United States v. Fults
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit
United States v. Fults, 71 F.4th 328 (5th Cir. 2023)
United States v. Fults
Opinion
Case: 22-50808 Document: 00516791809 Page: 1 Date Filed: 06/19/2023
United States Court of Appeals
for the Fifth Circuit
____________ United States Court of Appeals
Fifth Circuit
No. 22-50808
FILED
June 19, 2023
Summary Calendar
____________ Lyle W. Cayce
Clerk
United States of America,
Plaintiff—Appellee,
versus
Christopher Teon Fults,
Defendant—Appellant.
______________________________
Appeal from the United States District Court
for the Western District of Texas
USDC No. 6:19-CR-262-2
______________________________
Before Jones, Haynes, and Oldham, Circuit Judges.
Per Curiam:
The attorney appointed to represent Christopher Teon Fults has
moved for leave to withdraw and has filed a brief in accordance with Anders
v. California, 386 U.S. 738(1967), and United States v. Flores,632 F.3d 229
(5th Cir. 2011). Fults has not filed a response. We have reviewed counsel’s
brief and the relevant portions of the record reflected therein. We concur
with counsel’s assessment that the appeal presents no nonfrivolous issue for
appellate review and will therefore grant the motion to withdraw.
Case: 22-50808 Document: 00516791809 Page: 2 Date Filed: 06/19/2023
No. 22-50808
There is, however, an issue with the restitution order. Although the
total amount of restitution awarded is correct, the order has apparently
omitted two victims and has included their loss amounts in the amounts
awarded to two other victims. In unpublished opinions, this court has held
that a defendant lacks standing to challenge “any error concerning to whom
the restitution is to be paid” where “no matter the ultimate recipient, [the
defendant] remains liable for paying the same amount,” United States v.
Berry, 795 F. App’x 229, 237 (5th Cir. 2019), and has held that such an error may be corrected under Federal Rule of Criminal Procedure 36, United States v. Crawley,463 F. App’x 418, 420-22
(5th Cir. 2012). We adopt the
conclusions of these unpublished opinions and hold that Fults’s restitution
order does not present a nonfrivolous issue for appeal because he is liable for
the same restitution amount regardless of the ultimate recipients.
Accordingly, counsel’s motion for leave to withdraw is GRANTED,
counsel is excused from further responsibilities herein, and the appeal is
DISMISSED. See 5th Cir. R. 42.2. We REMAND for the limited
purpose of correction of the judgment concerning the designation of the
restitution payees and the allocation of restitution among the payees. See
Fed. R. Crim. P. 36.
2
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