United States v. Paquette

USCA1 Opinion












[NOT FOR PUBLICATION]

UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS
FOR THE FIRST CIRCUIT

____________________


No. 96-1624

UNITED STATES,

Appellee,

v.

JOHN R. PAQUETTE,

Defendant, Appellant.

____________________


APPEAL FROM THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

FOR THE DISTRICT OF RHODE ISLAND

[Hon. Ernest C. Torres, U.S. District Judge] ___________________

____________________

Before

Selya, Circuit Judge, _____________
Cyr, Senior Circuit Judge, ____________________
and Lynch, Circuit Judge. _____________

____________________

Richard D. Glovsky, Daniel S. Tarlow and Glovsky, Tarlow & ___________________ __________________ ___________________
Milberg on Anders brief for appellant. _______ ______


____________________

MARCH 4, 1997
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Per Curiam. Pursuant to a written plea agreement, __________

defendant pled guilty to being a felon in possession of a

firearm in violation of 18 U.S.C. 922(g)(1). In exchange

for the plea, the government moved to withdraw an information

charging prior offenses under the Armed Career Criminal Act,

18 U.S.C. 924(e)(1) (effectively recommending that the Act

not be applied); offered no opposition to a sentencing

decrease for defendant's acceptance of responsibility; and

recommended a sentence at the low end of the applicable

range. The court accepted the recommendation as to the Armed

Career Criminal Act, and decreased defendant's range three

levels for acceptance of responsibility. However, the court

also increased the range by four levels under USSG

2K2.1(b)(5), and sentenced defendant (within the applicable

range) to 120 months imprisonment, the statutory maximum for

the offense.

Defendant now appeals from the sentence. His

appellate counsel has submitted an Anders brief and a motion ______

to withdraw, asserting that there is no meritorious ground

for appeal, but suggesting that defendant may wish to

challenge the district court's application of USSG

2K2.1(b)(5). See Anders v. California, 386 U.S. 738, 744 ___ ______ __________

(1967); Loc. R. 46.4(a)(4). Although counsel notified

defendant of his right to file a supplemental brief,

defendant hasnot filedabrief, andthe timeforfiling haspassed.



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After a careful review of the record, we agree that

there is no meritorious ground for appeal. The plea

proceedings substantially conformed to the requirements of

Fed. R. Crim. P. 11, and we apprehend no error at sentencing.

We agree with counsel that there is no support in the case

law for challenging the district court's application of USSG

2K2.1(b)(5) to the facts presented in this case.

Appellant's conviction and sentence are summarily

affirmed; counsel's motion to withdraw is granted. ________ _______



































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