2025 Fourth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals Case Law

Justia Opinion Summary: Brock Beeman was convicted by a federal jury of mailing three threatening letters to a prosecutor and an investigator involved in a previous criminal case against him, violating 18 U.S.C. § 876(c). Beeman appealed his…

Justia Opinion Summary: Justin Longworth, a federal inmate, alleged that he faced repeated sexual harassment and abuse by Sherry M. Beck, a correctional officer at the Federal Correctional Institution in Butner, North Carolina. Longworth…

Justia Opinion Summary: Two former employees sued Zen Nails Studio LLC and its owners for violating the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) and a similar Maryland state law. After a five-day bench trial, the plaintiffs won and were awarded…

Justia Opinion Summary: In May 2021, the appellant, along with a co-defendant, robbed a gas station in New Bern, North Carolina. The appellant entered the store armed with a revolver, pointed it at the cashier, struck the cashier on the head,…

Justia Opinion Summary: Luis Avila pleaded guilty to three counts of violating 18 U.S.C. § 2252A(a)(2) and (b)(1) for possessing material involving the sexual exploitation of a minor. The probation officer calculated Avila’s advisory guideline…

Justia Opinion Summary: NCO Financial Systems, Inc. (NCO) entered into a lease agreement with Montgomery Park, LLC (Montgomery Park) for over 100,000 square feet of office space in Baltimore, Maryland. The lease allowed NCO to terminate early…

Justia Opinion Summary: A nurse at a medical clinic where Dr. George P. Naum, III worked prescribed controlled substances without a doctor's supervision. The government prosecuted Naum for conspiracy and aiding and abetting the distribution of…

Justia Opinion Summary: Nathaniel Powell pled guilty in 2016 to conspiracy to manufacture, distribute, and possess with intent to distribute more than 100 grams of heroin. The United States Probation Office recommended a two-level sentence…

Justia Opinion Summary: Eugenia Bautista Chavez, a native and citizen of Mexico, challenged the Board of Immigration Appeals’ order of removal based on her 2011 conviction for petit larceny under section 18.2-96 of the Virginia Code. The Board…

Justia Opinion Summary: The appellants, Jose Joya Parada, Oscar Armando Sorto Romero, Milton Portillo Rodriguez, and Juan Carlos Sandoval Rodriguez, were charged in 2018 with various racketeering offenses related to their involvement with the…

Justia Opinion Summary: In September 2020, inmate Garfield Holley, proceeding pro se, sued several officers at Wallens Ridge State Prison under Section 1983. Holley alleged that the officers transported him to a dental appointment in a dog cage…

Justia Opinion Summary: M.B., a Pakistani woman, was forced into labor by her in-laws, Zahida Aman and her sons, Nauman and Rehan Chaudhri, after marrying another son, Salman. Upon arriving in Virginia, M.B. was isolated, had her documents…

Justia Opinion Summary: In 2011, Winston Sylvester Oliver II and his co-defendant, Warren Brown, were convicted of conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act robbery, attempted Hobbs Act robbery, and use of a firearm during these crimes. Oliver's firearm…

Justia Opinion Summary: A fire broke out in an apartment building in Surry County, North Carolina, leading to the deaths of four occupants due to smoke inhalation. The 911 dispatcher advised the caller not to open the window, which was believed…

Justia Opinion Summary: IonQ, Inc., a public company developing quantum computers, experienced a significant drop in its stock price from $7.86 on May 2, 2022, to $4.34 on May 12, 2022. A group of investors claimed this decline was due to the…

Justia Opinion Summary: Anthony Williams was convicted of two drug offenses in 1999 and has been on supervised release since 2020. In March 2023, a woman Williams had been living with contacted the police, alleging that Williams had assaulted…

Justia Opinion Summary: A retired teacher, Patsy Talley, received overpayments in her retirement benefits from the North Carolina Teachers’ and State Employees’ Retirement System (TSERS) for over eight years, totaling $86,173.93. When the…

Justia Opinion Summary: John Koontz received two letters from SN Servicing Corporation (SNSC) regarding his residential mortgage loan. Koontz had previously filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy, and his debts were discharged. The letters from SNSC…

Justia Opinion Summary: Jacob Doe, a student at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC-CH), was found responsible for two allegations of sexual misconduct and subsequently expelled from the university system. Doe sued the…

