Filed: Aug. 30, 2013
Latest Update: Feb. 12, 2020
Summary: UNPUBLISHED UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS FOR THE FOURTH CIRCUIT No. 13-4145 UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, Plaintiff - Appellee, v. MARION SHAWN ANDERSON, Defendant - Appellant. Appeal from the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia, at Alexandria. Leonie M. Brinkema, District Judge. (1:11-cr-00231-LMB-1) Submitted: August 27, 2013 Decided: August 30, 2013 Before GREGORY, DUNCAN, and WYNN, Circuit Judges. Affirmed by unpublished per curiam opinion. D. Craig Hughes, LAW OF
Summary: UNPUBLISHED UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS FOR THE FOURTH CIRCUIT No. 13-4145 UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, Plaintiff - Appellee, v. MARION SHAWN ANDERSON, Defendant - Appellant. Appeal from the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia, at Alexandria. Leonie M. Brinkema, District Judge. (1:11-cr-00231-LMB-1) Submitted: August 27, 2013 Decided: August 30, 2013 Before GREGORY, DUNCAN, and WYNN, Circuit Judges. Affirmed by unpublished per curiam opinion. D. Craig Hughes, LAW OFF..
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UNPUBLISHED
UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS
FOR THE FOURTH CIRCUIT
No. 13-4145
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA,
Plaintiff - Appellee,
v.
MARION SHAWN ANDERSON,
Defendant - Appellant.
Appeal from the United States District Court for the Eastern
District of Virginia, at Alexandria. Leonie M. Brinkema,
District Judge. (1:11-cr-00231-LMB-1)
Submitted: August 27, 2013 Decided: August 30, 2013
Before GREGORY, DUNCAN, and WYNN, Circuit Judges.
Affirmed by unpublished per curiam opinion.
D. Craig Hughes, LAW OFFICES OF D. CRAIG HUGHES, Houston, Texas,
for Appellant. Neil H. MacBride, United States Attorney,
Alexandria, Virginia, Richard D. Cooke, Assistant United States
Attorney, Richmond, Virginia, for Appellee.
Unpublished opinions are not binding precedent in this circuit.
PER CURIAM:
Marion Shawn Anderson pled guilty pursuant to a plea
agreement to one count of conspiracy to distribute five
kilograms or more of cocaine, in violation of 21 U.S.C.
§§ 841(a)(1), 846 (2006). Anderson was sentenced to twenty
years’ imprisonment, the statutory minimum sentence based on a
prior felony drug conviction. Finding no error, we affirm. 1
Anderson contends counsel was ineffective for
providing false assurances and misleading advice and that his
effectiveness was stunted because he was suffering from non-
Hodgkin’s lymphoma causing him to take numerous medications. He
further contends that he proclaimed his innocence to counsel
asserting that he was never part of the charged conspiracy but
that counsel never investigated his version of events. Anderson
also contends that his guilty plea was the result of coercion
from counsel and the Government that rose after the motion to
suppress was filed. He was told that if he followed through
with the suppression motion, the proposed plea agreement would
be withdrawn. He claims he was also told that the Government
would not seek the increased statutory sentence. Anderson also
claims counsel told him his Guidelines sentence would be 97 to
1
Because this is an appeal from the a final judgment of
conviction, the Government’s claim that the appeal cannot
proceed without a certificate of appealability is without merit.
2
121 months and that the Government would move to reduce his
sentence by as much as 65%. Anderson asserts that it was not
until the Rule 11 hearing that he learned of the Government’s
notice under 21 U.S.C. § 851 (2006) and the twenty year
mandatory minimum sentence.
Anderson further claims that the Government breached
the plea agreement because it (1) filed the § 851 notice and
supported the aggravating enhancements to his offense level;
(2) did not support a total offense level of twenty-nine; and
(3) failed to move for a downward departure under U.S.
Sentencing Guidelines Manual § 5K1.1.
It is well established that claims of ineffective
assistance of counsel will not be reviewed on direct appeal
unless the appellate record conclusively demonstrates
ineffective assistance. United States v. Benton,
523 F.3d 424,
435 (4th Cir. 2008). The record in this instance falls far
short of supporting Anderson’s ineffective assistance of claims.
Accordingly, we will not review the claims.
Anderson did not claim in the district court at
sentencing that the Government breached the plea agreement, so
we review for plain error. Puckett v. United States,
556 U.S.
129, 133-34 (2009). To succeed on this claim, Anderson must
establish “(1) an error, (2) that is plain, (3) that affects the
defendant’s substantial rights, and (4) that seriously affects
3
the fairness, integrity, or public reputation of judicial
proceedings.” United States v. Dawson,
587 F.3d 640, 645 (4th
Cir. 2009). We conclude that the record fails to show that
there was a breach of any kind by the Government. Accordingly,
there was no error, much less plain error.
Accordingly, we affirm the conviction and sentence. 2
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
2
Anderson also contends that the appeal waiver that was in
the plea agreement should not be enforced. Because the
Government is not seeking to enforce the appeal waiver, this
claim is moot.
4