United States v. Curet

LYNCH, Chief Judge.

Alex Curet appeals his below-guidelines career offender sentence of 174 months after a plea of guilty to three counts of conspiracy to distribute cocaine base and distribution of cocaine base within 1,000 feet of a school. His appeal raises an issue that we have not resolved before: whether a Massachusetts state-court “guilty-fíled” disposition qualifies as a “conviction” for purposes of the career offender guidelines, U.S.S.G. § 4B1.1(a)(3). We hold that it does, and that federal law controls the issue. We affirm Curet’s sentence.

I

Alex Curet and a co-defendant were…