United States v. Ryan Reif

COLLOTON, Circuit Judge.

Ryan Reif distributed heroin to a nineteen-year-old woman, his girlfriend, who ingested the drug and died as a result. Reif pleaded guilty to distribution of heroin to a person under the age of twenty-one. The offense carried a statutory penalty of one to forty years' imprisonment. See 21 U.S.C. §§ 859 , 841(a)(1), 841(b)(1)(C). In the plea agreement, the government agreed to dismiss a more serious charge of distribution of heroin resulting in death. See id. § 841(a)(1), (b)(1)(C).

The advisory sentencing guideline range for Reif's offense of conviction was 15-21…