United States v. Haynes, No. 22-5132 (6th Cir. 2022)
Annotate this Case
In 2018, Haynes began dealing drugs as part of a larger drug-trafficking conspiracy near Knoxville, Tennessee. About a year later he was indicted on drug charges. In 2020, Haynes pled guilty to conspiring to possess with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl and 100 grams or more of heroin, 21 U.S.C. 846 and 841(a)(1), (b)(1)(B). The quantity of drugs to which Haynes pled made him subject to a mandatory minimum sentence of five years, 21 U.S.C. 841(b)(1)(B). Haynes argued that he was eligible for so-called “safety-valve” relief under 18 U.S.C. 3553(f), which allows a district court to impose a sentence below an otherwise-applicable mandatory minimum if the defendant meets certain requirements.
The Sixth Circuit affirmed his 32-month sentence, agreeing that Haynes had not met the requirements of section 3553(f)(1)(B) because he had a prior conviction for which he was assigned three points under the Sentencing Guidelines. Haynes was credited for his “substantial assistance” in prosecuting other members of the conspiracy, 18 U.S.C. 3553(e).
Some case metadata and case summaries were written with the help of AI, which can produce inaccuracies. You should read the full case before relying on it for legal research purposes.
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.