United States v. Bouyea

953 F. Supp. 2d 363, 2013 WL 3753593
CourtDistrict Court, N.D. New York
DecidedJuly 18, 2013
DocketNo. 5:10-CR-122
StatusPublished

This text of 953 F. Supp. 2d 363 (United States v. Bouyea) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, N.D. New York primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
United States v. Bouyea, 953 F. Supp. 2d 363, 2013 WL 3753593 (N.D.N.Y. 2013).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM-DECISION and ORDER

DAVID N. HURD, District Judge.

1. INTRODUCTION

Defendant Wayne Bouyea (“defendant” or “Bouyea”) brings this motion under 28 U.S.C. § 2255 to correct, set aside, or vacate his sentence. The United States of America (“the Government”) opposes. Defendant replied.1 The motion was considered on submit.

II. FACTUAL BACKGROUND

Bouyea’s wife, Karen Bouyea (“Karen”), left him in November of 2009, relocating from upstate New York to North Carolina with their three daughters.2 Defendant began calling Karen and sending threatening messages, which consisted of him threatening to kill her and the daughters.

Karen reported these threats to the police on February 16, 2010, providing them with a recording of a phone conversation with Bouyea from January 30, 2010. Defendant was arrested on February 17, [364]*3642010, and charged with the state offenses of aggravated harassment, second degree (misdemeanor) and attempted coercion, first degree (felony). A temporary order of protection was issued against him. On February 20, 2010, the New York State Police executed a state search warrant at his residence and seized twenty firearms. On March 3, 2010, federal agents executed a federal search warrant at his residence, seizing printed emails concerning the custody battle between Karen and defendant and directions to the University of North Carolina, where the eldest daughter was attending school.

A federal criminal complaint was filed against Bouyea on March 3, 2010. On March 10, 2010, a grand jury in the Northern District of New York indicted him on seven counts of transmitting emails containing threats to injure other persons, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 875(c) (2006). The state case was dismissed on April 12, 2010, in favor of federal prosecution.

On June 9, 2010, a superseding indictment was filed in the Northern District of New York charging Bouyea with seven counts of transmitting emails containing threats to injure other persons, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 875(c) (2006) (“Counts One through Seven”), and one count of being a felon in possession of firearms, in violation of 18 U.S.C. §§ 922(g)(1) and 924(a)(2) (2006) (“Count Eight”). On November 10, 2010, he pled guilty, without a written plea agreement, to all eight counts of the superseding indictment.

Defense counsel for Bouyea was Assistant Federal Public Defender Melissa Tuohey (“Ms. Tuohey”). During the plea hearing, defendant reported that he was satisfied with defense counsel’s representations, and that she had advised him of his rights and answered any questions he had concerning the charges against him. The Government specified that the maximum term of incarceration for Counts One through Seven was five years, and the maximum for Count Eight was ten years. When asked if he realized the penalties that could be imposed as a result of a guilty plea, he answered: ‘Tes, I do.” Plea Hr’g Tr., ECF No. 43, 21:21-24.

After a detailed explanation of how his sentence would be determined, Bouyea indicated that he still wanted to proceed with his plea of guilty. Ms. Tuohey then stated her experience as a public defender in federal court and explained that she had advised him of his rights, the nature of the charges, and the consequences of pleading guilty to those charges, as well as the fact that he understood all of this. Defendant’s plea of guilty was accepted.

In their respective pre-sentence submissions, the Government and the probation department both recommended an upward departure from the applicable thirty to thirty-seven month guideline sentencing range due to Bouyea’s specific actions, his past felony criminal convictions, and the fact that he threatened more than one victim on more than two occasions. Bouyea sought a sentence within the advisory guideline range of thirty to thirty-seven months. At the April 12, 2011, sentencing hearing, Ms. Touhey vigorously argued against an upward departure. Defendant was sentenced to sixty months on each of Counts One through Seven and 120 months on Count Eight, all to be served concurrently.

Bouyea filed a timely notice of appeal on April 18, 2011, contesting the upward departure from his criminal history category, arguing that there was an error in failing to respond to his specific challenges to factual allegations in the Presentence Report (“PSR”), and contesting the substantive reasonableness of his sentence. United States v. Bouyea, 479 Fed.Appx. 383 (2d Cir.), cert. denied, — U.S. -, 133 S.Ct. [365]*365566, 184 L.Ed.2d 368 (2012). The Second Circuit rejected his claims and affirmed the judgment on July 3, 2012. Id. Defendant now brings this § 2255 motion.

III. DISCUSSION

Bouyea contends that he received ineffective assistance of counsel at both the pleading and sentencing stage. He also requests leave to conduct discovery pursuant to Rule 6 of the rules governing § 2255 proceedings, claiming that it will support his assertions of ineffective assistance of counsel. The Government argues that defendant produces no evidence that shows ineffective assistance of counsel, he does not assert any discoverable probative evidence not already in the record, and that he has already stated on the record that he has been satisfied with his legal representation.

A. Ineffective Assistance of Counsel

Bouyea argues that but for his counsel’s ineffective advice and explanations at both the plea bargaining and sentencing stage of his prosecution, he would not have received a ten-year prison sentence. He asserts that this representation violated his constitutional right to counsel and requests that his conviction be vacated and he be allowed to plead guilty to the charges under a new plea agreement with a lower sentence. The Government argues that defendant fails to show any evidence that his counsel’s representation fell below a reasonable standard and he has no basis on which to rest his assumption that he would have received a better plea offer had he been represented differently.

There is a high standard for Bouyea to meet in order to show that he suffered from ineffective assistance of counsel. United States v. Gaskin, 364 F.3d 438, 468 (2d Cir.2004) (“A defendant seeking to overturn a conviction on the ground of ineffective assistance of counsel bears a heavy burden.”). A defendant seeking to overturn his conviction based on ineffective assistance of counsel must demonstrate both: “(1) that his attorney’s performance fell below an ‘objective standard of reasonableness’^] and (2) that ‘there is a reasonable probability that, but for counsel’s unprofessional errors, the result of the proceeding would have been different.’ ” Kieser v. New York,

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Bluebook (online)
953 F. Supp. 2d 363, 2013 WL 3753593, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/united-states-v-bouyea-nynd-2013.