The petitioner, Eric Garner was sentenced in the United States District Court for the Northern District of West Virginia to a sentence of 300 months upon his guilty plea to the offense of Conspiracy to distribute 400 grams or more of a fentanyl mixture in violation of 21 USC §846. Mr. Garner was 58 years old at the time of his sentencing. In serving the sentence imposed by the district court Mr. Garner would be over 8 lyears old at the time he completed his sentence. At sentencing counsel moved the court for a variance sentence of 168 to 210 months, arguing that Mr. Garner's age, in relation to the length of his sentence was significant factor in imposing a sentence that was no longer than necessary to serve the goals of sentencing. In imposing its sentence the district court did not give any material consideration to Mr. Garner's age in relation to the length of his sentence and the extent to which it impacted sentencing factors.

The issue before the Court it whether the sentence imposed was reasonable in light of the district court's failure to appropriately consider Mr. Garner's age and its impact on sentencing factors, and the Court of Appeals affirmation of the district court's sentencing analysis.

Whether a district court's failure to give material consideration to a defendant's advanced age in relation to the length of his sentence, in violation of the requirement to impose a sentence no longer than necessary, renders a 300-month sentence for drug conspiracy unreasonable under 18 U.S.C. § 3553(a)