Filed: Aug. 12, 2010
Latest Update: Feb. 21, 2020
Summary: [DO NOT PUBLISH] IN THE UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS FOR THE ELEVENTH CIRCUIT _ FILED U.S. COURT OF APPEALS No. 08-17023 ELEVENTH CIRCUIT AUGUST 12, 2010 Non-Argument Calendar JOHN LEY _ CLERK D. C. Docket No. 01-00240-CR-T-26-MAP UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, Plaintiff-Appellee, versus ROBERT REESE LYONS, Defendant-Appellant. _ Appeal from the United States District Court for the Middle District of Florida _ (August 12, 2010) Before CARNES, HULL and ANDERSON, Circuit Judges. PER CURIAM: Robert Re
Summary: [DO NOT PUBLISH] IN THE UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS FOR THE ELEVENTH CIRCUIT _ FILED U.S. COURT OF APPEALS No. 08-17023 ELEVENTH CIRCUIT AUGUST 12, 2010 Non-Argument Calendar JOHN LEY _ CLERK D. C. Docket No. 01-00240-CR-T-26-MAP UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, Plaintiff-Appellee, versus ROBERT REESE LYONS, Defendant-Appellant. _ Appeal from the United States District Court for the Middle District of Florida _ (August 12, 2010) Before CARNES, HULL and ANDERSON, Circuit Judges. PER CURIAM: Robert Ree..
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[DO NOT PUBLISH]
IN THE UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS
FOR THE ELEVENTH CIRCUIT
________________________ FILED
U.S. COURT OF APPEALS
No. 08-17023 ELEVENTH CIRCUIT
AUGUST 12, 2010
Non-Argument Calendar
JOHN LEY
________________________
CLERK
D. C. Docket No. 01-00240-CR-T-26-MAP
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA,
Plaintiff-Appellee,
versus
ROBERT REESE LYONS,
Defendant-Appellant.
________________________
Appeal from the United States District Court
for the Middle District of Florida
_________________________
(August 12, 2010)
Before CARNES, HULL and ANDERSON, Circuit Judges.
PER CURIAM:
Robert Reese Lyons appeals through counsel the district court’s denial of his
18 U.S.C. § 3582(c)(2) motion for a reduced sentence based on Amendment 706 to
the Sentencing Guidelines.
I.
“We review de novo a district court’s conclusions about the scope of its
legal authority under 18 U.S.C. § 3582(c)(2).” United States v. James,
548 F.3d
983, 984 (11th Cir. 2008). Section 3582(c)(2) allows a district court to reduce the
term of imprisonment of “a defendant who has been sentenced . . . based on a
sentencing range that has subsequently been lowered by the Sentencing
Commission.” 18 U.S.C. § 3582(c)(2). Amendment 706 to the Sentencing
Guidelines lowered the offense levels in § 2D1.1 for most crack cocaine offenses.
See United States v. Douglas,
576 F.3d 1216, 1218 (11th Cir. 2009); see also
United States v. Smith,
568 F.3d 923, 926 (11th Cir. 2009) (observing that
“Amendment 706 . . . reduced by two levels the base offense level for crack
cocaine sentences calculated pursuant to U.S.S.G. § 2D1.1(c)”); United States v.
Williams,
549 F.3d 1337, 1339 (11th Cir. 2008) (noting that “a defendant whose
original sentencing range was based on something other than § 2D1.1 is precluded
from receiving a sentence reduction” based on Amendment 706).
The district court concluded that Lyons was not eligible for a sentence
reduction under § 3582(c)(2) because he qualified as a career offender under §
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4B1.1, and therefore Amendment 706 did not lower the applicable guideline range.
See United States v. Moore,
541 F.3d 1323, 1327–28 (11th Cir. 2008) (denying
reduction for a defendant who was sentenced as a career offender under § 4B1.1);
U.S.S.G. § 1B1.10, cmt. (n1.(A)) (prohibiting reduction where “amendment does
not have the effect of lowering the defendant’s applicable guideline range because
of the operation of another guideline”). Lyons contends that was error. He argues
that his sentence was based on § 2D1.1 rather than § 4B1.1. Lyons asserts that the
career offender enhancement applies only if the enhanced offense level is greater
than the offense level that is otherwise applicable. See U.S.S.G. § 4B1.1(b).
Because his offense level was 32 under both § 4B1.1 and § 2D1.1, he argues that
his sentence was based on the crack cocaine guidelines rather than the career
offender guideline.1
The district court did not err in denying Lyon’s § 3582(c)(2) motion. Even
if Lyons’ sentence was based on § 2D1.1 and Amendment 706 had reduced his
offense level by two levels to 30, see
Smith, 568 F.3d at 926, his guideline range
would not change. Lyons would still face an offense level of 32 under the career
offender guideline. See U.S.S.G. § 4B1.1(b) (providing that “if the offense level
1
Lyons also asks us to overturn United States v Moore,
541 F.3d 1323 (11th Cir. 2008), but
that decision can be overruled only by the en banc court or the Supreme Court. See United States
v. Hogan,
986 F.2d 1364, 1369 (11th Cir. 1993).
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for a career offender . . . is greater than the offense level otherwise applicable, the
[career offender] offense level . . . shall apply”). The district court lacked authority
under § 3582(c)(2) to reduce Lyons’ sentence.
AFFIRMED.
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