United States v. Grant

Case: 25-20569 Document: 36-1 Page: 1 Date Filed: 09/10/2026

United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit

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United States Court of Appeals

Fifth Circuit

No. 25-20569

Summary Calendar FILED ____________ September 10, 2026

Lyle W. Cayce United States of America, Clerk

Plaintiff—Appellee, versus

Howard Grant,

Defendant—Appellant.

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Appeal from the United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas USDC No. 4:09-CR-424-3 ______________________________

Before King, Higginson, and Douglas, Circuit Judges.

Per Curiam: *

Howard Grant, former federal prisoner # 43671-279, appeals the denial of his writ of coram nobis 1 in which he sought to challenge his convictions for one count of conspiracy to commit healthcare fraud and two counts of aiding and abetting healthcare fraud. Grant argues that his trial was Case: 25-20569 Document: 36-1 Page: 2 Date Filed: 09/10/2026

No. 25-20569 infected with numerous structural and constitutional errors, resulting in a miscarriage of justice.

Grant’s arguments consist of claims that he could have raised in his initial 28 U.S.C. § 2255 motion, and he has not provided any sound reasons justifying his failure to seek appropriate relief earlier. United States v. Dyer, 136 F.3d 417, 422, 427 (5th Cir. 1998). Accordingly, Grant has not demonstrated that the district court abused its discretion by denying his writ of coram nobis. See United States v. Lockhart, 165 F.4th 933, 935 (5th Cir. 2026). The judgment of the district court is AFFIRMED.

We have issued sanctions and warned Grant on multiple occasions about the potential consequences of continued abusive filings. See United States v. Grant, No.24-20442, 2025 WL 1392093, at *1 (5th Cir. May 14, 2025) (unpublished); United States v. Grant, No. 22-20447, 2023 WL 3116443, at *1 (5th Cir. Apr. 27, 2023) (unpublished); United States v. Grant, 740 F. App’x 412, 412–13 (5th Cir. 2018) (unpublished). To date, his largest monetary sanction has been $700. Grant, 2025 WL 1392093, at *1.

Accordingly, Grant is ORDERED to pay a sanction in the amount of $1000 to the clerk of this court. He is BARRED from filing, in this court or any court subject to this court’s jurisdiction, any challenge to his convictions or sentences until the sanction is paid in full unless he first obtains leave of the court in which he seeks to file such a challenge. See Coghlan v. Starkey, 852 F.2d 806, 816–17 n.21 (5th Cir. 1988). Grant is WARNED that the further filing of frivolous, repetitive, or otherwise abusive challenges to his convictions or sentences in this court or any court subject to this court’s jurisdiction will subject him to additional and progressively more severe sanctions. See In re Lampton, 667 F.3d 585, 590 (5th Cir. 2012). Grant is DIRECTED to review any pending matters and move to dismiss any that violate the warnings.