Case: 15-10395 Date Filed: 07/28/2016 Page: 1 of 3
[DO NOT PUBLISH]
IN THE UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS
FOR THE ELEVENTH CIRCUIT
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No. 15-10395
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D.C. Docket No. 1:11-cr-20613-JLK-2
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA,
Plaintiff - Appellee,
versus
VLADIMIR LOUISSANT,
Defendant - Appellant.
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Appeal from the United States District Court
for the Southern District of Florida
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(July 28, 2016)
Case: 15-10395 Date Filed: 07/28/2016 Page: 2 of 3
Before WILSON and JULIE CARNES, Circuit Judges, and WOOD, ∗ District
Judge.
PER CURIAM:
Vladimir Louissant pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm in furtherance
of a crime of violence resulting in death, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 924(c)(1)(A),
(j)(1). The district court sentenced him to life imprisonment. Louissant now
appeals that sentence. He argues that his sentence should be vacated because the
district court violated 18 U.S.C. § 3553(c)(1) by not stating a reason for imposing
life imprisonment.
We review de novo a defendant’s § 3553(c)(1) challenge, “even if the
defendant did not object below.” United States v. Bonilla, 463 F.3d 1176, 1181
(11th Cir. 2006); see also United States v. Parks, ___ F.3d ___, ___, No. 15-
11618, slip op. at 9–12 (11th Cir. May 20, 2016). Under § 3553(c)(1), when a
defendant is subject to a United States Sentencing Guidelines (Guidelines) range
that “exceeds 24 months,” the district court must “state in open court . . . the reason
for imposing a sentence at a particular point within the range.” See 18 U.S.C. §
3553(c)(1).
Here, Louissant’s Guidelines range was 360 months to life—a range that
triggers § 3553(c)(1)’s requirement that the court state its reason for choosing the
∗
Honorable Lisa Godbey Wood, United States District Chief Judge, for the Southern
District of Georgia, sitting by designation.
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particular point within the range at which it has imposed the sentence. However,
during Louissant’s sentencing proceedings, the district court “offered no reason for
the life sentence it elected to impose.” See United States v. Williams, 438 F.3d
1272, 1274 (11th Cir. 2006) (per curiam). Accordingly, the district court failed to
comply with § 3553(c)(1), and we must therefore vacate and remand for
resentencing.1 See Parks, slip op. at 14.
VACATED AND REMANDED.
1
Louissant also argues that his case should be reassigned on remand. We disagree.
“Reassignment is an extraordinary order” that is not warranted here. See United States v.
Shaygan, 652 F.3d 1297, 1318 (11th Cir. 2011) (internal quotation mark omitted).
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