(C)

Effect in Federal Criminal Cases.  State rehabilitative relief is ineffective to eliminate a prior controlled substances conviction for purposes of avoiding a sentence enhancement in a later federal drug case.[15] 

[15] United States v. Norbury, 492 F.3d 1012 (9th Cir. Jun. 25, 2007) (determination of whether current controlled substances offense was committed after a prior conviction for a felony drug offense has become final, so as to enhance federal sentence under 21 U.S.C. § 841(b)(1)((A)-(D) is made under federal law, not state law; under federal law: "An expunged or dismissed state conviction qualifies as a prior conviction if the expungement or dismissal does not alter the legality of the conviction or does not represent that the defendant was actually innocent of the crime."), following Dickerson v. New Banner Inst., Inc., 460 U.S. 103, 115, 103 S.Ct. 986, 74 L.Ed.2d 845 (1983).

Second Circuit

POST CON RELIEF " REHABILITATIVE RELIEF " INEFFECTIVE UNLESS BASED ON LEGAL DEFECT
Wellington v. Holder, 623 F.3d 115 (2d Cir. Oct. 20, 2011) (No. 09-4111) (a Certificate of Relief or similar state rehabilitative treatment does not preclude use of the underlying offense as a basis for removal or as a basis for ineligibility for relief, where the state treatment was not related to a procedural or substantive defect in the criminal proceedings).

POST CON RELIEF " STATE REHABILITATIVE RELIEF " FEDERAL FIRST OFFENDER ACT
Wellington v. Holder, 623 F.3d 115 (2d Cir. Oct. 20, 2010) (We hold that an alien who receives state rehabilitative treatment for a removable offense under 8 U.S.C. 1182(a)(2)(A)(i)(II) remains "convicted" of that offense pursuant to the definition of "conviction" in the Immigration and Nationality Act, see INA 101(a)(48)(A), 8 U.S.C. 1101(a)(48)(A), even if the alien would have been eligible for relief under the Federal First Offender Act had she been prosecuted in federal court. See 18 U.S.C. 3607.).