UNPUBLISHED UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS FOR THE FOURTH CIRCUIT

No. 21-7023

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, Plaintiff - Appellee, v. MICHAEL RANKINS, Defendant - Appellant.

Appeal from the United States District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina, at Elizabeth City. Louise W. Flanagan, District Judge. (2:14-cr-00003-FL-1)

Submitted: November 18, 2021 Decided: November 22, 2021

Before MOTZ, THACKER, and HARRIS, Circuit Judges.

Affirmed by unpublished per curiam opinion.

Michael Rankins, Appellant Pro Se. David A. Bragdon, Lucy Partain Brown, Jennifer P. May-Parker, Assistant United States Attorneys, OFFICE OF THE UNITED STATES ATTORNEY, Raleigh, North Carolina, for Appellee.

Unpublished opinions are not binding precedent in this circuit.

PER CURIAM: Michael Rankins appeals the district court’s order denying relief on his amended 18 U.S.C. § 3582(c)(1)(A)(i) motion for compassionate release. Upon review, we discern no abuse of discretion. See United States v. Kibble, 992 F.3d 326, 329-31 (4th Cir. 2021) (providing standard of review and outlining steps for evaluating compassionate release motions), cert. denied, No. 21-5624, 2021 WL 4733616 (U.S. Oct. 12, 2021). Accordingly, we affirm the district court’s judgment. 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