Case Explained: UNITED STATES OF AMERICA v. RICK TARIQ RAHIM

Court: United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit Filed: 2026-06-23 The Fourth Circuit dismissed in part and affirmed in part the appeals of Rick Tariq Rahim regarding his convictions for willful failure to account for taxes (26 U.S.C. § 7202) and wire fraud (18 U.S.C. § 1343), as well as his 78-month aggregate sentence. The court held that Rahim’s plea agreements contained valid appeal waivers, which he knowingly and intelligently agreed to under the totality of the circumstances, including the district court’s compliance with Fed. R. Crim. P. 11 during the colloquy. Consequently, the court granted the Government’s motion to dismiss all issues falling within the scope of these broad waivers. The court also denied the Government’s alternative motion to dismiss based on fugitive status but exercised its discretion not to apply that doctrine since Rahim was arrested by state authorities while appeals were pending. After reviewing the entire record pursuant to *Anders v. California* to identify any potentially meritorious issues outside the scope of the waivers, the court found none and affirmed the criminal judgment. As a practical consequence, Rahim’s convictions and sentence stand; counsel is required to inform him in writing of his right to petition the Supreme Court for further review, though no oral argument was held. Do It For The Case Law is a news reporting service. Nothing in this episode constitutes legal advice.