FILED

NOT FOR PUBLICATION FEB 29 2016

MOLLY C. DWYER, CLERK

UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS U.S. COURT OF APPEALS

FOR THE NINTH CIRCUIT UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, No. 15-10118

Plaintiff - Appellee, D.C. No. 2:12-cr-00362-TLN v.

MEMORANDUM* ALAN DAVID TIKAL,

Defendant - Appellant.

Appeal from the United States District Court

for the Eastern District of California

Troy L. Nunley, District Judge, Presiding

Submitted February 24, 2016** Before: LEAVY, FERNANDEZ, and RAWLINSON, Circuit Judges.

Alan David Tikal appeals from the district court’s judgment and challenges his bench-trial conviction and 288-month sentence for 11 counts of mail fraud, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1341, and one count of engaging in monetary transactions in criminally derived property, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1957. Pursuant to

*

This disposition is not appropriate for publication and is not precedent except as provided by 9th Cir. R. 36-3.

**

The panel unanimously concludes this case is suitable for decision without oral argument. See Fed. R. App. P. 34(a)(2). Anders v. California, 386 U.S. 738 (1967), Tikal’s counsel has filed a brief stating that there are no grounds for relief, along with a motion to withdraw as counsel of record. Tikal has filed a pro se supplemental opening brief. The government has not filed an answering brief.

Our independent review of the record pursuant to Penson v. Ohio, 488 U.S. 75, 80 (1988), discloses no arguable grounds for relief on direct appeal.

Counsel’s motion to withdraw is GRANTED. Tikal’s pending pro se motions are DENIED.

AFFIRMED.

2 15-10118