MASSIE v. United States

CourtDistrict Court, W.D. Pennsylvania
DecidedMarch 31, 2021
Docket2:20-cv-01476
StatusUnknown

This text of MASSIE v. United States (MASSIE v. United States) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, W.D. Pennsylvania primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
MASSIE v. United States, (W.D. Pa. 2021).

Opinion

IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE WESTERN DISTRICT OF PENNSYLVANIA

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, ) ) v. ) Criminal No. 16-181 ) Civil No. 20-1476 ) ANGELO MASSIE, ) Judge Nora Barry Fischer ) Defendant. )

MEMORANDUM OPINION

I. INTRODUCTION Presently before the Court are a Motion to Vacate, Set Aside or Correct Sentence under 28 U.S.C. § 2255, (“Motion”), filed by pro se Defendant Angelo Massie, (“Defendant”), (Docket No. 546),1 his supporting declaration (Docket No. 546-1), and the Government’s Response in opposition (Docket No. 571). Defendant maintains that his counsel allegedly provided ineffective assistance during plea and sentencing proceedings, and for failing to file an appeal on his behalf. (Docket No. 546). The Government counters that the record reveals that the Defendant knowingly and voluntarily entered into a negotiated guilty plea pursuant to Rule 11(c)(1)(C), which the Court accepted at the sentencing hearing and imposed the agreed-upon 15-year sentence of incarceration, and that he has failed to substantiate his claim that he requested his counsel to file an appeal on his behalf. (Docket No. 571). After careful consideration of the parties’ submissions and for the following reasons, Defendant’s Motion [546] is denied.

1 Defendant initially filed a Motion for Extension of Time to File Motion to Vacate in accord with 28 U.S.C. 2255 (Docket No. 529) on June 30, 2020, which the Court construed as being a Motion to Vacate in and of itself. The Court granted Defendant leave to amend within 90 days, which he did, ultimately filing his Motion to Vacate, Set Aside or Correct Sentence under 28 U.S.C. § 2255 (Docket No. 546) on September 30, 2020. II. BACKGROUND On April 1, 2019, Defendant pled guilty to Count 1 of the Superseding Indictment at Criminal Number 16-181, which charged him with one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute one kilogram or more of heroin contrary to the provisions of 21

U.S.C. §§ 841(a)(1) and 841(b)(1)(A)(i), in violation of 21 U.S.C. § 846. (Docket Nos. 418; 450). As is the Court’s practice, it conducted an extensive colloquy with Defendant to confirm that he was competent, that he understood the Constitutional and other rights that he was waiving by entering a guilty plea, and that he was knowingly and voluntarily pleading guilty. (Docket No. 450). During the course of the colloquy, the Court specifically addressed the terms of the plea agreement with Defendant, who acknowledged, under oath, all of the following: • that Defendant received a copy of the written plea agreement prior to the change of plea hearing, that he read the same from beginning to end and went over it with his attorney, and that he understood and agreed to the terms thereof;

• that the potential penalty Defendant faced at Count 1 was “[a] term of imprisonment of not less than 15 years up to a maximum of life”;

• that “[t]he parties agree that no other [sentencing] enhancements, departures or variances are applicable or appropriate” other than those explicitly listed in the written plea agreement and read into the record during the change of plea hearing;

• that Defendant waived his right to appeal except in the limited circumstances detailed in the written plea agreement;

• that Defendant understood that the Government filed a § 851 Information in this matter, thus enhancing the applicable sentencing provisions;

• that Defendant read and signed a written joint stipulation of facts which specifically included a stipulation that Defendant’s prior state convictions would serve as the basis for the § 851 Information; and

• that “[p]ursuant to Rule 11(c)(1)(C), the parties stipulate and agree that the appropriate sentence in this case is a term of imprisonment of fifteen (15) years,” among other conditions.

(Docket No. 450 at 8-9, 14-28, 48; see also Plea Letter dated 3/1/19 at §§ A.1; A.7; A.8; B.2; C.1; C.3). Defendant twice stated on the record that he was satisfied with the representation provided in this matter by his attorney. (Docket No. 450 at 7, 49). Defendant assured the Court that he was voluntarily entering the guilty plea of his own free will, and that he wanted to proceed with the plea despite the potential penalties he would face and the various rights he would give up by doing so. (Docket No. 450 at 48-50). The Court accepted Defendant’s guilty plea after finding him to be competent and fully-informed as to his rights. (Docket No. 450 at 49-50). Near the conclusion of the hearing, Defendant requested that his sentencing date be expedited, and the Court moved the hearing up two months to accommodate this request. (Id. at 51-52). Defendant was sentenced on July 18, 2019. At the sentencing hearing, no objections were lodged to the Presentence Investigation Report or the Court’s Tentative Findings and Rulings and both parties advocated that the Court should accept their Rule 11(c)(1)(C) plea agreement. (See Docket No. 516). The Defendant briefly allocuted at the sentencing hearing, informing the Court

that he planned to avail himself of vocational and treatment programs during his period of incarceration, and that he planned to get his life back together while serving his sentence. (Id. at 11). After careful consideration of the § 3553(a) factors, the Court accepted the parties’ plea agreement and imposed their agreed-upon sentence of 15 years’ incarceration; 10 years’ supervised release; and a $100 special assessment. (Id. at 15). The Court found that the sentence was sufficient, but not greater than necessary, to meet all of the goals of sentencing in Defendant’s case. (Id. at 21). Defendant did not appeal the judgment to the Court of Appeals, and the time for filing an appeal expired on August 1, 2019. (See generally Docket Report 16-181). Defendant’s Motion for Extension of Time, which was construed as a Motion to Vacate, was docketed on June 30, 2020. (Docket No. 529). As the Government did not object thereto, the Court granted Defendant leave to amend, and he filed an amended Motion to Vacate Under 28 U.S.C. § 2255 on September 30, 2020. (Docket No. 546). The Court then provided Defendant with notice under United States v.

Miller, 197 F.3d 644 (3d Cir. 1999), of his options to supplement the Motion or have the same ruled upon as filed. (Docket No. 553). Defendant failed to respond to the Miller notice, and the Government filed its Response in Opposition to Defendant’s Motion on February 5, 2021. (Docket No. 571). The Court ordered Defendant to file his Reply to the Government’s Response in Opposition by March 1, 2021. (Docket No. 572). Defendant did not file a timely Reply. (See generally Docket Report 16-181). No further briefing has been ordered or requested; thus, the Court considers this matter ripe for disposition.

III. LEGAL STANDARD A prisoner in federal custody may move to vacate his or her sentence under 28 U.S.C. §

2255(a) if such “sentence was imposed in violation of the Constitution or laws of the United States.” 28 U.S.C. § 2255(a).

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MASSIE v. United States, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/massie-v-united-states-pawd-2021.