UNPUBLISHED
UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS
FOR THE FOURTH CIRCUIT
No. 14-4955
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA,
Plaintiff - Appellee,
v.
GERALD LYN SYDNOR, JR., a/k/a Gerald Lyn Sydnor, II,
Defendant - Appellant.
Appeal from the United States District Court for the Middle
District of North Carolina, at Greensboro. William L. Osteen,
Jr., Chief District Judge. (1:14-cr-00165-WO-1)
Submitted: July 21, 2015 Decided: July 23, 2015
Before WILKINSON and MOTZ, Circuit Judges, and DAVIS, Senior
Circuit Judge.
Affirmed by unpublished per curiam opinion.
Stephen F. Wallace, WALLACE LAW FIRM, High Point, North Carolina,
for Appellant. JoAnna Gibson McFadden, Assistant United States
Attorney, Greensboro, North Carolina, for Appellee.
Unpublished opinions are not binding precedent in this circuit.
PER CURIAM:
Gerald Lyn Sydnor, Jr., appeals his sixty-six-month sentence
imposed following his guilty plea to being a felon in possession
of a firearm, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(1) (2012). On
appeal, Sydnor’s counsel has filed a brief pursuant to Anders v.
California, 386 U.S. 738 (1967), certifying that there are no
meritorious grounds for appeal but questioning whether Sydnor’s
sentence was reasonable. Sydnor was advised of his right to file
a pro se supplemental brief but did not file one. Finding no
meritorious grounds for appeal, we affirm.
We review the reasonableness of a sentence for abuse of
discretion. United States v. Howard, 773 F.3d 519, 527-28 (4th
Cir. 2014). We first review for procedural error, such as improper
calculation of the Guidelines range, failure to consider the 18
U.S.C. § 3553(a) (2012) sentencing factors, selecting a sentence
based on clearly erroneous facts, or failure to adequately explain
the sentence. Howard, 773 F.3d at 528. Absent any procedural
error, we review for substantive reasonableness under the totality
of circumstances. Id. Sentences within a properly calculated
Guidelines range are presumed reasonable, and this presumption
“can only be rebutted by showing that the sentence is unreasonable
when measured against the 18 U.S.C. § 3553(a) factors.” United
States v. Louthian, 756 F.3d 295, 306 (4th Cir.), cert. denied,
135 S. Ct. 421 (2014).
2
The record reveals that Sydnor’s sentence was procedurally
and substantively reasonable. The district court properly
calculated the Guidelines range, provided the parties an
opportunity to argue for an appropriate sentence, allowed Sydnor
an opportunity to allocute, considered the § 3553(a) factors, made
an individualized assessment in imposing a within-Guidelines
sentence, and adequately explained its reasoning. Thus, we
conclude that the court did not abuse its discretion in imposing
sentence.
In accordance with Anders, we have reviewed the entire record
in this case and have found no meritorious issues for appeal.
Accordingly, we affirm the district court’s judgment. This court
requires that counsel inform Sydnor, in writing, of the right to
petition the Supreme Court of the United States for further review.
If Sydnor 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 Sydnor. We
dispense with oral argument because the facts and legal contentions
are adequately presented in the materials before this court and
argument would not aid the decisional process.
AFFIRMED
3