Case Explained: Non-Argument Calendar UNITED STATES OF AMERICA v. KANETHIA TREMEKA STEELE

Court: United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit Filed: 2026-07-01 Docket: 1:24-cr-00009-AW-MAL-1 The Eleventh Circuit affirmed Kanethia Steele’s 135-month sentence for conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, rejecting her claim that the sentence was substantively unreasonable. The court applied the abuse of discretion standard of review, which permits vacating a sentence only if the district court committed a clear error of judgment by failing to consider relevant factors, weighing improper factors, or arriving at a sentence outside the range dictated by the facts under 18 U.S.C. § 3553(a). The appellate panel found that the district court properly considered all applicable sentencing factors, including Steele’s extensive health issues and need for medical treatment, while also giving appropriate weight to aggravating circumstances such as the large volume of drugs trafficked, her prior criminal history, and her decision to enlist her son in the conspiracy. The court noted that the district court explicitly acknowledged Steele’s health conditions by imposing a sentence at the bottom of the applicable Guidelines range and recommending specific housing accommodations within the Bureau of Prisons. Because the sentence fell within the statutory Guidelines range and the district court did not clearly err in its weighing of factors, the conviction and sentence stand as affirmed. Do It For The Case Law is a news reporting service. Nothing in this episode constitutes legal advice.