Defendant’s Sentencing Memorandum, United States v. Kisha Sutton (S.D. W. Va., November 24, 2025)
Summary
The defendant's sentencing memorandum in United States v. Kisha Sutton, Case No. 2:24-cr-00192-01 (S.D. W. Va.), filed November 24, 2025 as Document 416 by counsel Connor Robertson. It states that Sutton stands convicted of aiding and abetting bank fraud under 18 U.S.C. §§1344 and 2 and aiding and abetting money laundering, and that the presentence report sets a Total Offense Level of 19, Category I and a range of 30-37 months. The memorandum seeks departures under §5H1.6 for family responsibilities and §5K2.20(b) for aberrant behavior, and argues that her co-defendants received greater amounts of money and lesser sentences. It states that she went to trial because she did not know the money came from a financial institution as defined by law and because her lawyer advised that venue in the district was questionable. Sutton asks for a sentence of probation.
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Cite this document
“Defendant’s Sentencing Memorandum, United States v. Kisha Sutton (S.D. W. Va., November 24, 2025).”
Original at ecf.wvsd.uscourts.gov. Archived at Pandemic Darlings, https://pandemicdarlings.com/source-documents/sentencing-memorandum-united-states-v-kisha-sutton-dkt-416-s-d-w-va-e80e9fd3cb/
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Case 2:24-cr-00192 Document 416 Filed 11/24/25 Page 1 of 7 PageID #: 2752
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 SENTENCING MEMORANDUM
NOW COMES the Defendant, Kisha Sutton, by and through her counsel, Connor
Robertson, and submits the following Sentencing Memorandum:
CONVICTION AND GUIDELINE CALCULATION
As the Court is aware, Ms. Sutton stands convicted o f aiding and abetting bank
fraud in violation o f 18 U.S.C. §§1344 and 2, and o f aiding and abetting money
laundering in violation o f 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
LevelforMs.Suttonis19.SeePSR⁋87.Ms.Sutton’sTotalCriminalHistoryScoreplaces
herinCategoryIasazeropointo ffender.Id. Thus,Ms.Sutton’scorrespondingsentencing
guideline range, as calculated by probation, is30-37months.
Forallo fthereasonssetforthbelow,Ms.SuttonrespectfullyrequeststheCourtto
sentence herwellbelowthisguidelinerangeafterapplyingthefollowingdeparturesand
varianceswhichwillallowtheCourttofashionasentenceforMs.Suttonthatissufficient,
but not greater than necessary. To be clear, Ms. Sutton seeks a probationary o r home
confinement sentence. Ms. Sutton’s letter to the Court is attached asExhibit 1.
RELEVANT GUIDELINE DEPARTURES
A. §5H1.6 Family Ties and Responsibilities - Loss of Caretaking and Support
Ms.Suttoncarriessignificantfamilyresponsibilities.Sheisthesoleproviderforher
householdandtheo nlysourceo ffinancialsupport.Shepaystherent,utilities,phone,and
allhouseholdexpenses.Ms.Suttonisthemothero ftwochildren,andheryoungest,whois
18 years o ld, is currentlyincollegeandsixmonthspregnant.Herpregnancyishighrisk
andrequirescontinuousmedicalattention.Ms.Suttonprovideshealthinsurancethrough
Case 2:24-cr-00192 Document 416 Filed 11/24/25 Page 2 of 7 PageID #: 2753
her employment and she assists with all medical and pregnancy related costs for her
daughter.Ms.Suttonalsoservesasherdoula,attendingherdaughter’sappointmentsand
preparing to support her through childbirth. Without Ms. Sutton’s presence for her
daughter, she would have no reliable caretaker o r financial stability during this critical
time in her life.
Additionally,Ms.Suttonhastakeninherniece’sthreechildren-ages7,10,and15-
while their mother recovers from serious health complications in a nursing home. Ms.
Suttonhascaredforthemforthepastthreemonths,ensuringtheyhavestability,love,and
support.Ms.Suttonisalsoresponsibleforassistingherelderlyanddisabledmotherwith
daily living needs, including cooking, cleaning, and transportation. These dependants all
rely on Ms. Sutton daily, both emotionally and financially.
§5H1.6setsforthanon-exhaustivelisto fcircumstancesfortheCourttoconsider
in determining whether a departure forfamilytiesandresponsibilitiesiswarranted.Ms.
