U.S. v. Taylor

OPINION AND ORDER While on parole for a state controlled substances offense, Clifford Taylor stored both narcotics and firearms behind a false wall in a closet in his apartment until they were discovered by parole officers during a search. After this Court denied his motion to suppress this evidence, Taylor pleaded guilty to unlawfully possessing with the intent to distribute fentanyl, in violation of the federal controlled substances laws. Taylor was then sentenced principally to a term of 84 months’ imprisonment. Though Taylor did not appeal from his conviction or sentence, he has filed a motion to vacate, set aside, or correct his sentence pursuant to 28 U.S.C. §2255, claiming constitutional violations in connection with his prosecution and guilty plea. For the reasons set forth in the remainder of this Opinion, the Court denies Taylor’s Section 2255 motion, though it grants his request to correct certain clerical errors in his Presentence Investigation Report (or “PSR”) and his written judgment. BACKGROUND¹ A. Factual Background As a result of a 2016 conviction in New York State Supreme Court for attempted criminal possession of a controlled substance in the third degree, Clifford Taylor was on parole as of February 2019. (PSR 13). As part of his conditions of parole, Taylor was obligated to inform his supervising parole officer, André Logan, of his residence and to allow visits at that residence. (Id.