US v. King, No. 10-1759
Methamphetamine Conviction Affirmed
In US v. King, No. 10-1759, the court affirmed defendant's sentence for conspiracy to distribute 500 grams or more of a mixture or substance containing methamphetamine, holding that, relying on convictions unrelated to defendant's designation as a career offender but which demonstrated his longstanding propensity towards violence, the district court did not abuse its discretion by deciding that this was an unusual case warranting an upward departure.
As the court wrote: "Jon Patrick King was charged with conspiracy to distribute 500 grams or more of a mixture or substance containing methamphetamine, in violation of 21 U.S.C. §§ 841(a)(1), 841(b)(1)(A), and 846. King pled guilty pursuant to a plea agreement, admitting that he and his coconspirators had distributed at least 750 grams of methamphetamine and 455 pounds of marijuana. The district court1 sentenced him to 200 months."
Related Resources
- Read the Eighth Circuit's Decision in US v. King, No. 10-1759