UNPUBLISHED
UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS
FOR THE FOURTH CIRCUIT
No. 05-4379
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA,
Plaintiff - Appellee,
versus
JIMMY DARRELL GAGUM, SR.,
Defendant - Appellant.
Appeal from the United States District Court for the District of
South Carolina, at Florence. Terry L. Wooten, District Judge.
(CR-03-844)
Submitted: October 26, 2005 Decided: November 15, 2005
Before LUTTIG, TRAXLER, and SHEDD, Circuit Judges.
Affirmed by unpublished per curiam opinion.
D. Craig Brown, Florence, South Carolina, for Appellant. Arthur B.
Parham, OFFICE OF THE UNITED STATES ATTORNEY, Florence, South
Carolina, for Appellee.
Unpublished opinions are not binding precedent in this circuit.
See Local Rule 36(c).
PER CURIAM:
Jimmy Darrell Gagum, Sr. appeals from the district
court’s sentence of 210 months’ imprisonment resulting from a
conviction for possession of marijuana and cocaine base with intent
to distribute in violation of 21 U.S.C. § 841 (2000). Gagum’s
attorney has filed a brief pursuant to Anders v. California, 386
U.S. 738 (1967), representing that, in his view, there are no
meritorious issues for appeal. Gagum filed a pro se brief arguing
that the district court’s sentence was not reasonable.*
After the Supreme Court’s decision in United States v.
Booker, 125 S. Ct. 738 (2005), a sentencing court is no longer
bound by the range prescribed by the sentencing guidelines. See
United States v. Hughes, 401 F.3d 540, 546 (4th Cir. 2005).
However, in determining a sentence post-Booker, sentencing courts
are still required to calculate and consider the guideline range
prescribed thereby as well as the factors set forth in 18 U.S.C.
§ 3553(a) (2000). Id. As stated in Hughes, this court will affirm
a post-Booker sentence if it is both reasonable and within the
statutorily prescribed range. Id. at 546-47.
*
Gagum also claims that under U.S. Sentencing Guidelines
Manual § 4B1.1(b)(C) (2004), he should have received a base offense
level of thirty-two. However, as his crime carried a maximum term
of imprisonment of thirty years, see 21 U.S.C. § 841, his base
offense level was thirty-four under USSG § 4B1.1(b)(B). The
district court did not err in calculating his base offense level.
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Gagum claims that his sentence is unreasonable. In his
plea agreement, Gagum agreed that he was a career offender. The
district court correctly determined his sentencing guideline range.
After acknowledging that the sentencing guidelines were advisory,
the district court consulted the sentencing factors of § 3553(a).
The district court selected a prison sentence of 210 months, in the
middle of the advisory guideline range, based upon Gagum’s prior
criminal record. The district court expressed its hope that the
sentence would serve as a deterrent to future criminal behavior
because Gagum’s previous prison time had not had an adequate
deterrent effect on him. Because the district court relied on
appropriate sentencing considerations and it imposed a sentence
well within the advisory guideline range, we conclude that the
sentence was reasonable.
Pursuant to Anders, we have examined the entire record
and find no meritorious issues for appeal. Accordingly, we affirm
Gagum’s conviction and sentence. This court requires that counsel
inform his client, in writing, of his right to petition the Supreme
Court of the United States for further review. If the client
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 the client. We dispense
with oral argument because the facts and legal contentions are
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adequately presented in the materials before the court and argument
would not aid the decisional process.
AFFIRMED
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