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

Summary

Defendant's Motion for Release Pending Appeal, United States v. Kisha Sutton, Case No. 2:24-cr–00192-01, S.D. W. Va., Document 417, filed 11/24/25. Counsel Connor Robertson asks that Sutton remain free from incarceration pending appeal, noting a conviction for aiding and abetting bank fraud and aiding and abetting money laundering. The motion cites the Presentence Investigation Report (PSR), a Total Offense Level of 19, Criminal History Category I and a guideline range of 30-37 months, and says Sutton is asking for a below-guideline sentence without incarceration. Under 18 U.S.C. §3143(b), the motion argues Sutton poses no danger, the appeal is not for delay, and substantial questions include venue in the Southern District of West Virginia and whether the Government proved a financial institution.

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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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