United States v. Abiola , 51 F. App'x 456 ( 2002 )


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  •                           UNPUBLISHED
    UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS
    FOR THE FOURTH CIRCUIT
    UNITED STATES OF AMERICA,              
    Plaintiff-Appellee,
    v.
              No. 02-4436
    OLUSEGUN ABIOLA, a/k/a Oladapo
    Johnson, a/k/a Ayodeji O. Abiola,
    Defendant-Appellant.
    
    Appeal from the United States District Court
    for the District of Maryland, at Greenbelt.
    Deborah K. Chasanow, District Judge.
    (CR-01-531-DKC)
    Submitted: November 7, 2002
    Decided: December 3, 2002
    Before NIEMEYER, WILLIAMS, and MOTZ, Circuit Judges.
    Affirmed by unpublished per curiam opinion.
    COUNSEL
    James Wyda, Federal Public Defender, Daniel W. Stiller, Assistant
    Federal Public Defender, Greenbelt, Maryland, for Appellant.
    Thomas M. DiBiagio, United States Attorney, James M. Trusty,
    Assistant United States Attorney, Greenbelt, Maryland, for Appellee.
    2                      UNITED STATES v. ABIOLA
    Unpublished opinions are not binding precedent in this circuit. See
    Local Rule 36(c).
    OPINION
    PER CURIAM:
    Olusegun Abiola appeals his conviction for unauthorized reentry of
    a deported alien after conviction of an aggravated felony in violation
    of 
    8 U.S.C. §§ 1326
    (a), (b)(2) (2000). Finding no reversible error, we
    affirm.
    Abiola raises only one issue on appeal, claiming that the district
    court erred in denying his motion to dismiss the indictment. Abiola
    claims that his summary removal under the Visa Waiver Pilot Pro-
    gram ("VWPP") did not amount to a deportation as that term is used
    in 
    8 U.S.C. § 1326
     (2000). Specifically, he claims that the Govern-
    ment failed to produce sufficient documentation of entry under the
    VWPP and of his waiver of rights to a deportation hearing. Abiola
    also claims that the "Acting ADDI" who authorized the summary
    removal action did not possess the authority to order his removal. We
    conduct a de novo review of the district court’s denial of a motion to
    dismiss the indictment. United States v. Brandon, 
    298 F.3d 307
     (4th
    Cir. 2002).
    On appeal, Abiola is essentially challenging his prior removal
    under the VWPP. In the context of a prosecution for illegal reentry
    after deportation, a defendant may collaterally attack a deportation
    constituting an element of the offense if he can show that: (1) he was
    effectively deprived of his right to judicial review of the deportation
    order; (2) the deportation proceedings were fundamentally unfair; and
    (3) he has exhausted any administrative remedies that may have been
    available to seek relief against the deportation order. 
    8 U.S.C. § 1326
    (d); United States v. Mendoza-Lopez, 
    481 U.S. 828
     (1987).
    Based on our review of the formal briefs and the joint appendix
    submitted in this case, we find that Abiola may not collaterally attack
    his prior deportation order because he fails to show that it was
    UNITED STATES v. ABIOLA                         3
    obtained under conditions that were fundamentally unfair. The parties
    stipulated in the district court that (1) Abiola entered the United States
    through the VWPP in 1992; (2) all visa waiver applicants under the
    VWPP were required to complete, sign and date an I-94W form;
    (3) the I-94W form includes a waiver of rights whereby the applicant
    agrees to waive his rights to review of any action taken in deportation
    proceedings; and (4) the INS, in the ordinary course of business,
    destroyed the original form and reduced the information from the
    form into its database. Abiola entered the United States from the
    United Kingdom, and it is undisputed that he reads, speaks, and
    understands English. Given these stipulations, we find that Abiola
    validly waived any right to review of the INS’s determination of
    deportability. Accordingly, Abiola waived the rights he now asserts
    were improperly denied and thus cannot show fundamental unfair-
    ness.
    Because Abiola fails to meet the test set forth in 
    8 U.S.C. § 1326
    (d), he cannot collaterally attack his prior deportation. We
    therefore uphold the district court’s denial of Abiola’s motion to dis-
    miss the indictment and affirm his conviction for illegal reentry. We
    dispense with oral argument because the facts and legal contentions
    are adequately presented in the materials before the court and argu-
    ment would not aid the decisional process.
    AFFIRMED
    

Document Info

Docket Number: 02-4436

Citation Numbers: 51 F. App'x 456

Judges: Niemeyer, Williams, Motz

Filed Date: 12/3/2002

Precedential Status: Non-Precedential

Modified Date: 11/6/2024