United States v. Melvin Thomas Wilcox, AKA Duke Taylor, Alfred Cameron, United States of America v. Alfred Lewis Cameron

The government appeals the order of the district court granting the appellees’ motions for relief under 28 U.S.C. § 2255 , and vacating their sentences for convictions on bank robbery and firearms charges. We reverse the court’s order, and remand for further findings.

I. BACKGROUND

On January 21, 1977, Alfred Lewis Cameron was sentenced by the United States District Court for the District of Nevada to 15 years in prison following his conviction for armed bank robbery in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2113 (a) and (d). This court affirmed that conviction by memorandum disposition. United States v. Alfred Lewis Cameron, 566 F.2d 1184 (1977). On August 30, 1977, both Cameron and Melvin Thomas Wilcox were sentenced to serve various concurrent sentences on several firearms offenses. This court also affirmed those convictions by memorandum. United States v. Cameron and Wilcox, 570 F.2d 352 (1978), cert. denied, Wilcox v. United States, 436 U.S. 912 , 98 S.Ct. 2251 , 56 L.Ed.2d 412 , and Cameron v. United States, 437 U.S. 906 , 98 S.Ct. 3096 , 57 L.Ed.2d 1137 (1978).

Cameron and Wilcox each filed motions to vacate these sentences pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 2255 . Their separate motions stated…