223040P.pdf   12/07/2023  United States  v.  Christopher Holmes
   U.S. Court of Appeals Case No:  22-3040
   U.S. District Court for the Western District of Missouri - Springfield   
   [PUBLISHED] [Shepherd, Author, with Kelly and Stras, Circuit Judges] 
   Criminal case - Sentencing. Defendant received a mandatory life sentence 
   for his involvement in a drug distribution ring, but the district court 
   reduced his sentence to 240 months under the First Step Act. He appeals. 
   Any error in calculating the Guidelines range was harmless in light of the 
   court's statement that it would impose the same 240-month sentence based 
   on the 3553(a) factors, which it then went on to identify and apply; the 
   district court adequately explained its sentencing decision, considered 
   both sides' arguments, and discussed its basis for the sentence, including 
   the need to avoid unwarranted sentencing disparities; further, the court 
   varied downward, which dispels any doubt that the court failed to consider 
   the relevant sentencing factors; defendant's sentence was not 
   substantively unreasonable.