Justia Opinion Summary: Telly Armstrong pled guilty in March 2005 to two counts of brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence under 18 U.S.C. § 924(c) and was sentenced to 384 months in prison. Armstrong later filed a motion for…

Justia Opinion Summary: Three West Virginia residents, dissatisfied with their cable and internet service provided by Suddenlink, sued Cebridge Acquisition, LLC, Cequel III Communications I, LLC, Cequel III Communications II, LLC, and Altice…

Justia Opinion Summary: Melissa Barrett was serving a 168-month sentence for federal drug offenses when Amendment 821 to the Sentencing Guidelines took effect. This amendment, made retroactive by the Sentencing Commission, limited the impact of…

Justia Opinion Summary: Studco Building Systems US, LLC, a metal fabricator, regularly purchased steel from Olympic Steel, Inc. and paid invoices via ACH payments. In October 2018, Studco received a fraudulent email, purportedly from Olympic,…

Justia Opinion Summary: Brooke N. Somers, a resident of Cecil County, Maryland, attended a Board of Education meeting on February 9, 2022, without wearing a mask, contrary to Maryland state emergency regulations. Officer Anthony Devine and John…

Justia Opinion Summary: A tragic boat accident occurred when Edward Barnett, while navigating a coastal river, crashed into a dike, resulting in his and his coworker's deaths. Penny Jo Barnett, his widow, sued the Coast Guard, alleging that…

Justia Opinion Summary: Westmont Living, Inc., a California corporation operating retirement communities and assisted living facilities, filed a lawsuit against Retirement Unlimited, Inc. (RUI), a Virginia corporation, alleging trademark…

Justia Opinion Summary: Susan Carpenter, as trustee for the H. Joe King, Jr. Revocable Trust, sold two properties in North Carolina in April 2020. Both properties were part of homeowners’ associations managed by William Douglas Management, Inc.…

Justia Opinion Summary: James Ervin pleaded guilty to possessing a semi-automatic rifle as a convicted felon, violating 18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(1). He later sought to withdraw his guilty plea through a 28 U.S.C. § 2255 motion, claiming ineffective…

Justia Opinion Summary: Shelby Roberts rented an apartment from Ansley at Roberts Lake Apartments. After a dispute over the lease termination, Ansley retained her $500 security deposit and sent her an invoice for $791.14 for additional damages.…

Justia Opinion Summary: In late 2008, the IRS assessed Arthur and Gigi Stover a significant tax bill, which they could not pay. The Government waited until 2020 to initiate a collection suit, nearly twelve years later. Generally, the Government…

Justia Opinion Summary: Real Time Medical Systems, LLC provides analytics services to skilled nursing facilities by accessing health records from PointClickCare Technologies, Inc., which operates a system hosting patients’ electronic health…

Justia Opinion Summary: Brian Farabee, who suffers from borderline personality disorder, has spent his adult life in hospitals or prison for crimes committed while hospitalized. He filed a lawsuit under 42 U.S.C. § 1983 against Dr. Robert…

Justia Opinion Summary: Tiffany Johnson and Tracy Crider, Maryland residents, obtained credit card accounts from Continental Finance Company, LLC and Continental Purchasing, LLC. They filed separate class-action lawsuits in Maryland state…

Justia Opinion Summary: Sammy Lee Ellis, Jr. shot Lamar Gross, the son of his estranged fiancé Dionne Beatty, in the abdomen after a heated argument. Ellis, who had been drinking, was charged with illegally possessing a firearm and ammunition…

Justia Opinion Summary: A city ordinance criminalizes broadcasting obscene, profane, or vulgar language from commercial properties above certain volumes at specific times. A bar owner challenged the ordinance, claiming it violated the First…

Justia Opinion Summary: Tyzeem Kwazhon Nixon pleaded guilty to one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm. While awaiting sentencing, he committed several violent acts, including multiple stabbings. The district court sentenced Nixon…

Justia Opinion Summary: Gerald Wheeler was convicted in 2007 of various drug and firearm offenses and sentenced to 180 months of imprisonment. In 2018, one of his convictions was vacated, and he was resentenced to time served with a four-year…

Justia Opinion Summary: In 2020 and 2021, Rohan Dhruva and Joshua Stern, residents of California, created accounts and subscribed to CuriosityStream, an online streaming service. They later discovered that CuriosityStream was sharing their…

