United States v. Tyvion Benson
Opinion
Tyvion Wanye Benson pled guilty to conspiracy to violate
At the time of sentencing, Benson was serving a 60-month state sentence for possessing a firearm. The state conviction arose from the same conduct as the federal offense. In the plea for the federal offense, the parties agreed to recommend the statutory maximum of 60 months. They also recognized that the district court would decide whether to credit Benson for time served for his related state sentence.
In his sentencing memorandum, Benson requested that his federal sentence run concurrently with the remainder of his undischarged state sentence. At sentencing, he did not renew this request. However, he did request credit for time served for his state sentence. The district court gave him partial credit for time served (6 months). It sentenced him to 54 months to run consecutively to the undischarged portion of his state sentence (19 months). Benson did not object. He now appeals.
Benson believes his federal sentence should run concurrently to his undischarged state sentence. This court reviews "a district court's decision to impose a consecutive or concurrent sentence for reasonableness."
United States v. McDonald
,
A district court may order a federal sentence consecutive to an undischarged state sentence.
Benson believes the district court failed to consider the § 3553(a) factors in imposing a consecutive sentence. This belief has no merit. The district court said: "This sentence of 54 months, which will be consecutive to the state sentence, I do find to comply with statutory objectives. I think it's sufficient but not more than necessary to accomplish the objectives of justice." It thus considered the § 3553(a) factors and explained that a consecutive sentence was necessary "to accomplish the objectives of justice."
See
McDonald
,
Benson argues the consecutive sentence violates U.S.S.G. § 5G1.3(b)(2) which says that when "a term of imprisonment resulted from another offense that is relevant conduct to the instant offense of conviction ... the sentence for the instant offense shall ... run concurrently to the remainder of the undischarged term of imprisonment."
U.S.S.G. § 5G1.3(b)(2)
. But the guidelines are advisory, and section 5G1.3(b)(2) does not prohibit the district court from exercising its statutory authority to impose a consecutive sentence.
United States v. Martinez Rodriguez
,
For the first time in his reply, Benson argues the sentence was substantively unreasonable. This argument is waived.
Jenkins v. Winter
,
The district court's decision to impose a consecutive sentence was reasonable.
* * * * * * *
The judgment is affirmed.
The Honorable Ann D. Montgomery, United States District Judge for the District of Minnesota.
The government argues this court should review for plain error because Benson did not object to the consecutive sentence at sentencing. In
United States v. Poe
, this court applied plain error review because the defendant "did not raise this issue before the district court
at sentencing
."
Poe
,
Reference
- Full Case Name
- UNITED STATES of America, Plaintiff-Appellee v. Tyvion Wanye BENSON, Defendant-Appellant
- Cited By
- 8 cases
- Status
- Published