United States v. Kamel Lincoln ( 2019 )


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  •               United States Court of Appeals
    For the Eighth Circuit
    ___________________________
    No. 18-1887
    ___________________________
    United States of America
    lllllllllllllllllllllPlaintiff - Appellee
    v.
    Kamel J. Lincoln
    lllllllllllllllllllllDefendant - Appellant
    ____________
    Appeals from United States District Court
    for the Western District of Arkansas - Ft. Smith
    ____________
    Submitted: September 26, 2019
    Filed: December 5, 2019
    [Unpublished]
    ____________
    Before GRUENDER, BENTON, and SHEPHERD, Circuit Judges.
    ____________
    PER CURIAM.
    Kamel Lincoln appeals the sentence imposed by the district court1 following
    the entry of his guilty plea. Having jurisdiction under 28 U.S.C. § 1291, this Court
    affirms.
    In 2018, Lincoln pled guilty to one count of distribution of five grams or more
    of methamphetamine in violation of 21 U.S.C. §§ 841(a)(1) and (b)(1)(B)(viii). At
    sentencing, the district court determined that Lincoln qualified for the career offender
    enhancement under the United States Sentencing Guidelines based on two prior
    controlled substance convictions. After accounting for the enhancement, the
    Guidelines range called for a sentence between 188 and 235 months imprisonment.
    Lincoln requested a downward variance, but the district court declined and sentenced
    Lincoln to a within-Guidelines range sentence of 188 months imprisonment.
    Lincoln argues the district court procedurally erred and imposed a substantively
    unreasonable sentence. “We review a district court’s sentence in two steps: first, we
    review for significant procedural error; and second, if there is no significant
    procedural error, we review for substantive reasonableness.” United States v.
    O’Connor, 
    567 F.3d 395
    , 397 (8th Cir. 2009).
    I.
    Procedural errors include “failing to calculate (or improperly calculating) the
    Guidelines range, treating the Guidelines as mandatory, failing to consider the
    § 3553(a) factors, selecting a sentence based on clearly erroneous facts, or failing to
    adequately explain the chosen sentence—including an explanation for any deviation
    from the Guidelines range.” Gall v. United States, 
    552 U.S. 38
    , 51 (2007). Lincoln
    argues the district court committed procedural error in denying his request for a
    1
    The Honorable P.K. Holmes, III, United States District Judge for the Western
    District of Arkansas.
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    downward variance by failing to recognize its authority to deviate from the
    Guidelines sentencing range, consider the § 3553(a) factors, and adequately explain
    the basis for the within-Guidelines range sentence. Because Lincoln did not raise an
    objection for procedural error below, we review for plain error. United States v.
    Bain, 
    586 F.3d 634
    , 639 (8th Cir. 2009). “To establish plain error, [a defendant] must
    prove (1) there was error, (2) the error was plain, and (3) the error affected his
    substantial rights.” United States v. Miller, 
    557 F.3d 910
    , 916 (8th Cir. 2009).
    Here, we find no error, plain or otherwise. The sentencing transcript reveals
    that the district court recognized its authority to vary downward, stating it “could
    consider a variance[,]” but declined to do so because “the facts and the circumstances
    of the offense here and under the factors under [§] 3553(a) . . . all require a
    Guideline sentence here.” R. Doc. 103, at 13-14. Further, the district court referred
    to § 3553(a) and cited Lincoln’s criminal history and his disrespect for public safety
    as the factors that provide the basis for the within-Guidelines sentence. While the
    district court did not refer to each factor in turn, “there is no requirement that the
    district court recite every section 3553(a) factor.” United States v. Bryant, 
    606 F.3d 912
    , 919 (8th Cir. 2010); see also United States v. Gray, 
    533 F.3d 942
    , 944 (8th Cir.
    2008) (“If a district court references some of the considerations contained in
    § 3553(a), we are ordinarily satisfied that the district court was aware of the entire
    contents of the relevant statute.” (internal quotation marks omitted)). Because the
    district court recognized its authority to vary from the Guidelines, considered the
    § 3553(a) factors, and adequately explained the basis for the sentence, we conclude
    the district court did not commit procedural error.
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    II.
    “We review a sentence for substantive reasonableness by applying an
    abuse-of-discretion standard.” United States v. Moore, 
    565 F.3d 435
    , 437-38 (8th
    Cir. 2009). We presume substantive reasonableness if the sentence is within the
    Guidelines range. Rita v. United States, 
    551 U.S. 338
    , 347 (2007). “A sentencing
    court abuses its discretion if it fails to consider a relevant factor that should have
    received significant weight, gives significant weight to an improper or irrelevant
    factor, or considers only the appropriate factors but commits a clear error of judgment
    in weighing those factors.” United States v. Watson, 
    480 F.3d 1175
    , 1177 (8th Cir.
    2007).
    Lincoln’s sentence is at the bottom of the Guidelines range and thus presumed
    reasonable. Nevertheless, Lincoln argues his sentence is substantively unreasonable
    because the district court failed to properly consider the overstated nature of
    Lincoln’s criminal record. However, the sentencing transcript shows that the district
    court recognized that Lincoln’s predicate offenses supporting the career offender
    enhancement were street-level drug transactions, and the court did not abuse its
    discretion in choosing to give more weight to other factors, including Lincoln’s
    recidivism and the risk of harm that the drug transactions posed to the public. The
    defendant “must show more than the fact that the district court disagreed with his
    view of what weight ought to be accorded certain sentencing factors.” United States
    v. Townsend, 
    617 F.3d 991
    , 995 (8th Cir. 2010).
    Lincoln also argues his sentence is substantively unreasonable because the
    district court failed to properly consider the disproportionate effect of the career
    offender enhancement on African Americans. This Court has previously rejected this
    exact argument as “misplaced.” United States v. Moore, 
    481 F.3d 1113
    , 1115 (8th
    Cir. 2007). At sentencing, a district court need only “determine whether to apply the
    career-offender provision in order to calculate the applicable guidelines range, which,
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    in turn, is necessary to properly apply the § 3553(a) factors.” 
    Id. The sentencing
    transcript shows that the district court properly determined that Lincoln qualified for
    the career offender enhancement and then applied the § 3553(a) factors in
    determining the sentence. We thus conclude the sentence was not substantively
    unreasonable.
    The judgment is affirmed.
    ______________________________
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