Motion for Release Pending Appeal as to Kisha Sutton — United States v. Sutton et al. (Dkt. 417, S.D. W. Va.)

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U.S. District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia · No. 2:24-cr-00192 · Doc. 417 · 2025-11-24 · Docket on CourtListener

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​IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT​
​FOR THE SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF WEST VIRGINIA​
​UNITED STATES OF AMERICA,​
​PLAINTIFF,​
​V.​
​CASE NO.: 2:24-cr–00192-01​
​KISHA SUTTON,​
​DEFENDANT.​
​DEFENDANT’S MOTION FOR RELEASE PENDING APPEAL​
​NOW​ ​COMES​ ​the​ ​Defendant,​ ​Kisha​ ​Sutton,​ ​by​ ​and​ ​through​ ​her​ ​counsel,​ ​Connor​
​Robertson,​ ​and​ ​moves​ ​the​ ​Court​ ​to​​allow​​her​​to​​remain​​free​​from​​incarceration​​pending​
​her​ ​appeal.​ ​Given​ ​Ms.​ ​Sutton’s​ ​conduct​ ​on​ ​pre-trial​ ​and​ ​post-trial​ ​release​ ​thus​ ​far,​ ​the​
​Court should be comfortable knowing she will abide by any conditions.​
​CONVICTION AND GUIDELINE CALCULATION​
​As​ ​the​ ​Court​ ​is​ ​aware,​ ​Ms.​ ​Sutton​ ​stands​ ​convicted​ ​of​ ​aiding​​and​​abetting​​bank​
​fraud​ ​in​ ​violation​ ​of​ ​18​ ​U.S.C.​ ​§§1344​ ​and​ ​2​,​ ​and​ ​of​ ​aiding​ ​and​ ​abetting​ ​money​
​laundering​ ​in​ ​violation​ ​of​ ​18​ ​U.S.C.​ ​§§​ ​1956(a)(1)(B)(i)​ ​and​ ​(2)​.​ ​As​ ​indicated​ ​in​ ​the​
​Presentence​ ​Investigation​ ​Report​ ​(“PSR”),​ ​dated​ ​November​ ​17,​ ​2025,​ ​the​ ​Total​ ​Offense​
​Level​​for​​Ms.​​Sutton​​is​​19.​​See​​PSR​​⁋​​87.​​Ms.​​Sutton’s​​Total​​Criminal​​History​​Score​​places​
​her​​in​​Category​​I​​as​​a​​zero​​point​​offender.​​Id.​ ​Thus,​​Ms.​​Sutton’s​​corresponding​​sentencing​
​guideline​ ​range,​ ​as​ ​calculated​ ​by​ ​probation,​ ​is​ ​30-37​ ​months​.​ ​Ms.​ ​Sutton​ ​is​ ​asking​ ​for​​a​
​below​ ​the​ ​guideline​ ​sentence​ ​that​ ​doesn’t​ ​include​ ​incarceration;​ ​however,​ ​should​ ​the​
​Court​ ​decide​ ​otherwise,​ ​Ms.​ ​Sutton​ ​requests​ ​to​ ​remain​ ​free​ ​from​ ​incarceration​ ​pending​
​appeal.​
​Release​ ​pending​ ​appeal​ ​is​ ​governed​ ​by​ ​18​ ​U.S.C.​ ​§3143(b)​ ​which​ ​allows​ ​for​ ​a​
​defendant​ ​to​ ​remain​ ​free​ ​on​ ​bail​ ​pending​ ​appeal​ ​if​​the​​judicial​​officer​​finds​​by​​clear​​and​
​convincing​ ​evidence​​that​​the​​person​​is​​not​​likely​​to​​flee​​or​​pose​​a​​danger​​to​​the​​safety​​of​
​any​ ​other​ ​person​​or​​the​​community​​if​​released;​​and​​the​​appeal​​is​​not​​for​​the​​purpose​​of​
​delay​ ​and​ ​raises​ ​substantial​ ​questions​ ​of​ ​law​​or​​fact​​likely​​to​​result​​in​​reversal,​​an​​order​
​for​​new​​trial,​​a​​sentence​​that​​does​​not​​include​​imprisonment,​​or​​reduced​​sentence​​term​​of​
Case 2:24-cr-00192     Document 417     Filed 11/24/25     Page 1 of 3 PageID #: 2761

