Filed: Jul. 24, 2014
Latest Update: Mar. 02, 2020
Summary: UNPUBLISHED UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS FOR THE FOURTH CIRCUIT No. 14-4115 UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, Plaintiff - Appellee, v. DYLAN SHANE JOHNSON, Defendant - Appellant. Appeal from the United States District Court for the District of South Carolina, at Florence. R. Bryan Harwell, District Judge. (4:12-cr-00669-RBH-4) Submitted: July 18, 2014 Decided: July 24, 2014 Before WILKINSON and SHEDD, Circuit Judges, and HAMILTON, Senior Circuit Judge. Affirmed in part and dismissed in part by unpubli
Summary: UNPUBLISHED UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS FOR THE FOURTH CIRCUIT No. 14-4115 UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, Plaintiff - Appellee, v. DYLAN SHANE JOHNSON, Defendant - Appellant. Appeal from the United States District Court for the District of South Carolina, at Florence. R. Bryan Harwell, District Judge. (4:12-cr-00669-RBH-4) Submitted: July 18, 2014 Decided: July 24, 2014 Before WILKINSON and SHEDD, Circuit Judges, and HAMILTON, Senior Circuit Judge. Affirmed in part and dismissed in part by unpublis..
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UNPUBLISHED
UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS
FOR THE FOURTH CIRCUIT
No. 14-4115
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA,
Plaintiff - Appellee,
v.
DYLAN SHANE JOHNSON,
Defendant - Appellant.
Appeal from the United States District Court for the District of
South Carolina, at Florence. R. Bryan Harwell, District Judge.
(4:12-cr-00669-RBH-4)
Submitted: July 18, 2014 Decided: July 24, 2014
Before WILKINSON and SHEDD, Circuit Judges, and HAMILTON, Senior
Circuit Judge.
Affirmed in part and dismissed in part by unpublished per curiam
opinion.
Edye U. Moran, MORAN LAW OFFICES, Columbia, South Carolina, for
Appellant. Arthur Bradley Parham, Esq., Assistant United States
Attorney, Florence, South Carolina, for Appellee.
Unpublished opinions are not binding precedent in this circuit.
PER CURIAM:
Pursuant to a written plea agreement, Dylan Shane
Johnson pled guilty to conspiracy to distribute cocaine and
cocaine base, in violation of 21 U.S.C. §§ 841(a)(1), (b)(1)(A),
846 (2012). Johnson negotiated a Fed. R. Crim. P. 11(c)(1)(C)
agreement, in which the parties stipulated that a 108-month
sentence was appropriate. The district court accepted the
sentencing stipulation and sentenced Johnson to 108 months in
prison.
Johnson appeals. His attorney has filed a brief
pursuant to Anders v. California,
386 U.S. 738 (1967),
questioning whether the district court complied with Fed. R.
Crim. P. 11 but conceding that there was full compliance with
the Rule. Counsel also questions whether this Court has
jurisdiction to review Johnson’s sentence and concludes that it
does not. Johnson was advised of his right to file a pro se
supplemental brief but has not filed such a brief. We affirm in
part and dismiss in part.
Our review of the transcript of Johnson’s Rule 11
transcript reveals that the district court complied with the
Rule, the plea was knowingly and voluntarily entered, and
Johnson conceded his guilt. Accordingly, we affirm his
conviction.
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We agree with counsel for Johnson that we lack
jurisdiction to review Johnson’s sentence. The statute
governing appellate review of a sentence limits the
circumstances under which a defendant may appeal a sentence to
which he stipulated in a Rule 11(c)(1)(C) plea agreement to
claims that his sentence “was (1) imposed in violation of the
law, (2) imposed as a result of an incorrect application of the
Guidelines, or (3) is greater than the sentence set forth in the
plea agreement.” United States v. Calderon,
428 F.3d 928, 932
(10th Cir. 2005); see 18 U.S.C. § 3742(a), (c) (2012). None of
the exceptions applies here. Johnson’s sentence is below the
statutory maximum of life in prison. See 21 U.S.C.
§ 841(b)(1)(A). Further, the sentence was not imposed as a
result of incorrect application of the Sentencing Guidelines
because it was based on the parties’ agreement—not on the
district court’s calculation of the Guidelines range. See
United States v. Brown,
653 F.3d 337, 339-40 (4th Cir. 2011);
United States v. Cieslowski,
410 F.3d 353, 364 (7th Cir. 2005).
Finally, 108 months is the exact sentence set forth in the plea
agreement. Accordingly, we conclude that review of Johnson’s
stipulated sentence is precluded.
Pursuant to Anders, we have reviewed the record in
this case and have found no meritorious issues for appeal. We
therefore affirm Johnson’s conviction but dismiss the appeal of
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his sentence. This court requires that counsel inform his
client, in writing, of the right to petition the Supreme Court
of the United States for further review. If Johnson 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 his client. 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 IN PART; DISMISSED IN PART
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