Justia Opinion Summary: Maryland and South Carolina filed lawsuits in state courts against 3M Company and other chemical manufacturers, alleging contamination of their waterways with per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). The states filed…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Berkeley County School District filed a lawsuit against several defendants, including HUB International Ltd. and HUB International Midwest Ltd., alleging claims related to insurance policies and services provided.…

Justia Opinion Summary: Christine Sugar filed for Chapter 13 bankruptcy in the Eastern District of North Carolina in September 2019. Her confirmed bankruptcy plan required her to make monthly payments and prohibited the sale of non-exempt…

Justia Opinion Summary: Several property management companies advertised their apartment buildings on Facebook, targeting users who are 50 years old or younger. Neuhtah Opiotennione, who is older than 50, did not see these advertisements and…

Justia Opinion Summary: Jason Wayne Gowen, a pretrial detainee at the Lynchburg Adult Detention Center, was placed in solitary confinement for 125 days after complaining about hot conditions in his cell and encouraging other inmates to do the…

Justia Opinion Summary: A father, Scott Williams, and his son, Taeyan Williams, were convicted by a federal jury of various drug-related offenses, including conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute marijuana and cocaine.…

Justia Opinion Summary: Police officers responded to a noise complaint at a house party in Sanford, North Carolina, on September 12, 2021. They heard gunshots and saw the defendant, Chad Marques Jennings, run to a van and speed away. After a…

Justia Opinion Summary: Jason and Kacie Highsmith hired Shelter, LLC to manage a home renovation project and later contracted with Design Gaps, Inc. to design and install cabinets and closets. The contracts required arbitration for disputes but…

Justia Opinion Summary: William Davis Jr. was arrested for reckless driving after police observed him using a handheld device while driving. During the arrest, officers discovered a firearm hidden in his waistband. Davis, a convicted felon,…

Justia Opinion Summary: Rhonda and Robert Notgrass fraudulently obtained benefits from the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance program by falsely claiming unemployment due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Robert, a minister, and Rhonda, his wife, were…

Justia Opinion Summary: David Levine, former CEO of Geostellar Inc., was accused of defrauding and bankrupting the company. Geostellar had a directors and officers insurance policy from Philadelphia Indemnity Company, which began providing…

Justia Opinion Summary: In the early morning of November 1, 2019, a group of law enforcement officers, including Task Force Officer (TFO) Clarence Belton and Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Officer Heather Loveridge, attempted to execute a search…

Justia Opinion Summary: In early 2021, Jarohn Parham was stopped by Newport News, Virginia police for driving with an expired registration. During the stop, officers observed Parham reaching towards the center console and subsequently found a…

Justia Opinion Summary: Plaintiffs, business entities owning recovery rights assigned by health insurers and other third-party Medicare payors, alleged that Defendants, including a drug manufacturer, a specialty pharmacy, and healthcare…

Justia Opinion Summary: Robert Valladares, who struggled with drug addiction, distributed fentanyl to a friend who subsequently overdosed and died. Valladares was initially charged with distribution resulting in death but ultimately pleaded…

Justia Opinion Summary: In 2019, the FBI and DEA, along with local law enforcement, investigated a Mexican drug trafficking organization operating in Mexico, California, Georgia, and North Carolina. Oscar Pliego-Pineda, based in Atlanta,…

Justia Opinion Summary: John Sigley applied for a Material Handler position with ND Fairmont LLC (NDF) and was offered the job contingent on passing a physical exam. During the physical, conducted by Industrial Therapy Solutions (ITS), Sigley…

Justia Opinion Summary: Scott Rendelman was convicted in 2008 for mailing threatening communications under 18 U.S.C. § 876(c). The district court instructed the jury that the government only needed to prove that a “reasonable person” would find…

Justia Opinion Summary: Bryan Alexis Molina-Diaz and his wife Cony Vanessa Pasqual de Molina fled El Salvador after witnessing the murder of Cony's cousin, Jose. Bryan applied for asylum and withholding of removal, but an Immigration Judge (IJ)…

Justia Opinion Summary: Dashawn Leonard Garrett pled guilty to three charges related to a drug trafficking investigation in Wilson County, North Carolina, after withdrawing his suppression motion. He later discovered information suggesting…

