No. 25-6867

Richard Henry Kayian v. United States

Lower Court: Fourth Circuit
Docketed: 2026-02-20
Status: Pending
Type: IFP
IFP
Tags: apprendi-violation drug-quantity-enhancement first-step-act serious-drug-felony sixth-amendment-sentencing substantive-reasonableness
Latest Conference: N/A
Question Presented (from Petition)

1. whether a prior state conviction for simple possession of 1.5 grams of cocaine - punished with probation only - qualities as a "serious drug felony" predicate under 21 U.S.C. §851, in light of the First Step Act's exclusion of minor offenses from enhancement eligibility and Florida's statutory reforms deeming such conduct non-felonious. Cf. United States v. Taylor, 142 S. Ct. 2015 (2022)(vacating career-offender status for attempted possession).

2. Whether, under Apprendi v. New Jersey, 530 U.S. 466 (2000), United States v. Booker, 543 U.S. 220 (2005), Alleyne v. United States, 570 U.S. 99 (2013), Woods v. United States, 590 U.S. 545 (2020), and Erlinger v. United States, 344 S. Ct. 993 (2024), the Fifth and Sixth Amendments permit sentencing based on judicially found drug purity and quantity (here, 5kg of "ice" methamphetamine at 100.5% purity per unreliable lab report) exceeding the jury's 500-gram mixture verdict, effectively mandating a sentence 4x the advisory range.

3. Whether a Guidelines offense level of 44 - driven by uncharged judicial findings on drug type, purity, role and money laundering never submitted to the jury — yields a substantively unreasonable sentence under Booker, where the statutory maximum absent enhancements were 20 years; and if that sentence is constitutionally valid.

Question Presented (AI Summary)

Whether a prior state conviction for simple possession of 1.5 grams of cocaine punished with probation only qualifies as a 'serious drug felony' predicate under 21 U.S.C. §851 in light of the First Step Act's exclusion of minor offenses; and whether the Fifth and Sixth Amendments permit sentencing enhancements based on judicially found drug purity and quantity exceeding the jury's verdict, and whether a Guidelines offense level driven by uncharged judicial findings yields a substantively unreasonable sentence under Booker

Docket Entries

2025-10-31
Petition for a writ of certiorari and motion for leave to proceed in forma pauperis filed. (Response due March 23, 2026)

Attorneys

Richard Henry Kayian
Richard Henry Kayian — Petitioner
United States
D. John SauerSolicitor General, Respondent