United States v. Reza , 403 F. App'x 863 ( 2010 )


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  •                             UNPUBLISHED
    UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS
    FOR THE FOURTH CIRCUIT
    No. 09-4288
    UNITED STATES OF AMERICA,
    Plaintiff – Appellee,
    v.
    ANTONIO REZA,
    Defendant – Appellant.
    Appeal from the United States District Court for the Middle
    District of North Carolina, at Greensboro.   N. Carlton Tilley,
    Jr., Senior District Judge. (1:08-cr-00097-NCT-1)
    Submitted:   October 20, 2010             Decided:   December 3, 2010
    Before DUNCAN, KEENAN, and WYNN, Circuit Judges.
    Affirmed by unpublished per curiam opinion.
    Gregory Stuart Smith,       LAW OFFICES OF GREGORY S. SMITH,
    Washington, D.C., for       Appellant.    Sandra Jane Hairston,
    Assistant United States     Attorney, Greensboro, North Carolina,
    for Appellee.
    Unpublished opinions are not binding precedent in this circuit.
    PER CURIAM:
    Antonio       Reza   pleaded        guilty,      pursuant     to    a   written
    plea   agreement,      to    one   count       of    possession       with    intent    to
    distribute      cocaine     hydrochloride           in    violation      of   
    21 U.S.C. § 841
    (a)(1),     (b)(1)(A)      (2006).         The       district    court    sentenced
    Reza to 152 months’ imprisonment.                    His attorney on appeal has
    filed a brief pursuant to Anders v. California, 
    386 U.S. 738
    (1967),   certifying        that   there    are      no     meritorious       issues    for
    appeal, but asking this court to review whether Reza’s guilty
    plea was properly accepted, whether the district court properly
    calculated      and    imposed     Reza’s       sentence,          and   whether       Reza
    received ineffective assistance of trial counsel.                        Although Reza
    was notified of his right to file a pro se supplemental brief,
    he has not done so.         We affirm.
    Because Reza did not move in the district court to
    withdraw his guilty plea, any error in the Fed. R. Crim. P. 11
    hearing is reviewed for plain error.                     United States v. Martinez,
    
    277 F.3d 517
    , 525 (4th Cir. 2002).                       To establish plain error,
    Reza “must show: (1) an error was made; (2) the error is plain;
    and (3) the error affects substantial rights.”                       United States v.
    Massenburg,      
    564 F.3d 337
    ,   342-43            (4th Cir. 2009)      (reviewing
    unpreserved Rule 11 error).            “The decision to correct the error
    lies   within    [this      court’s]   discretion,           and    we   exercise      that
    discretion only if the error seriously affects the fairness,
    2
    integrity or public reputation of judicial proceedings.”                     
    Id. at 343
     (internal quotation marks omitted).               Reza bears the burden
    of showing plain error.         
    Id.
    Our review of the record leads us to conclude that the
    district court conducted a thorough colloquy well within the
    mandates    of   Rule   11.      The   court    ensured    that     the   plea    was
    knowing, voluntary, and supported by an adequate factual basis.
    We accordingly affirm Reza’s conviction.
    Next, counsel questions the reasonableness of Reza’s
    sentence.    This court reviews the reasonableness of a sentence
    under   a   deferential       abuse-of-discretion         standard.        Gall   v.
    United States, 
    552 U.S. 38
    , 51 (2007).               The first step in this
    review requires us to ensure that the district court “committed
    no significant procedural error, such as failing to calculate
    (or improperly calculating) the Guidelines range, treating the
    Guidelines as mandatory, failing to consider the                      [18 U.S.C.]
    § 3553(a)    [(2006)]     factors,      selecting     a    sentence       based    on
    clearly erroneous facts, or failing to adequately explain the
    chosen sentence.”        Id.     We must then consider the substantive
    reasonableness     of   the     sentence,      “tak[ing]     into     account     the
    totality of the circumstances.”                Id.   This court presumes on
    appeal that a sentence within a properly calculated Guidelines
    range is reasonable.          United States v. Bynum, 
    604 F.3d 161
    , 168-
    69 (4th Cir.), cert. denied, 
    130 S. Ct. 3442
     (2010).
    3
    We find no error by the district court.                               The court
    properly    calculated         Reza’s      Guidelines          range.        Moreover,     the
    court’s    statements      at       Reza’s       sentencing         hearing     reflect    the
    requisite individual assessment of the facts pertaining to his
    sentence.         We    also    find       the       sentence    to     be    substantively
    reasonable, as it is within the properly calculated Guidelines
    range.     Reza has not overcome the presumption that the sentence
    is reasonable.         See 
    id.
    Finally,       the       claim       that       trial      counsel    may     have
    rendered ineffective assistance is more appropriately considered
    in a post-conviction proceeding brought pursuant to 
    28 U.S.C.A. § 2255
     (West Supp. 2010), unless counsel’s alleged deficiencies
    appear    conclusively         on    the     record.           See     United    States     v.
    Baldovinos, 
    434 F.3d 233
    , 239 (4th Cir. 2006).                            Because we find
    no   conclusive        evidence      on    the        record    that    counsel       rendered
    ineffective assistance, we decline to consider this claim on
    direct appeal.
    In accordance with Anders, we have reviewed the record
    in this case and have found no meritorious issues for appeal.
    We therefore affirm Reza’s conviction and sentence.                              This court
    requires that counsel inform Reza, in writing, of the right to
    petition    the    Supreme      Court      of        the   United    States     for    further
    review.     If Reza requests that a petition be filed, but counsel
    believes that such a petition would be frivolous, then counsel
    4
    may     move     in   this     court   for    leave      to    withdraw    from
    representation.       Counsel’s motion must state that a copy thereof
    was served on Reza.
    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   the   decisional
    process.
    AFFIRMED
    5
    

Document Info

Docket Number: 09-4288

Citation Numbers: 403 F. App'x 863

Judges: Duncan, Keenan, Per Curiam, Wynn

Filed Date: 12/3/2010

Precedential Status: Non-Precedential

Modified Date: 11/5/2024