United States v. Devon Williams

── United States v. Devon Williams ── Court: Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit Date: May 21, 2026 Category: General NOT PRECEDENTIAL UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS FOR THE THIRD CIRCUIT ____________ No. 25-1402 ____________ UNITED STATES OF AMERICA v. DEVON WILLIAMS, Appellant ____________ On Appeal from the United States District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania (D.C. No. 3:14-cr-00244-001) District Judge: Honorable Robert D. Mariani ____________ Submitted Under Third Circuit L.A.R. 34.1(a) March 27, 2026 Before: HARDIMAN, SCIRICA, and AMBRO, Circuit Judges (Filed: May 21, 2026) _______________ OPINION * _______________ * This disposition is not an opinion of the full Court and pursuant to I.O.P. 5.7 does not constitute binding precedent. HARDIMAN, Circuit Judge. This is an appeal from an order revoking Devon Williams’s supervised release. Williams argues that the District Court should not have considered the need to promote respect for the law and provide just punishment when it imposed a mandatory revocation sentence under 18 U.S.C. § 3583(g). Because the District Court sentenced Williams consistent with our precedent, we will affirm. I After Williams was convicted on state charges for discharging a firearm into an occupied structure and receiving stolen property, he threatened to kill the judge who denied his request for bail modification. Williams pleaded guilty to mailing a threatening communication, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 876(c). The District Court sentenced him to 48 months’ imprisonment to be followed by three years’ supervised release. Within about one month of his release from prison, Williams violated his conditions of supervised release related to drug use and possession. The District Court revoked the term of supervised release and sentenced him to seven months’ imprisonment and a new two-year term of supervised release. After Williams was released, he again violated his supervised release conditions. He used marijuana on multiple occasions, failed to attend substance-abuse treatment, and resided out of the district. Even worse, he also burglarized a residence and robbed three people. Williams and his two confederates tied up the three victims and stole multiple firearms, silver bars, cell phones, and other personal items. One perpetrator brandished a 2 firearm. Williams was charged in state court, convicted after a jury trial, and sentenced to 13 to 26 years’ imprisonment. Williams’s state crimes provoked a mandatory revocation proceeding under 18 U.S.C. § 3583(g). The District Court explained that it had to consider the sentencing factors in 18 U.S.C. § 3553(a). Williams’s Guidelines range was 18 to 24 months’ imprisonment, and the Court sentenced him to 18 months’ imprisonment to run consecutive to his state sentence. The Court emphasized that Williams committed a “breach of trust” and committed very serious violations constituting new crimes. App. 41–42. The Court also noted the need to “promote respect for the law,” “provide adequate deterrence for criminal conduct,” and “protect the public.” App. 42. After the District Court imposed the sentence, Williams’s counsel asked for clarification. Counsel noted that the Court had referred to “promot[in