and we deny his motion for a COA. I. On August 12, 1996, a grand jury sitting in the Western District of North Carolina charged Sosa with one count of conspiring to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine in violation of federal drug laws. Sosa ultimately pleaded guilty, and on August 25, 1997, the district court sentenced Sosa to 280 months imprisonment. Sosa noticed a direct appeal, which we dismissed on July 31, 1998. Sosa did not file a petition for writ of certiorari in the Supreme Court of the United States, and his conviction thus became “final” for the purpose of § 2255’s one year statute of limitations on October 29,1998, -90 days after we entered judgment. See Clay v. United States, 537 U.S. 522, 123 S.Ct. 1072, 1075, 155 L.Ed.2d 88 (2003) (<HOLDING>). On March 26, 1999, Sosa timely filed his
holding that a judgment of conviction becomes final when the time expires for filing a petition for certiorari contesting the appellate courts affirmation of the conviction holding that a state court criminal judgment is final for purposes of collateral attack in federal court at the conclusion of review in the united states supreme court or when the time for seeking certiorari review expires holding that for purposes of  2255 motions a federal criminal judgment becomes final when the time for filing a direct appeal expires holding that jurisdiction to entertain a motion to withdraw a guilty plea pursuant to icr 33c expires when the judgment of conviction becomes final ie when an appeal is concluded or in the absence of an appeal when the time for appeal has expired recognizing that where a state prisoner declines to pursue certiorari in the united states supreme court that petitioners conviction is not final  until  after the time for filing a petition for certiorari with the supreme court has passed