United States v. Jamel Lunsford
United States v. Jamel Lunsford
Opinion
USCA4 Appeal: 23-4379 Doc: 37 Filed: 02/05/2024 Pg: 1 of 4
UNPUBLISHED
UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS FOR THE FOURTH CIRCUIT
No. 23-4379
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA,
Plaintiff - Appellee,
v.
JAMEL TYREE LUNSFORD, a/k/a Action, a/k/a Beaver,
Defendant - Appellant.
Appeal from the United States District Court for the Middle District of North Carolina, at Greensboro. Catherine C. Eagles, Chief District Judge. (1:21-cr-00356-CCE-1)
Submitted: January 30, 2024 Decided: February 5, 2024
Before KING, AGEE, and THACKER, Circuit Judges.
Affirmed in part and dismissed in part by unpublished per curiam opinion.
ON BRIEF: Louis C. Allen, Federal Public Defender, Ames C. Chamberlin, Assistant Federal Public Defender, OFFICE OF THE FEDERAL PUBLIC DEFENDER, Greensboro, North Carolina, for Appellant. Kyle David Pousson, Assistant United States Attorney, OFFICE OF THE UNITED STATES ATTORNEY, Greensboro, North Carolina, for Appellee.
Unpublished opinions are not binding precedent in this circuit. USCA4 Appeal: 23-4379 Doc: 37 Filed: 02/05/2024 Pg: 2 of 4
PER CURIAM:
Jamel Tyree Lunsford pled guilty, pursuant to a written plea agreement, to Hobbs
Act robbery, in violation of
18 U.S.C. §§ 2, 1951(a), and two counts of brandishing a
firearm during a crime of violence, in violation of
18 U.S.C. §§ 2, 924(c)(1)(A)(ii). The
district court sentenced him to a total of 201 months’ imprisonment. On appeal, counsel
has filed a brief pursuant to Anders v. California,
386 U.S. 738(1967), stating that there
are no meritorious grounds for appeal but questioning whether Lunsford’s sentence is
reasonable. Lunsford has filed a pro se supplemental brief, arguing that the Government
unconstitutionally delayed bringing his case and requesting credit toward his federal
sentence for time served on a related state sentence. The Government moves to dismiss
Lunsford’s appeal pursuant to the appellate waiver in his plea agreement. We affirm in
part and dismiss in part.
“We review an appellate waiver de novo to determine whether the waiver is
enforceable” and “will enforce the waiver if it is valid and if the issue[s] being appealed
fall[] within the scope of the waiver.” United States v. Boutcher,
998 F.3d 603, 608(4th
Cir. 2021) (internal quotation marks omitted). An appellate waiver is valid if the defendant
enters it “knowingly and intelligently, a determination that we make by considering the
totality of the circumstances.”
Id.“Generally though, if a district court questions a
defendant regarding the waiver of appellate rights during the [Fed. R. Crim. P.] 11 colloquy
and the record indicates that the defendant understood the full significance of the waiver,
the waiver is valid.” United States v. McCoy,
895 F.3d 358, 362(4th Cir. 2018) (internal
quotation marks omitted). Our review of the record, including the plea agreement and the
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transcript of the Rule 11 hearing, confirms that Lunsford knowingly and intelligently
waived his right to appeal his conviction and sentence, with limited exceptions not
applicable here. We therefore conclude that the waiver is valid and enforceable.
Furthermore, the sentencing issues raised in the Anders brief and Lunsford’s challenge in
the pro se brief to the timeliness of his indictment fall squarely within the waiver’s scope.
See United States v. Moussaoui,
591 F.3d 263, 279(4th Cir. 2010) (“When a defendant
pleads guilty, he waives all nonjurisdictional defects in the proceedings conducted prior to
entry of the plea.”); see also United States v. Jackson,
697 F.3d 1141, 1144(9th Cir. 2012)
(recognizing that right to a speedy trial is nonjurisdictional).
In accordance with Anders, we have reviewed the entire record in this case and have
found no potentially meritorious grounds for appeal outside the scope of Lunsford’s valid
appellate waiver. Indeed, Lunsford’s challenge to the execution of his sentence is better
raised in a
28 U.S.C. § 2241petition. We therefore grant the Government’s motion to
dismiss in part and dismiss the appeal as to all issues covered by the waiver. We deny the
motion in part and otherwise affirm.
This court requires that counsel inform Lunsford, in writing, of the right to petition
the Supreme Court of the United States for further review. If Lunsford 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 Lunsford. We dispense with oral argument because
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the facts and legal contentions are adequately presented in the materials before this court
and argument would not aid the decisional process.
AFFIRMED IN PART, DISMISSED IN PART
4
Reference
- Status
- Unpublished