| Counterman entered a plea of guilty to possession with intent to distribute in excess of 50 grams of methamphetamine, money laundering, and aiding and abetting. His contemporaneously-filed plea agreement stated that the possession charge carried a mandatory minimum period of imprisonment of 20 years. The government subsequently submitted an “Information of Prior Convictions” under 21 U.S.C. 851(a), which resulted in the imposition of an enhanced sentence of 144 months. The Third Circuit vacated. Under 21 U.S.C. 851(a)(1), no person convicted of Counterman's drug offense "shall be sentenced to increased punishment by reason of one or more prior convictions, unless before trial, or before entry of a plea of guilty, the United States attorney files an information with the court . . . stating in writing the previous convictions to be relied upon.” The court rejected arguments that Counterman received actual notice of the enhancement and that the sentence imposed falls within the pre-enhancement range contemplated by statute and the Sentencing Guidelines. The filing of a 21 U.S.C. 851(a)(1) information is mandatory. Counterman, without actual notice of the government’s intent to rely on a particular prior conviction for an enhancement and the attendant opportunity to contest it, waived his trial rights. The error affected Counterman’s substantial rights and the fundamental fairness of the proceeding. |