Justia Opinion Summary: Jerry Lee Edwards pled guilty to escaping from a re-entry center in Charlotte, North Carolina, where he was completing a 130-month sentence for federal drug and firearm offenses. He left the center for work on April 29,…

Justia Opinion Summary: Ganesa Rosales, a nurse, filed a False Claims Act (FCA) complaint against Amedisys North Carolina, LLC, Dr. Sanjay Batish, and Batish Medical Service, PLLC, alleging fraudulent practices in admitting and recertifying…

Justia Opinion Summary: Angelo Jackson was identified as a suspect in a double murder in Montgomery County, Maryland, based on information from law enforcement officers. Detective Michael Carin used this information to obtain an arrest warrant…

Justia Opinion Summary: Captain Gardenia Dorado-Ocasio, an Army officer, challenged a decision by the Army Board for Correction of Military Records (ABCMR) regarding an adverse performance evaluation she received. The evaluation was based on…

Justia Opinion Summary: Plaintiffs, purchasers of coupon processing services, alleged that Inmar, Inc. and its subsidiaries engaged in an anticompetitive conspiracy to raise coupon processing fees. They sought class certification for a…

Justia Opinion Summary: The City of Martinsville, Virginia, sued Express Scripts and OptumRx in state court, alleging public nuisance and harm related to the opioid epidemic. The defendants removed the case to federal court under the Class…

Justia Opinion Summary: Gary D. LeClair, a founding member of the now-defunct law firm LeClairRyan PLLC, attempted to withdraw from the firm in July 2019. He announced his immediate withdrawal and resignation effective July 31, 2019. However,…

Justia Opinion Summary: Rojay Lawson was involved in a telemarketing sweepstakes scheme based in Jamaica that targeted elderly individuals in the United States. Lawson, operating from South Carolina, collected and laundered the fraudulent…

Justia Opinion Summary: Trina Cunningham, an employee of the Baltimore Department of Public Works, was responsible for monitoring water flow at the Patapsco Wastewater Treatment Plant. On June 3, 2019, while inspecting the plant's Grit…

Justia Opinion Summary: Javier Chavez Dominguez, a Mexican citizen, was arrested in North Carolina in August 2022 on state drug charges. After confirming his identity and criminal history, he was charged with Illegal Reentry after Removal…

Justia Opinion Summary: Nia Lucas, an African American woman with military service-related disabilities, including PTSD, depression, anxiety, panic attacks, and a traumatic brain injury, sought care at VHC for her pregnancy. Despite her…

Justia Opinion Summary: Jeremy Smith, a customer care technician for Cox Enterprises, Inc., received long-term disability benefits for seven years due to severe back pain and multiple surgeries. In 2019, Aetna, the plan administrator,…

Justia Opinion Summary: In June 2015, Dylann Roof shot and killed nine people at Mother Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, South Carolina, including M.P.'s father, Reverend Clementa Pinckney. M.P., a minor, filed a lawsuit against Meta…

Justia Opinion Summary: Melvin Funez-Ortiz, a Honduran national, fled to the United States to escape violence and threats from a gang in Honduras. The gang had murdered several of his family members, shot him, and continued to threaten his…

Justia Opinion Summary: Plaintiffs, a group of charter-boat operators and trade associations in Maryland, sued the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission to enjoin the Commission’s striped-bass plan. The Commission, formed in 1942,…

Justia Opinion Summary: Plaintiffs, a Maryland LLC and a Missouri nonprofit corporation, alleged that the Maryland State Board of Elections mismanaged state electoral operations in violation of state and federal laws during the 2020 and 2022…

Justia Opinion Summary: Lisa Wheeler, a physician assistant and former Assistant Medical Director at Acadia Healthcare Company’s Asheville, North Carolina clinic, filed a complaint alleging that Acadia falsified medical records to claim…

Justia Opinion Summary: Jarvis Mikel Jackson pled guilty to possession of a firearm as a felon, violating 18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(1). The district court calculated an advisory Sentencing Guidelines range of 110 to 120 months and sentenced Jackson to…

Justia Opinion Summary: Environmental groups challenged the issuance of a permit by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for the development of the Cainhoy Plantation in South Carolina. The plaintiffs argued that the permit violated the Endangered…