George Kastenbaum v. United States

George Kastenbaum appeals the district court’s summary dismissal of his motion to vacate a sentence imposed upon him for a 1970 Hobbs Act conviction. We reverse and remand because the district court erred in refusing to conduct a hearing on the motion.

In February 1970, Kastenbaum and a co-defendant, Norman Jacobs, were convicted on one count of conspiracy to extort money in violation of the Hobbs Act, 18 U.S.C. § 1951. Kastenbaum was also convicted on one count of attempt to violate that statute. The district court sentenced Kastenbaum to five years’ imprisonment on the conspiracy count and…