United States v. Shakal, No. 09-3619 (8th Cir. 2011)
Annotate this CaseDefendant pleaded guilty to four counts of aiding and abetting the preparation of false federal income tax returns and was sentenced to 72 months imprisonment. Defendant argued that his experiences in Somalia during the violent Somali civil war entitled him to a sentence well below the advisory Guidelines range. At issue was whether the district court's sentence was substantively unreasonable. The court held that the district court not only considered defendant's personal history and circumstances in fashioning a sentence, but reduced the sentence it would have otherwised assessed defendant in light thereof. Therefore, the district court did not abuse its discretion in sentencing defendant to 72 months imprisonment.
Court Description: Criminal case - Sentencing. District court considered defendant's personal characteristics and history in determining the appropriate sentence, and the sentence is not substantively unreasonable.
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