United States v. Qunitarious Grant
Court
Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals
Decided
August 7, 2025
Jurisdiction
F
Importance
52%
Practice Areas
Case Summary
USCA11 Case: 24-12932 Document: 25-1 Date Filed: 08/07/2025 Page: 1 of 6 [DO NOT PUBLISH] In the United States Court of Appeals For the Eleventh Circuit ____________________ No. 24-12932 Non-Argument Calendar ____________________ UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, Plaintiff-Appellee, versus QUNITARIOUS TAVARES GRANT, a.k.a. “Q”, a.k.a. big dawg, Defendant-Appellant. ____________________ Appeal from the United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida USCA11 Case: 24-12932 Document: 25-1 Date Filed: 08/07/2025 Page: 2 of 6 2 Opinion of the Court 24-12932 D.C. Docket No. 1:18-cr-20080-DPG-1 ____________________ Before JORDAN, JILL PRYOR, and LUCK, Circuit Judges. PER CURIAM: Qunitarious Grant appeals the district court’s order denying his motion seeking a sentence reduction under 18 U.S.C. § 3582(c)(2). He argues that he is entitled to a reduction based on Amendment 821 to the Sentencing Guidelines. The government has moved for summary affirmance. We GRANT the govern- ment’s motion. I. After Grant participated in two armed robberies, he pleaded guilty to two counts of brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 924(c). For each count, Grant faced a mandatory minimum sentence of seven years, and the sentences had to be consecutive. See 18 U.S.C. § 924(c)(1)(A)(ii). Before sentencing, a probation officer prepared a presen- tence investigation report (“PSR”). The PSR explained that for con- victions under § 924(c), the applicable guidelines range is “the min- imum term of imprisonment required by statute.” U.S. Sent’g Guidelines Manual § 2K2.4. The PSR thus reported that the appli- cable guidelines range for each count was seven years. And because the sentences had to run concurrently, Grant’s guidelines range was 14 years (or 168 months). At sentencing, the district court im- posed a total sentence of 192 months’ imprisonment. USCA11 Case: 24-12932 Document: 25-1 Date Filed: 08/07/2025 Page: 3 of 6 24-12932 Opinion of the Court 3 The government later filed a motion to reduce Grant’s sen- tence pursuant to Federal Rule of Criminal Procedure 35. The court granted the motion and reduced Grant’s sentence to 154 months’ imprisonment. After Grant received a sentence reduction, the Sentencing Commission amended the guideline provision addressing criminal history status points. At the time Grant was sentenced, when a dis- trict court calculated a criminal history score under Chapter Four of the guidelines, a defendant received two additional criminal his- tory points if he committed his offense of conviction while under any criminal justice sentence. See U.S.S.G. § 4A1.1(d) (2019). Amendment 821 altered the way “status points” were scored. After Amendment 821, if a defendant had seven or more criminal history points and committed the instant offense while under a criminal justice sentence, he received one additional criminal history point. See U.S.S.G. § 4A1.1(e) (2024). And if he had fewer than seven crim- inal history points and committed the instant offense while under a criminal justice sentence, he received no additional criminal his- tory points. Id. The Sentencing Commission made this portion of Amendment 821 retroactive. See id. § 1B1.10(d). After Amendment 821 went into effect, Grant filed a motion in the district court requesting a sentence reduction. The district court denied the motion. This is Grant’s appeal. The government has moved for summary affirmance. USCA11 Case: 24-12932 Document: 25-1 Date Filed: 08/07/2025 Page: 4 of 6 4 Opinion of the Court 24-12932 II. Summary disposition is appropriate, in part, where “the po- sition of one of the parties is clearly right as a matter of law so that there can be no substantial question as to the outcome of the case, or where, as i
Case Details
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Status
Decided
Date Decided
August 7, 2025
Jurisdiction
F
Court Type
appellate
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Case Summary
AI-generated comprehensive summary with legal analysis
Case Overview
In United States v. Qunitarious Grant, the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals reviewed an appeal concerning a sentence reduction under 18 U.S.C. § 3582(c)(2). The case was decided on August 7, 2025, and involved the defendant, Qunitarious Tavares Grant, who had previously pleaded guilty to two counts of brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence.
Key Legal Issues
- Eligibility for Sentence Reduction: Grant sought a sentence reduction based on Amendment 821 to the Sentencing Guidelines.
- Impact of Amendment 821: The amendment altered how criminal history points are calculated, raising questions about its retroactive application.
Court's Decision
The Eleventh Circuit affirmed the district court's decision to deny Grant's motion for a sentence reduction. The court granted the government's motion for summary affirmance, concluding that Grant was ineligible for a reduction under § 3582(c)(2).
Legal Reasoning
The court's decision hinged on the interpretation of 18 U.S.C. § 3582(c)(2), which allows for sentence reductions when a defendant's sentencing range has been lowered by the Sentencing Commission. The court outlined a two-step process for evaluating such motions:
- Determine the defendant's eligibility for a sentence modification based on the relevant amendment.
- Assess whether the court should exercise its discretion to grant a reduction.
In this case, the court found that Amendment 821 did not alter Grant's guidelines range. Under U.S.S.G. § 2K2.4, the guidelines for Grant's convictions were based solely on the statutory minimum sentences, which remained unchanged by the amendment.
Key Holdings
- Grant's guidelines range was not affected by Amendment 821, making him ineligible for a sentence reduction.
- The court emphasized that § 2K2.4(b) directs that the guidelines range for a § 924(c) conviction is determined without reference to Chapters Three or Four of the guidelines.
- The court reiterated that a defendant cannot receive a sentence reduction if the relevant amendment does not change their guidelines range, as established in United States v. Moore.
Precedents and Citations
- Dillon v. United States, 560 U.S. 817 (2010) - Established the two-step process for sentence reduction motions.
- United States v. Moore, 541 F.3d 1323 (11th Cir. 2008) - Clarified that an amendment must affect the guidelines range for eligibility under § 3582(c)(2).
Practical Implications
This case underscores the importance of understanding the specific provisions of the Sentencing Guidelines and their amendments. Legal practitioners should note:
- The necessity of demonstrating how a guideline amendment impacts a defendant's sentencing range when seeking reductions.
- The limitations imposed by statutory minimums in cases involving firearm offenses under 18 U.S.C. § 924(c).
- The significance of the retroactive application of amendments and how they can affect ongoing and future cases.
In conclusion, the Eleventh Circuit's ruling in United States v. Qunitarious Grant serves as a critical reminder of the procedural and substantive requirements for sentence reductions, particularly in the context of firearm-related convictions.
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Case Details
Legal case information
Status
Decided
Date Decided
August 7, 2025
Jurisdiction
F
Court Type
appellate
Legal Significance
Case importance metrics
Metadata
Additional information
Quick Actions
Case management tools