United States of America v. Loyse Dozier

United States Court of Appeals
For the Eighth Circuit
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No. 24-1717
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United States of America
Plaintiff - Appellee
v.
Loyse Dozier
Defendant - Appellant
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Appeal from United States District Court
for the Eastern District of Missouri - St. Louis
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Submitted: April 18, 2025
Filed: July 3, 2025
[Unpublished]
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Before SMITH, SHEPHERD, and KOBES, Circuit Judges.
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PER CURIAM.
Loyse Dozier pleaded guilty to a carjacking resulting in death, 18 U.S.C.
§ 2119 and 2119(3), attempted carjacking, 18 U.S.C. § 2119 and 2119(2), being a
felon in possession of a firearm, 18 U.S.C. §§ 922(g)(1) and 924(a)(8), and
possession of fentanyl with intent to distribute, 21 U.S.C. § 841(a)(1) and
841(b)(1)(C). The parties jointly recommended a 384-month term of imprisonment,

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which was within Dozier’s applicable guideline range of 324 to 405 months. The
district court1 varied up and sentenced Dozier to 480 months. Dozier challenges the
substantive reasonableness of his sentence, which we review for an abuse of
discretion. See United States v. Feemster, 572 F.3d 455, 461 (8th Cir. 2009) (en
banc).
Dozier argues that the district court abused its discretion by failing to give
adequate weight to his mental health issues, his family history of incarceration, and
his upbringing where he witnessed his father abuse his mother from a young age.
See id. (district court abuses its discretion when it commits a clear error of judgment
in weighing the § 3553(a) sentencing factors). But the district court heavily weighed
the “incredibly serious” nature of Dozier’s crimes, where he killed “a woman who
had five children” to take her car and shot another woman three times after she had
handed over the keys in what the district court described as a “cold-blooded, cool,
reflective attempt[] to kill someone.” That the district court weighed the severity of
Dozier’s crimes more heavily than his mitigating factors does not constitute a clear
error of judgment. See United States v. Ross, 29 F.4th 1003, 1009 (8th Cir. 2022).
Affirmed.
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1 The Honorable John A. Ross, United States District Judge for the Eastern
District of Missouri.

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