Dorothy Maju Henry was convicted in 2005 of three counts under 21 U.S.C. § 960 relating to her role in an international heroin conspiracy. Presently before the Court is Defendant's pro se [240] Motion to Correct Sentence Pursuant to 18 U.S.C. § 3582(c). Defendant claims that Alleyne v. United States, ___ U.S. ___, 133 S.Ct. 2151, 186 L.Ed.2d 314 (2013) and Peugh v. United States, ___ U.S.___, 133 S.Ct. 2072, 186 L.Ed.2d 84 (2013) combine to compel a reduction in her sentence. The Court, however, need not address whether Alleyne and Peugh do in fact mandate such a reduction because upon consideration of the pleadings
On March 31, 2004, a jury in the United States District Court for the District of Columbia found Defendant guilty of (a) one count of conspiracy to import one kilogram or more of a substance containing a detectable amount of heroin into the United States from Kenya and elsewhere and (b) two counts of distributing or causing the distribution of one kilogram or more of heroin outside the United States knowing that it would be imported into the United States. See Verdict Form, ECF No. [150]. Congress has prescribed a mandatory minimum of ten years in prison for importing at least one kilogram of heroin. See 21 U.S.C. § 960(b). On January 5, 2005, this Court sentenced the Defendant to 288 months in prison and five years of supervised release. See Judgment, ECF No. [182]. Defendant appealed to the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, which upheld her conviction. United States v. Henry, 207 Fed. Appx. 3 (D.C.Cir.2006).
On February 12, 2008, Defendant filed a habeas petition pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 2255, alleging ineffective assistance of counsel. See Motion for Relief Under Title 28 U.S.C. § 2255, ECF No. [213]. On October 21, 2011, this Court denied Defendant's petition. See Order, ECF No. [234]; Memorandum Opinion, ECF No. [233]. Defendant now seeks a sentence reduction under 18 U.S.C. § 3582(c).
Under Title 18, Section 3582(c) of the United States Code:
18 U.S.C. § 3582(c).
Here, the Bureau of Prisons has not made a motion, Defendant has not moved under another statute or Rule 35 of the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure, and the Sentencing Commission has not subsequently lowered the sentencing range for the crimes that Defendant was convicted of. Compare U.S. SENTENCING GUIDELINES MANUAL § 2D1.1 (2009) (base level of 32 for importing at least one kilogram of heroin) with U.S. SENTENCING GUIDELINES MANUAL § 2D1.1 (2005) (same). Defendant does not argue that any of the conditions for applying § 3582(c) have been met; in fact, part of her argument is that the Court should apply the 2002 Guidelines, not the 2005 Guidelines. Def.'s Mot. at 2. Rather, Defendant argues that her sentence pursuant to the Sentencing Guidelines was itself unconstitutional, as a defendant's base level and sentencing enhancements under the Guidelines are "elements" of the offense which the jury must find beyond a reasonable doubt under Defendant's reading of Alleyne and Peugh.
Defendant's court-appointed counsel
Alternatively, Defendant's counsel contends, the Court could construe Defendant's § 3582(c) motion as a habeas petition under 28 U.S.C. § 2255. However, because this would be Defendant's second petition under 28 U.S.C. § 2255, the general bar on successive habeas petitions, 28 U.S.C. § 2255(h), would apply unless Defendant could show that "a panel of the appropriate court of appeals" has certified that the petition contains allegations based on powerful newly discovered evidence
Defendant's claim is barred under § 2255(h) because "a panel of the appropriate court of appeals" (here, the D.C. Circuit) has not certified that Defendant's petition contains a new rule of constitutional law that would apply to her. This is not surprising, as Defendant filed her motion under 18 U.S.C. § 3582(c), which does not contain such a requirement. But while a court is expected to take a liberal approach to construing pro se claims, liberality does not allow a court to ignore Congress' decision to bar successive uncertified claims under § 2255(h). See Burton v. Stewart, 549 U.S. 147, 152, 127 S.Ct. 793, 166 L.Ed.2d 628 (2007) (per curiam) (district court lacked jurisdiction to hear successive habeas claim because the prisoner did not obtain an order from the appropriate court of appeals).
For the foregoing reasons, the Court finds that Defendant is not entitled to the requested relief. Defendant filed her petition under 18 U.S.C. § 3852(c), which requires one of three factual or legal predicates, of which Defendant has alleged none. If Defendant's motion is construed as a habeas petition under 28 U.S.C. § 2255, it is barred as an uncertified successive petition. Furthermore, the Court concludes that a hearing in this matter is unnecessary because the record conclusively shows that Defendant's motion is uncertified. See 28 U.S.C. § 2255(b) (no hearing required where "the motion and the files and records of the case conclusively show that the prisoner is entitled to no relief"). Accordingly, Defendant's [240] Motion to Correct a Sentence Pursuant to 18 U.S.C. § 3852(c) is DENIED. An appropriate Order accompanies this Memorandum Opinion.