`
`UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS
`FOR THE FOURTH CIRCUIT
`
`
`No. 21-4346
`
`
`UNITED STATES OF AMERICA,
`
`
`
`
`
`MICHAEL ANTHONY TOLER,
`
`
`
`
`Plaintiff - Appellee,
`
`
`
`v.
`
`
`
`Defendant - Appellant.
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`Appeal from the United States District Court for the Northern District of West Virginia, at
`Wheeling. John Preston Bailey, District Judge. (5:20-cr-00008-JPB-JPM-1)
`
`
`
`
`Submitted: January 20, 2022
`
`
`
`Decided: January 24, 2022
`
`
`
`Before WILKINSON, DIAZ, and THACKER, Circuit Judges.
`
`
`Affirmed by unpublished per curiam opinion.
`
`
`
`
`Scott C. Brown, SCOTT C. BROWN LAW OFFICE, Wheeling, West Virginia, for
`Appellant. Shawn Michael Adkins, Assistant United States Attorney, OFFICE OF THE
`UNITED STATES ATTORNEY, Wheeling, West Virginia, for Appellee.
`
`
`
`
`Unpublished opinions are not binding precedent in this circuit.
`
`
`
`
`
`PER CURIAM:
`
`Michael Anthony Toler pleaded guilty, pursuant to a written plea agreement, to
`
`possession with intent to distribute cocaine base, in violation of 21 U.S.C. § 841(a)(1),
`
`(b)(1)(C). The district court sentenced Toler to 46 months’ imprisonment. On appeal,
`
`Toler’s counsel has filed a brief pursuant to Anders v. California, 386 U.S. 738 (1967),
`
`concluding that there are no meritorious grounds for appeal but questioning whether
`
`Toler’s guilty plea is valid. Although he was informed of his right to do so, Toler has not
`
`filed a pro se supplemental brief. For the following reasons, we affirm.
`
`Because Toler did not move in the district court to withdraw his guilty plea, we
`
`review the validity of his plea for plain error. United States v. Williams, 811 F.3d 621, 622
`
`(4th Cir. 2016). Prior to accepting a guilty plea, the district court, through a colloquy with
`
`the defendant, must inform the defendant of, and determine that the defendant understands,
`
`the charge to which the plea is offered, any mandatory minimum penalty, the maximum
`
`possible penalty he faces upon conviction, and the various rights he is relinquishing by
`
`pleading guilty. Fed. R. Crim. P. 11(b). The district court also must ensure that the
`
`defendant’s plea was voluntary, was supported by a sufficient factual basis, and did not
`
`result from force or threats, or promises not contained in the plea agreement. Fed. R. Crim.
`
`P. 11(b)(2), (3). In reviewing the adequacy of compliance with Rule 11, “[w]e accord
`
`deference to the trial court’s decision as to how best to conduct the mandated colloquy with
`
`the defendant.” United States v. Moussaoui, 591 F.3d 263, 295 (4th Cir. 2010) (internal
`
`quotation marks omitted). We have reviewed the Rule 11 colloquy and conclude that the
`
`district court did not plainly err by accepting Toler’s plea.
`2
`
`
`
`
`
`In accordance with Anders, we have reviewed the entire record in this case and have
`
`found no meritorious grounds for appeal. We therefore affirm the district court’s judgment.
`
`This court requires that counsel inform Toler, in writing, of the right to petition the
`
`Supreme Court of the United States for further review. If Toler requests that a petition be
`
`filed, but counsel believes that such a petition would be frivolous, then counsel may move
`
`in this court for leave to withdraw from representation. Counsel’s motion must state that
`
`a copy thereof was served on Toler.
`
`We dispense with oral argument because the facts and legal contentions are
`
`adequately presented in the materials before this court and argument would not aid the
`
`decisional process.
`
`AFFIRMED
`
`
`
`3
`
`