United States v. Jerry Anderson

708 F. App'x 770
CourtCourt of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit
DecidedSeptember 6, 2017
Docket16-4479
StatusUnpublished

This text of 708 F. App'x 770 (United States v. Jerry Anderson) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
United States v. Jerry Anderson, 708 F. App'x 770 (4th Cir. 2017).

Opinion

Unpublished opinions are not binding precedent in this circuit.

PER CURIAM:

Jerry Anderson appeals his conviction after pleading guilty to bank fraud, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1344 (2012), and aggravated identity theft, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1028A (2012), and his resulting sentence. The district court sentenced Anderson to 25 months’ incarceration and 3 years’ supervised release. The court ordered that the term of supervised release run consecutively to another 3-year term of supervised release ordered in another case in which Anderson was sentenced on the same day. Anderson’s attorney has filed a brief pursuant to Anders v. California, 386 U.S. 738 , 87 S.Ct. 1396 , 18 L.Ed.2d 493 (1967), concluding there are no meritorious grounds for appeal, but questioning whether the district court’s Fed. R. Crim. P. 11 hearing was adequate and whether the district court erred in ordering that Anderson serve consecutive terms of supervised release. Anderson filed a pro se brief, arguing that the Government breached the plea agreement. The Government has moved to dismiss the appeal as barred by the appeal waiver in Anderson’s plea agreement. We affirm Anderson’s convictions, grant the Government’s motion to dismiss in part, vacate the judgment in part, and remand.

We review de novo the validity of an appeal waiver. United States v. Copeland, 707 F.3d 522 , 528 (4th Cir. 2013). A defendant’s waiver is valid if he agreed to it “knowingly and intelligently.” United States v. Manigan, 592 F.3d 621 , (527 (4th Cir. 2010). An appeal waiver generally is enforceable “if the record establishes that the waiver is valid and that the issue being appealed is within the scope of the waiver.” United States v. Thomsbury, 670 F.3d 532 , 537 (4th Cir. 2012) (internal quotation marks omitted). “[W]e will not enforce an otherwise valid appeal waiver against a defendant if the government breachets] the plea agreement containing that waiver.” United States v. Cohen, 459 F.3d 490 , 495 (4th Cir. 2006). “[A] defendant alleging the Government’s breach of a plea agreement bears the burden of establishing that breach by a preponderance of the evidence.” United States v. Snow, 234 F.3d 187 , 189 (4th Cir. 2000). Upon review of the record, we conclude that Anderson knowingly and voluntarily entered into his plea agreement and waived his right to appeal. We further conclude that Anderson has failed to establish that the Government breached the plea agreement. Anderson’s appeal waiver is therefore valid and enforceable.

*772 Anderson’s appeal waiver does not bar his constitutional challenge to the knowing and voluntary nature of his guilty plea. See United States v. Attar, 38 F.3d 727 , 732-33 & n.2 (4th Cir. 1994). Anderson did not move to withdraw his guilty plea; thus, this court reviews the adequacy of the Rule 11 hearing for plain error. United States v. Sanya, 774 F.3d 812 , 815 (4th Cir. 2014). To prevail under the plain error standard, Anderson “must demonstrate not only that the district court plainly erred, but also that this error affected his substantial rights.” Id. at 816 . A defendant who pled guilty establishes that an error affected his substantial rights by demonstrating a reasonable probability that he would not have pled guilty but for the error. United States v. Davila, 569 U.S. 597 , 133 S.Ct. 2139 , 2147, 186 L.Ed.2d 139 (2013). Our review of the record reveals that the district court substantially complied with the requirements of Rule 11 in ensuring that Anderson’s guilty plea was knowing, voluntary, and supported by a sufficient factual basis. Thus, we conclude that the plea was valid. See United States v. DeFusco, 949 F.2d 114 , 116 (4th Cir. 1991). Accordingly, we affirm Anderson’s convictions.

Appeal waivers also do not preclude an appeal as to any issue that cannot be waived by law, such as a claim that the sentence exceeds the statutory maximum, that race or other constitutionally impermissible factors influenced the sentence, or that the defendant was denied the right to counsel. See Copeland, 707 F.3d at 530 .

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Related

Anders v. California
386 U.S. 738 (Supreme Court, 1967)
United States v. Thornsbury
670 F.3d 532 (Fourth Circuit, 2012)
United States v. Glen Scott Snow
234 F.3d 187 (Fourth Circuit, 2000)
United States v. Keith Everett Maxwell
285 F.3d 336 (Fourth Circuit, 2002)
United States v. Steven Ira Cohen
459 F.3d 490 (Fourth Circuit, 2006)
United States v. Larry Copeland
707 F.3d 522 (Fourth Circuit, 2013)
United States v. Davila
133 S. Ct. 2139 (Supreme Court, 2013)
United States v. Ordonez
305 F. App'x 980 (Fourth Circuit, 2009)
United States v. Manigan
592 F.3d 621 (Fourth Circuit, 2010)
United States v. Oluwaseun Sanya
774 F.3d 812 (Fourth Circuit, 2014)

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Bluebook (online)
708 F. App'x 770, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/united-states-v-jerry-anderson-ca4-2017.