JOHN E. STEELE, District Judge.
This matter comes before the Court on petitioner's Motion Under 28 U.S.C. Section 2255 to Vacate, Set Aside or Correct Sentence by a Person in Federal Custody (Cv. Doc. #1; Cr. Doc. #143)
On September 1, 2004, a federal grand jury in Fort Myers, Florida returned a two-count Indictment (Cr. Doc. #6) charging petitioner and her co-defendant with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute, and to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine, and possession with intent to distribute and distribution of 500 grams or more of cocaine.
On February 3, 2005, petitioner appeared before the Magistrate Judge and entered a plea of guilty as to Count One, with the government to move for dismissal of Count Two at sentencing. (Cr. Doc. #61.) The plea was accepted and petitioner was adjudicated guilty. (Cr. Doc. #64.) On May 31, 2005, the Court sentenced petitioner to a term of imprisonment of 189 months as to Count One, followed by a term of supervised release, and dismissed Count Two on the government's motion. (Cr. Doc. #71.) Judgment (Cr. Doc. #73) was filed on June 1, 2005.
Petitioner filed a Notice of Appeal (Cr. Doc. #74), and the Court appointed new counsel on appeal (Cr. Doc. #85). On April 26, 2006, the Eleventh Circuit affirmed petitioner's conviction and sentence after review of counsel's
Subsequently, on March 3, 2008, petitioner sought the retroactive application of Amendment 706 of the United Sentencing Guidelines to her sentence pursuant to 18 U.S.C. § 3582(c)(2), and the Court appointed counsel to review petitioner's eligibility. (Cr. Docs. ## 106, 112.) On July 7, 2008, the Court denied the motion because petitioner's career offender status placed her in the same guideline range. (Cr. Doc. #123.) Petitioner appealed the Opinion and Order, and the Eleventh Circuit affirmed on May 6, 2009. (Cr. Doc. #129);
On April 9, 2015, the Court again appointed counsel to review petitioner's eligibility for a reduction in her sentence under Amendment 782. (Cr. Doc. #139.) On January 6, 2016, after notice of a determination that a motion would not be filed on behalf of petitioner because she was sentenced as a career offender and not based on the drug quantity table in U.S. Sentencing Guidelines Manual § 2D1.1(c), the Court relieved the Federal Public Defender as counsel of record. (Cr. Doc. #142.)
Under the Antiterrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act of 1996 (AEDPA), federal prisoners have one year from the latest of any of four events to file a § 2255 Motion:
28 U.S.C. § 2255(f). In this case, the Eleventh Circuit affirmed petitioner's conviction and sentence on April 26, 2006, and petitioner did not seek certiorari review. Under Section 2255(f)(1), petitioner had one year from her conviction becoming final, or until on or before July 26, 2007, to file her § 2255 motion. 28 U.S.C. § 2255(f);
Petitioner raises only one ground in her § 2255 motion, and has filed it pursuant to Section 2255(f)(3) based on the decision in
At sentencing, the Court determined that the Base Offense Level was 28 based upon the combined marijuana equivalent of approximately 534 kilograms, but petitioner's sentence was enhanced under the career offender provisions of U.S. Sentencing Guidelines Manual § 4B1.1. Petitioner was 52 when she committed the instant offense, it involves a controlled substance, and petitioner had at least two prior felony convictions at the time for the sale or delivery of cocaine. This resulted in an Enhanced Total Offense Level of 31 after deducting three levels for acceptance of responsibility. The Court determined that petitioner's Criminal History Category VI significantly over-represented her past criminal behavior and departed downward to a Category V, resulting in a guideline range of 168 to 210 months. After consideration the advisory recommendations of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, and all the factors identified in 18 U.S.C. § 3553(a)(1)-(7), the Court found that a sentence of 189 months of imprisonment was sufficient, but not greater than necessary, to comply with the purposes set forth in 18 U.S.C. § 3553(a).
On March 6, 2017, the United States Supreme Court affirmed the Eleventh Circuit in
Accordingly, it is hereby
1. Petitioner's Motion Under 28 U.S.C. Section 2255 to Vacate, Set Aside or Correct Sentence by a Person in Federal Custody (Cv. Doc. #1; Cr. Doc. #143) is
2. The Clerk of the Court shall enter judgment accordingly and close the civil file. The Clerk is further directed to place a copy of the civil Judgment in the criminal file.
Finally, because Petitioner is not entitled to a certificate of appealability, he is not entitled to appeal in forma pauperis.