United States v. Ford

• Court: Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit
• Decided: February 4, 2026
• Docket: 25-10514
• Status: Unpublished

Opinion

Case: 25-10514 Document: 70-1 Page: 1 Date Filed: 02/04/2026

United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit ____________ United States Court of Appeals Fifth Circuit

No. 25-10514 FILED February 4, 2026 Summary Calendar ____________ Lyle W. Cayce Clerk United States of America,

Plaintiff—Appellee,

versus

Coy Montrell Ford,

Defendant—Appellant. ______________________________

Appeal from the United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas USDC No. 3:24-CR-50-1 ______________________________

Before Smith, Higginson, and Wilson, Circuit Judges. Per Curiam:* Coy Ford appeals his conviction of possession of a machine gun. He contends that the district court erred in denying his motion to suppress be- cause the evidence supporting his conviction was seized during an unconsti- tutional protective sweep of his hotel room. When considering a denial of a motion to suppress, we review factual

_____________________ * This opinion is not designated for publication. See 5th Cir. R. 47.5. Case: 25-10514 Document: 70-1 Page: 2 Date Filed: 02/04/2026

No. 25-10514

findings for clear error and the ultimate constitutionality of law enforcement action de novo. United States v. Robinson, 741 F.3d 588, 594 (5th Cir. 2014). The evidence supports the district court’s conclusion that a protective sweep was warranted to search the area immediately adjacent to the place of arrest. See United States v. Charles, 469 F.3d 402, 405–06 (5th Cir. 2006). Ford was arrested just outside the door of his hotel room. The room was small and contained spaces where a dangerous individual could hide, including a kit- chen area and a bathroom that could not be inspected from the door. The firearm was discovered in plain view between the wall and the refrigerator that had been pulled away from the wall. See United States v. Jackson, 596 F.3d 236, 241–42 (5th Cir. 2010). AFFIRMED.