United States v. Mitchell , 235 F. App'x 184 ( 2007 )


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  •                              UNPUBLISHED
    UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS
    FOR THE FOURTH CIRCUIT
    No. 06-5191
    UNITED STATES OF AMERICA,
    Plaintiff - Appellee,
    versus
    BERNARD EUGENE MITCHELL, JR.,
    Defendant - Appellant.
    Appeal from the United States District Court for the Middle
    District of North Carolina, at Durham. William L. Osteen, Senior
    District Judge. (1:06-cr-00178-WLO)
    Submitted:   July 31, 2007                 Decided:   August 17, 2007
    Before WILKINSON, TRAXLER, and GREGORY, Circuit Judges.
    Affirmed by unpublished per curiam opinion.
    Thomas N. Cochran, Assistant Public Defender, Greensboro, North
    Carolina, for Appellant.     Anna Mills Wagoner, United States
    Attorney, David P. Folmar, Jr., Assistant United States Attorney,
    Greensboro, North Carolina, for Appellee.
    Unpublished opinions are not binding precedent in this circuit.
    PER CURIAM:
    Bernard Eugene Mitchell, Jr., pled guilty pursuant to a
    plea agreement to one count of possession of a firearm by a
    convicted felon, in violation of 
    18 U.S.C. §§ 922
    (g)(1), 924(a)(2)
    (2000).        Mitchell    was   sentenced    to   fifty-seven   months’
    incarceration.    Finding no error, we affirm.
    On     appeal,   Mitchell   challenges   the   presumption   of
    reasonableness this court affords post-Booker* sentences imposed
    within a properly calculated guidelines range. The Supreme Court’s
    recent decision in Rita v. United States, 
    127 S. Ct. 2456
     (2007),
    however, forecloses this argument.           See also United States v.
    Montes-Pineda, 
    445 F.3d 375
    , 379 (4th Cir. 2006), cert. denied, ___
    U.S. ___, 
    75 U.S.L.W. 3707
     (U.S. June 29, 2007) (No. 06-5439);
    United States v. Johnson, 
    445 F.3d 339
    , 341-42 (4th Cir. 2006);
    United States v. Moreland, 
    437 F.3d 424
    , 433 (4th Cir.), cert.
    denied, 
    126 S. Ct. 2054
     (2006); United States v. Green, 
    436 F.3d 449
    , 457 (4th Cir.), cert. denied, 
    126 S. Ct. 2309
     (2006).
    Mitchell also contends that his sentence is unreasonable
    because it is greater than necessary to accomplish the goals of 
    18 U.S.C. § 3553
    (a) (West 2000 & Supp. 2006).         Because the district
    court properly calculated and considered the advisory guidelines
    range and weighed the relevant § 3553(a) factors, we conclude
    Mitchell’s sentence, which was below the statutory maximum and
    *
    United States v. Booker, 
    543 U.S. 220
     (2005).
    - 2 -
    within the advisory guidelines range, is reasonable.    See Green,
    
    436 F.3d at 455-56
    ; United States v. Hughes, 
    401 F.3d 540
    , 546-47
    (4th Cir. 2005).
    Accordingly, we affirm the judgment of the district
    court.   We dispense with oral argument because the facts and legal
    contentions are adequately presented in the materials before the
    court and argument would not aid in the decisional process.
    AFFIRMED
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