​imprisonment​ ​less​ ​than​ ​the​ ​total​ ​time​ ​already​ ​served​ ​plus​ ​the​ ​expected​ ​duration​ ​fo​ ​the​
​appeal process.​
​First,​ ​there​ ​is​ ​no​ ​question​ ​that​ ​Ms.​ ​Sutton​ ​poses​ ​no​ ​threat​ ​to​ ​any​ ​person​ ​or​ ​the​
​community​ ​should​ ​she​ ​remain​ ​free​ ​on​ ​bail.​ ​Second,​ ​Ms.​ ​Sutton’s​ ​appeal​ ​is​ ​not​ ​being​
​pursued​​to​​delay​​this​​matter,​​instead​​it​​is​​to​​pursue​​challenges​​that​​Ms.​​Sutton​​lodged​​from​
​the​​beginning​​of​​her​​case.​​Finally,​​Ms.​​Sutton​​believes​​that​​there​​are​​substantial​​questions​
​of​​fact​​and​​law​​concerning​​his​​conviction​​which​​would​​lead​​to​​a​​reversal​​of​​his​​conviction.​
​As​​the​​Court​​is​​aware,​​Ms.​​Sutton​​moved​​to​​dismiss​​the​​Indictment​​arguing​​that​​venue​​was​
​not​ ​proper​ ​in​ ​the​ ​Southern​​District​​of​​West​​Virginia.​​Ms.​​Sutton​​went​​to​​trial​​to​​preserve​
​her​ ​venue​ ​argument​ ​for​ ​appeal.​ ​Obviously,​ ​this​​Court​​decided​​otherwise.​​Regardless,​​Ms.​
​Sutton​ ​maintains​ ​her​ ​belief​ ​that​ ​venue​​was​​improper​​which​​now​​needs​​to​​be​​decided​​by​
​appeal.​ ​Additionally,​ ​the​​Government​​failed​​to​​meet​​its​​burden​​of​​proof​​as​​to​​proving​​Ms.​
​Sutton knew she was defrauding a “financial institution” as defined by law.​
​CONCLUSION​
​For​​the​​reasons​​stated,​​and​​if​​the​​Court​​determines​​a​​prison​​sentence​​is​​necessary,​
​Ms.​​Sutton​​respectfully​​requests​​bail​​pending​​appeal​​given​​that​​her​​sentence​​length​​would​
​likely be similar to the time it would take to pursue the appeal process.​
​Respectfully submitted,​
​Kisha Sutton​
​By counsel,​
​s://​​Connor Robertson​
​Connor Robertson (WVSB 11460)​
​ROBERTSON LAW PLLC​
​2702 Main Street​
​Hurricane, WV 25526​
​(304) 557-1601​
​cdr@croblaw.com​
Case 2:24-cr-00192     Document 417     Filed 11/24/25     Page 2 of 3 PageID #: 2762

​IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT​
​FOR THE SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF WEST VIRGINIA​
​UNITED STATES OF AMERICA,​
​PLAINTIFF,​
​V.​
​CASE NO.: 2:24-cr–00192-01​
​KISHA SUTTON,​
​DEFENDANT.​
​CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE​
​I,​​Connor​​D.​​Robertson,​​do​​hereby​​certify​​that​​on​​this​​24th​​day​​of​​November,​​2025,​
​I​ ​electronically​ ​filed​ ​the​ ​foregoing​ ​“DEFENDANT’S​ ​MOTION​ ​FOR​ ​RELEASE​ ​PENDING​
​APPEAL”​ ​with​ ​the​ ​court​ ​using​ ​the​ ​CM/ECF​ ​system​ ​which​ ​will​ ​send​ ​notification​ ​of​ ​such​
​filing to the below counsel of record addressed to:​
​Jonathan Storage​
​Assistant United States Attorney​
​Jonathan.Storage@usdoj.gov​
​s://​​Connor Robertson​
​Connor Robertson (WVSB 11460)​
​ROBERTSON LAW PLLC​
​2702 Main Street​
​Hurricane, WV 25526​
​(304) 557-1601​
​cdr@croblaw.com​
Case 2:24-cr-00192     Document 417     Filed 11/24/25     Page 3 of 3 PageID #: 2763

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