Filed: Feb. 16, 2004
Latest Update: Feb. 21, 2020
Summary: United States Court of Appeals Fifth Circuit F I L E D IN THE UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS FOR THE FIFTH CIRCUIT February 17, 2004 Charles R. Fulbruge III Clerk No. 03-30896 Conference Calendar MARK ANTHONY COUSINS, Petitioner-Appellant, versus ROBERT M. TAPIA, Respondent-Appellee. - Appeal from the United States District Court for the Western District of Louisiana USDC No. 03-CV-746 - Before HIGGINBOTHAM, EMILIO M. GARZA, and PRADO, Circuit Judges. PER CURIAM:* Mark Anthony Cousins, federal i
Summary: United States Court of Appeals Fifth Circuit F I L E D IN THE UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS FOR THE FIFTH CIRCUIT February 17, 2004 Charles R. Fulbruge III Clerk No. 03-30896 Conference Calendar MARK ANTHONY COUSINS, Petitioner-Appellant, versus ROBERT M. TAPIA, Respondent-Appellee. - Appeal from the United States District Court for the Western District of Louisiana USDC No. 03-CV-746 - Before HIGGINBOTHAM, EMILIO M. GARZA, and PRADO, Circuit Judges. PER CURIAM:* Mark Anthony Cousins, federal in..
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United States Court of Appeals
Fifth Circuit
F I L E D
IN THE UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS
FOR THE FIFTH CIRCUIT February 17, 2004
Charles R. Fulbruge III
Clerk
No. 03-30896
Conference Calendar
MARK ANTHONY COUSINS,
Petitioner-Appellant,
versus
ROBERT M. TAPIA,
Respondent-Appellee.
--------------------
Appeal from the United States District Court
for the Western District of Louisiana
USDC No. 03-CV-746
--------------------
Before HIGGINBOTHAM, EMILIO M. GARZA, and PRADO, Circuit Judges.
PER CURIAM:*
Mark Anthony Cousins, federal inmate #43109-019, appeals the
district court’s dismissal of his 28 U.S.C. § 2241 petition. In
his petition, Cousins argued that the sentencing court
unconstitutionally varied the indictment, which charged Cousins
with violating 18 U.S.C. §§ 924(c) and 2113 (a) and (d). He also
averred that his sentence should be modified pursuant to
Amendment 599 to the Sentencing Guidelines because the weapons
enhancement he received under U.S.S.G. § 2B3.1(b)(2) and the
*
Pursuant to 5TH CIR. R. 47.5, the court has determined
that this opinion should not be published and is not precedent
except under the limited circumstances set forth in 5TH CIR.
R. 47.5.4.
No. 03-30896
-2-
sentence he received for the 18 U.S.C. § 924(c) counts
constituted duplicative punishment for the same offense conduct.
Cousins contends that his petition satisfied the criteria
established in Reyes-Requena v. United States,
243 F.3d 893 (5th
Cir. 2001), and that he was entitled to proceed under the
“savings clause” of 28 U.S.C. § 2255. Cousins has not met his
burden of showing that he meets the requirements for filing a 28
U.S.C. § 2241 petition under the savings clause of 28 U.S.C.
§ 2255. He has failed to point to a retroactively applicable
Supreme Court decision which establishes that he may have been
imprisoned for conduct that was not prohibited by law. Nor has
he shown that his claims were foreclosed by circuit law at the
time of his conviction, appeal, or prior 28 U.S.C. § 2255 motion.
See
id. at 903-04. The true nature of Cousins’ claims is not
actual innocence; he is challenging the propriety of his
sentences. Relief on such claims cannot be sought by way of a 28
U.S.C. § 2241 petition. See Kinder v. Purdy,
222 F.3d 209, 211
(5th Cir. 2000). Accordingly, the judgment of the district court
is affirmed.
AFFIRMED.