United States v. Lucas, Nos. 12-4840-cr(L), 13-0743(Con), 13-1075(Con) (2d Cir. Mar. 17, 2014) (Parker, Lynch, and Droney) (per curiam), available here This published (and, therefore, precedential) decision reiterates what the Circuit had previously held only in non-precedential summary orders: that USSG 5G1.3(b) and 18 U.S.C. 3584 empower district courts to run sentences concurrently only to “undischarged” terms … Read more

Tellado v. United States, No. 11-3227-pr (2d Cir. Mar. 12, 2014) (Hall, Livingston, and Berman), available here This published decision affirms the denial of petitioner’s Section 2255 motion to vacate his sentence. The Court held that petitioner knowingly waived his right to collaterally attack his sentence and that the district court properly denied petitioner’s motion to … Read more

United States v. Chibuko, No. 12-0039-cr (2d Cir. Mar. 7, 2014) (Katzmann, Kearse, and Wesley) (per curiam), available here This published decision offers guidance on the procedures to be followed before a district court may impose consecutive sentences for multiple counts of aggravated identity theft, 18 U.S.C. 1028A. Chibuko was convicted at trial of various fraud … Read more

United States v. Anderson (Hakimi), No. 11-5364-cr (2d Cir. Mar. 4, 2014) (Hall, Carney, and Scheindlin), available here A jury convicted Roohid Hakimi of conspiracy and attempt to possess and distribute controlled substances. After the verdict, the district court (Judge Hurd) entered a judgment of acquittal, holding that the evidence was insufficient to establish guilt. This … Read more

United States v. Taylor, Nos. 11-2201(L), 11-2426(CON), 11-2639(CON) (2d Cir. Mar. 4, 2014) (Kearse, Jacobs, and Carney), available here In this published decision, the Circuit granted the government’s petition for panel rehearing and withdrew its original opinion vacating the convictions of all three defendants. Unfortunately for the government, the Court, on rehearing, not only again vacated the defendants’ … Read more

United States v. Lee, No. 13-1432-cr (2d Cir. Feb. 27, 2014) (Wesley, Droney, and Abrams) (summary order), available here This summary was provided by noted criminal defense lawyer Francisco Celedonio, who is also a member of the Board of Directors of Federal Defenders of New York, Inc.: In this summary order, the Circuit upheld a decision … Read more

Kovacs v. United States, No. 13-0209 (2d Cir. Mar. 3, 2014) (Kearse, Jacobs, and Parker), available here Kovacs, an Australian national, pled guilty in 1999 to misprision of felony (18 U.S.C. § 4). His lawyer advised him at the time — and stated on the record — that the plea would have no immigration consequences. Many … Read more

United States v. Maynard, No. 12-5106-cr (2d Cir. Feb. 24, 2014) (Kearse, Jacobs, and Parker), available here This important decision holds that, under the Mandatory Victims Restitution Act of 1996 (“MVRA”), 18 U.S.C. §§ 3663-64, restitution may be awarded only for the harms enumerated in the statute. The facts were simple: Maynard and Ludwig robbed five … Read more

United States v. Bailey, No. 07-3719-cr (2d Cir. Feb. 21, 2014) (Cabranes, Pooler, and Raggi), available here This case shows that even a Supreme Court victory isn’t always enough to help a convicted defendant.   The police stopped Bailey about a mile from a residence that he had just departed and that was about to be … Read more

United States v. Lochard, No. 12-5115-cr (2d Cir. Feb. 19, 2014) (Chin, Carney, and Droney) (summary order), available here Convicted of access device fraud, the defendant was sentenced to 36 months of imprisonment and ordered to pay about $108,000 in restitution. The judgment did not set forth a payment plan or provide for the waiver … Read more