USA v. Lesley Green

11th CircuitOct 23, 2025

Split Score

SplitScore: 58/100

Case Summary

Disposition

Affirmed

The court upheld the RICO conspiracy convictions, murder findings, life sentences, and restitution order. It rejected challenges to evidence, continuance denials, jury anonymity, shackling, and double-jeopardy merger, and adopted the broader reading of the MVRA that permits restitution for a victim’s family member’s lost income, noting and resolving an existing circuit split.

Circuit Split Identified

Legal Issue

Whether the Mandatory Victims Restitution Act (18 U.S.C. § 3663A) authorizes restitution to reimburse a deceased victim’s family member for the family member’s own lost income and related expenses incurred in attending court proceedings.

Circuit Positions

2nd Circuit3rd Circuit9th Circuit11th Circuit(this circuit)

Family member who assumes victim’s rights may recover his/her own lost income and related expenses under § 3663A(b)(4).

8th Circuit10th Circuit

Restitution cannot include family member’s personal lost income; only the deceased victim’s own losses are compensable.

Conflict Summary

Some circuits interpret § 3663A(a)(2) & (b)(4) to let a representative or family member who "assume[s] the victim’s rights" recover his or her own lost income and expenses; others read the statute as limiting restitution strictly to losses directly sustained by the actual victim (and therefore excluding the family member’s personal losses).

Parties & Counsel

Parties

Appellant:Lesley Chappell Green; Philmon Deshawn Chambers
Appellee:United States of America

Opinion Document