United States v. Edward John Johnston, Iii, Also Known as Easy, Also Known as Ez, Also Known as Charles Edward Johnson, III

DeMOSS, Circuit Judge:

Edward John Johnston, III, a federal prisoner, moves for a certificate of appeal-ability (“COA”), claiming that the government violated his constitutional rights and 18 U.S.C. § 201(c) when it utilized witnesses who were either paid informants or *363were provided immunity from prosecution. After both the government and Johnston consented to proceed before a magistrate judge, the magistrate judge dismissed on the merits Johnston’s motion to vacate, set aside or correct sentence filed pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 2255 and also denied his motion for a COA. Because we conclude that…