Filed: Jul. 13, 2006
Latest Update: Feb. 12, 2020
Summary: UNPUBLISHED UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS FOR THE FOURTH CIRCUIT No. 05-4768 UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, Plaintiff - Appellee, versus WONNICK LOUIS, a/k/a Wonni, a/k/a Shorty, Defendant - Appellant. Appeal from the United States District Court for the Western District of Virginia, at Harrisonburg. James C. Turk, Senior District Judge. (CR-02-30098) Submitted: June 21, 2006 Decided: July 13, 2006 Before MOTZ and SHEDD, Circuit Judges, and HAMILTON, Senior Circuit Judge. Affirmed by unpublished per
Summary: UNPUBLISHED UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS FOR THE FOURTH CIRCUIT No. 05-4768 UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, Plaintiff - Appellee, versus WONNICK LOUIS, a/k/a Wonni, a/k/a Shorty, Defendant - Appellant. Appeal from the United States District Court for the Western District of Virginia, at Harrisonburg. James C. Turk, Senior District Judge. (CR-02-30098) Submitted: June 21, 2006 Decided: July 13, 2006 Before MOTZ and SHEDD, Circuit Judges, and HAMILTON, Senior Circuit Judge. Affirmed by unpublished per ..
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UNPUBLISHED
UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS
FOR THE FOURTH CIRCUIT
No. 05-4768
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA,
Plaintiff - Appellee,
versus
WONNICK LOUIS, a/k/a Wonni, a/k/a Shorty,
Defendant - Appellant.
Appeal from the United States District Court for the Western
District of Virginia, at Harrisonburg. James C. Turk, Senior
District Judge. (CR-02-30098)
Submitted: June 21, 2006 Decided: July 13, 2006
Before MOTZ and SHEDD, Circuit Judges, and HAMILTON, Senior Circuit
Judge.
Affirmed by unpublished per curiam opinion.
Louis Dene, DENE & DENE, P.C., Abingdon, Virginia, for Appellant.
Jean Barrett Hudson, Bruce A. Pagel, OFFICE OF THE UNITED STATES
ATTORNEY, Charlottesville, Virginia, for Appellee.
Unpublished opinions are not binding precedent in this circuit.
See Local Rule 36(c).
PER CURIAM:
Wonnick Louis appeals his conviction and sentence to 108
months in prison and five years of supervised release following his
guilty plea to one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to
distribute at least fifty grams of cocaine base and five hundred
grams of cocaine in violation of 21 U.S.C. §§ 841, 846 (2000).
Louis’s attorney has filed a brief pursuant to Anders v.
California,
386 U.S. 738 (1967), asserting there are no meritorious
grounds for appeal but raising the issue of whether the district
court committed error in sentencing Louis. Louis has been informed
of his right to file a pro se supplemental brief but has not done
so. However, Louis filed a pro se motion for appointment of new
counsel in which he explained he wished to raise the issue of
whether his trial counsel was ineffective. We affirm.
In Louis’s plea agreement, he stipulated that he was
accountable for between five hundred grams and 1.5 kilograms of
cocaine base and between five hundred grams and two kilograms of
cocaine. The Government agreed not to oppose Louis’s sentencing
under the safety valve provisions limiting applicability of the
statutory minimum sentence, see 18 U.S.C. § 3553(f) (2000); U.S.
Sentencing Guidelines Manual (“USSG”) § 5C1.2 (2004), and to
recommend a two-level reduction for acceptance of responsibility.
Louis waived his right to appeal sentencing issues and to
collaterally attack his criminal judgment and sentence. Louis,
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whose native language is Creole, was provided an interpreter at his
guilty plea hearing. The district court conducted an extensive
colloquy in compliance with Fed. R. Civ. P. 11(b). Louis affirmed
that he had reviewed the plea agreement with his attorney and fully
understood it; he was satisfied with his attorney; he had agreed to
be held accountable for the drug quantities in his plea agreement;
and he understood he was giving up his right to appeal sentencing
issues.
Based on evidence of controlled buys and information from
Louis’s other buyers, the presentence report determined Louis was
responsible for distribution of at least 1.4 kilograms of cocaine
base and at least 595 grams of cocaine equivalent to 29,019
kilograms of marijuana. Accordingly, Louis’s base offense level
under USSG § 2D1.1 was thirty-six. The probation officer
recommended a two-level reduction under the safety valve and a two-
level reduction for acceptance of responsibility. With an offense
level of thirty-two and criminal history category I, Louis’s
advisory guideline range was 121 to 151 months. At sentencing,
Louis’s counsel objected to the drug quantities, but counsel
acknowledged the quantities were consistent with Louis’s
stipulations and the Defense had no contrary evidence.
The district court overruled the objection and adopted
the factual findings in the presentence report. However, after
hearing argument from Louis’s counsel and a statement from Louis,
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the district court accorded Louis an additional one-point reduction
for acceptance of responsibility. Thus, his total offense level
was thirty-one, and his advisory guideline range was 108 to 135
months. The district court sentenced Louis at the low end of his
sentencing range to 108 months.
On appeal, Louis’s counsel has raised the issue of
whether the sentence imposed by the district court was clearly
erroneous. See United States v. Jones,
31 F.3d 1304, 1315-16 (4th
Cir. 1994).* We conclude the district court did not commit error
in sentencing Louis. As acknowledged by the Defense at sentencing,
the Government’s evidence of relevant conduct was uncontradicted
and consistent with Louis’s stipulations. The district court did
not clearly err in finding the Government met its burden of proving
relevant conduct. Moreover, Louis’s sentence was within properly
calculated advisory and statutory sentencing ranges and was
reasonable. See United States v. Hughes,
401 F.3d 540, 546-47 (4th
Cir. 2005). Finally, ineffective assistance claims should be
raised under 28 U.S.C. § 2255 (2000) and are only cognizable on
direct appeal when they are conclusively shown by the record.
United States v. Richardson,
195 F.3d 192, 198 (4th Cir. 1999).
The record before us does not support such a finding.
*
The Government has not sought to enforce Louis’s waiver of
appellate rights.
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In accordance with Anders, we have reviewed the entire
record in this case and have found no meritorious issues for
appeal. We therefore affirm Louis’s conviction and sentence. We
also deny his motion for appointment of new counsel. This court
requires that counsel inform his client, in writing, of his right
to petition the Supreme Court of the United States for further
review. If the client 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 the client.
We dispense with oral argument because the facts and
legal contentions are adequately presented in the materials before
the court and argument would not aid the decisional process.
AFFIRMED
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