Suttoncertainlyappreciatestheseriousnesso ftheo ffenseandbyfurtherargumentdoes
not intend to suggest o therwise;however,incomparisontoo therstatutoryo ffensesthis
Court sees regularly (drugs, guns, and o ther violence), her o ffense's seriousness is
somewhat lessened. Ms. Sutton’s elevatedguidelineistiedtothedollarfigureamounto f
loss, but she did not receive the financial benefit o f the total amounts. Ms. Sutton
recognizes her responsibility in the total lossamounts,butherco-defendants,whoeach
received substantially greater amounts o f the money, all received lesser sentences. This
factor should weigh in Ms. Sutton’s favor. The next two factors are not relevant to Ms.
Sutton’s offense conduct.
Beyond the factors above, because Ms. Ball is seeking departure o n the basis o f
losso fcaretakingo rfinancialsupport,thefollowingcircumstancesmustalsobepresent:
(i) a within-range sentence would “cause a substantial,directandspecificloss”o feither
essentialcaretakingo rfinancialsupporto fMs.Ball’sfamily;(ii)suchaloss“exceeds”the
harm o rdinarily incident to incarceration for a similarly situated defendant; (iii) “no
effective remedial o r ameliorative programs are reasonably available,” so that the
defendant’ssupportis“irreplaceable”;(iv)adeparture“effectivelywilladdressthelosso f
caretaking of financial support.”
Case 2:24-cr-00192 Document 416 Filed 11/24/25 Page 3 of 7 PageID #: 2754
Again, in Ms. Sutton’s case, all o f these circumstances are present. A prison
sentence o f 30-37 months would leave three school aged children without their
sole-caretaker.ThosechildrenwouldbewithoutfinancialsupportprovidedbyMs.Sutton
aswellasmedical,educational,andhousing.Ms.Sutton’syoungestdaughterwillloseher
insurance andmedicalsupportbyincarceration.IncarcerationwouldimpactMs.Sutton’s
family and dependents more substantially than any o ther mother facing charges. First,
there are likely far fewer single mothers and caretakers o f four children who have no
fatherly o r extended family support; thus, finding a similarly situated mother would be
difficult. Regardless,aprisonsentenceforMs.Suttonwouldessentiallyo rphanherthree
dependents. This is not a just result. Foster care for her niece’s children and loss o f
medicalinsuranceandcarecanandshouldinnowaybeconsideredan“effectiveremedial
program”tosubstituteforhercareandfinancialsupport.Inmanyways,astheCourtcan
imagine, foster care does more harm than good to children. Finally, a departure into a
probationaryo ralternativesentencewouldsolvethefinancialandsupportivecareforMs.
Sutton’s dependents, while alsoappropriatelyaddressingtheseriousnesso fhero ffense.
Ms. Sutton’s familial relationship with her dependents is irreplaceable and moreunique
thantheaveragefamily.Thisisespeciallytruewhenhermotherisdisabledandherniece
is in a nursing home.
B. §Aberrant Behavior
Ms.Suttonis44yearso fageandhaszerocriminalhistory.Notasinglecrimehas
everbeenchargedagainsther.Ms.Suttonisnotacriminal,sheisasinglemotherwhohas
been employed and a productive member o f society. It is undeniable that covid was a
strange time for people with strange government regulations programs, Ms. Sutton got
caught up in the weirdness o f the times. Ms. Sutton meets all o f the aberrant behavior
criteriaasMs.Ball’sinstanto ffensewasessentiallyasingleschemeo flimiteddurationand
represents a marked deviation by Ms. Sutton from and o therwise law-abiding life.
§5K2.20(b).
C. Combination of Factors
TheCourtmaydepartfromtheapplicableguidelinerangebasedo nacombination
o ftwoo rmoreo ffendercharacteristicso ro thercircumstances,noneo fwhicho therwise
suffices as a basis for departure when (1) such o ffender characteristics o r o ther
Case 2:24-cr-00192 Document 416 Filed 11/24/25 Page 4 of 7 PageID #: 2755
circumstances, taken together, make the case an exceptional o ne; and (2) each o ffender
characteristic o r o ther circumstance is present to a substantial degree; andidentifiedin
theguidelinesasapermissiblegroundfordeparture,evenifsucho ffendercharacteristic
o r o ther circumstance is not o rdinarily relevant to a determination o f whether a
departureiswarranted.§5K2.0(c).ThisallowstheCourttoconsiderMs.Sutton’sLosso f
Familial Support and Aberrant Behavior together.
