UNPUBLISHED
UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS
FOR THE FOURTH CIRCUIT
No. 05-5247
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA,
Plaintiff - Appellee,
versus
RODNEY DANIEL MCLEOD,
Defendant - Appellant.
Appeal from the United States District Court for the Middle
District of North Carolina, at Durham. Frank W. Bullock, Jr.,
Senior District Judge. (CR-05-59)
Submitted: March 28, 2007 Decided: April 25, 2007
Before NIEMEYER, TRAXLER, and DUNCAN, Circuit Judges.
Affirmed by unpublished per curiam opinion.
Joseph M. Wilson, Jr., BROWN, FLEBOTTE, WILSON, HORN & WEBB, PLLC,
Durham, North Carolina, for Appellant. Michael Francis Joseph,
Assistant United States Attorney, Greensboro, North Carolina, for
Appellee.
Unpublished opinions are not binding precedent in this circuit.
PER CURIAM:
Rodney Daniel McLeod pled guilty to Count One of his
indictment to being a felon in possession of a weapon, under 18
U.S.C. § 922(g) (2000), and was sentenced to 120 months of
imprisonment. On appeal, counsel has filed a brief under Anders v.
California, 386 U.S. 738 (1967), alleging that there are no
meritorious claims on appeal but raising the following issues,
whether: (1) trial counsel provided ineffective assistance;
(2) McLeod’s § 922 conviction is invalid because, at the time, he
could legally possess a weapon under state law; (3) McLeod’s
traffic stop for suspicion of driving-while-impaired violated his
Fourth Amendment rights; (4) the state’s dismissal of the
driving-while-impaired and related charges precludes McLeod’s
§ 922(g) conviction; (5) McLeod’s statements to officers in
December 2004 should have been suppressed; and (6) the district
court erred by denying McLeod’s motion to withdraw his guilty plea.
For the reasons that follow, we affirm.
First, we find no ineffective assistance of counsel on
direct appeal. United States v. Richardson, 195 F.3d 192, 198 (4th
Cir. 1999) (stating standard). To allow for adequate development
of the record, generally claims of ineffective assistance should be
brought in a 28 U.S.C. § 2255 (2000) motion. United States v.
King, 119 F.3d 290, 295 (4th Cir. 1997).
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We have rejected McLeod’s second issue. See id. at 292-
93 (holding that North Carolina state statute permitting convicted
felon to possess firearm in his home did not amount to restoration
of defendant’s civil rights for purposes of precluding § 922(g)
violation). Moreover, by pleading guilty, McLeod has waived this
issue. United States v. Willis, 992 F.2d 489, 490 (4th Cir. 1993)
(“[A] guilty plea constitutes a waiver of all nonjurisdictional
defects.”).
McLeod’s third issue also fails as it has been waived by
virtue of his guilty plea. See id. That the state dropped its
charges against McLeod, as alleged in the fourth claim, is
irrelevant because a federal prosecution is not barred by a state
prosecution for the same offense. Abbate v. United States, 359
U.S. 187, 194 (1959); United States v. Christmas, 222 F.3d 141, 145
(4th Cir. 2000). McLeod’s fifth claim is without merit as his
statements made to police in December 2004 related only to the
dismissed count of his indictment. Finally, we find no abuse of
discretion in the district court’s denial of McLeod’s motion to
withdraw his guilty plea. United States v. Ubakanma, 215 F.3d 421,
424 (4th Cir. 2000) (stating review standard).
We have examined the entire record in this case in
accordance with the requirements of Anders, including the issues
raised in McLeod’s pro se supplemental brief, and find no
meritorious issues for appeal. Accordingly, we affirm. We also
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deny McLeod’s motions to relieve his counsel and strike counsel’s
brief and counsel’s motion to withdraw. 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 adequately presented in the materials before the court and
argument would not aid the decisional process.
AFFIRMED
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