United States v. Gottlieb

MURPHY, Circuit Judge.

I. BACKGROUND

Defendant Avram Gottlieb pleaded guilty to bank robbery, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2113(a). Prior to Gottlieb’s plea, the government filed an information seeking enhancement of his sentence pursuant to 18 U.S.C. § 3559(c), popularly known as the “Three Strikes” statute. Congress enacted the Three Strikes statute in 1994 as part of a comprehensive crime control bill. See Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994, Pub.L. No. 103-322, § 70001, 108 Stat. 1796, 1982 (codified at 18 U.S.C. § 3559(c)). The statute requires the district court to…