RELEVANT §3553(a) FACTORS
Ms.SuttonincorporateshereineachandeveryargumentstatedaboveastheCourt
has the ability to use those arguments to support a variance o utside the narrow
prescriptions of specific policy statements.
A. The nature and circumstances of the offense.
Ms.Suttoncertainlyrespectstheseriousnesso fhero ffense(s)convictionandhow
thevictimso fthisschemesufferedloss.Ms.Sutton,however,didnotknowthatthismoney
was coming from a financial institution as defined by law. She also relied upon her
lawyer’sadvicethatthevenueintheSouthernDistricto fWestVirginiawasquestionable.
For those two reasons alone, she chose to go to trial. Shecouldnotingoodconscience
agree to plead guilty to an o ffense that defied her knowledge.Instead,sheattemptedto
negotiate with the government where she o ffered to plead guilty to conspiracy tomake
falsestatementstoagovernmento rganization.Acrimethattheguidelineswouldtreatthe
same for all intents andpurposes.Itwasthegovernmentthatrefusedheracceptanceo f
responsibility.
Ms. Sutton’s pretrial release conduct should also be considered. Ms. Sutton has
substantially complied with all pre-trial requirements. She has maintained steady
employment, supported her family, and attended each and every court appearance.Her
home is well qualified and suited for an alternative sentence. Positive Pre-Trial release
conduct supports consideration o f a variance. See United States v. Davis, 20 F.4th 1217,
1221 (8th Cir. 2022). (8th Circuit affirmed a downward variance based upon a
combinationo fthedefendant’s“meritoriousmilitarycareer”andpositivepretrialrelease
conduct).
B. The history and characteristics of Ms. Sutton.
Case 2:24-cr-00192 Document 416 Filed 11/24/25 Page 5 of 7 PageID #: 2756
As stated above, Ms. Sutton has no criminal history, has maintained a productive
employmentrecord,andisacaretakerforherfamily.Forthepastsevenyears,Ms.Sutton
has been employed with an o rganization that provides vital support and services to
individuals living with HIV. Her position allows her to give back to the community in
meaningful ways, helping vulnerable members access care and maintain stability. Her
workisnotjustajob,itrepresentshercommitmenttoservingo thersandbeingapositive
force in the community. She is proud o f her work. In addition, she is currently in
counselingtoaddressdepression,anxiety,andstress.Ms.Sutton’ssessionshavebeenan
essentialparto fhergrowthingettingherthroughthisprosecution.Throughcounseling,
she has gained a greater understanding o f her choices, the consequences, and how to
moveforwardinapositiveandresponsiblemanner.Ms.Suttoniscommittedtocontinuing
thisworkforhermentalandemotionalhealth,andtoensurethatshedoesnotrepeatthe
mistakes of her past.
C. The need for the sentence imposed to reflect the seriousness of the offense, to
promote respect for the law, and to provide just punishment.
Aprobationarysentenceo rhomeconfinementwouldreflecttheseriousnesso fMs.
Sutton’s conduct. Ms. Sutton has never been imprisoned in her life. Prison has greater
significanceforthoseimprisonedforthefirsttime.FederalCourtshavegrantedvariances
after considering that a defendant has not previously served time in prison. Judge
Chambersfrequentlyconsidersthisargumento uto ftheHuntingtonDivision..SeeUnited
Statesv.Baker,445F.3d987(7thCir.2006)(affirmingnon-guidelinesentence,justifiedin
partbyjudge’sfindingthataimprisonmentwouldmeanmoretothisdefendantthano ne
who has been imprisoned before, which resonatedwiththegoalo f“justpunishment”in
Section 3553(a)(2)(A) and “adequate deterrence” in Section 3553(a)(2)(B)).
Aprobationaryo rhomeconfinementsentencewouldreflecttheseriousnesso fthe
o ffense,promoterespectforthelaw,andprovidejustpunishmentallwhileallowingherto
continue her employment and make restitution to the victims.
CONCLUSION
For the reasons stated above, the Defendant, Kisha Sutton, begs for mercy from
this Court and respectfully asks for a sentence of probation.
Case 2:24-cr-00192 Document 416 Filed 11/24/25 Page 6 of 7 PageID #: 2757
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 416 Filed 11/24/25 Page 7 of 7 PageID #: 2758
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,ConnorD.Robertson,doherebycertifythato nthis24thdayo fNovember,2025,
Ielectronicallyfiledtheforegoing“DEFENDANT’SSENTENCINGMEMORANDUM”withthe
court using the CM/ECF system which will send notification o f 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
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