Whether the Eighth Amendment forbids the creation of a de-facto mandatory life without parole sentence through stacking 18 U.S.C. § 924(c) charges

QUESTIONS PRESENTED Whether the Eighth Amendment forbids the creation of a de-facto mandatory life without parole sentence through stacking 18 U.S.C. § 924(c) charges for sting operations in which the government exercised control over the predicates for sentencing enhancements. Whether the Due Process Clause is violated when a sentencing court refuses to consider, as a mitigating factor, whether the government has engaged in a scheme to manipulate minimum mandatory sentencing statutes to intentionally enhance the severity of the offense.