United States v. Syms

After multiple law enforcement agencies investigated drug trafficking in the St. Louis, Missouri area, several conspirators were arrested. Syms, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute cocaine 21 U.S.C. 841(a)(1), (b)(1)(A)(ii), and 846. The district court sentenced Syms to 151 months’ imprisonment. The Seventh Circuit affirmed, rejecting an argument that the mandatory minimum sentence contained in the statute violated the separation-of-powers doctrine. The court did exercise its discretion in sentencing, applying the statutory factors and the guidelines to impose a sentence above the mandatory minimum. The court noted that the sentence was at the low end of the guidelines range and rejected a disproportionality argument. The court upheld the district court’s drug-quantity calculation, imposition of a sentencing enhancement, and denial of a safety valve reduction in his sentencing, based on a finding that Syms was a manager or supervisor of the operation. View "United States v. Syms" on Justia Law