United States v. Kenneth Archambeau

179 F. App'x 403
CourtCourt of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit
DecidedJune 7, 2006
Docket05-2371
StatusUnpublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 179 F. App'x 403 (United States v. Kenneth Archambeau) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
United States v. Kenneth Archambeau, 179 F. App'x 403 (8th Cir. 2006).

Opinion

[UNPUBLISHED]

PER CURIAM.

Following a jury trial, Kenneth Archambeau was convicted of one count of unlawful possession of a firearm as a convicted felon in violation of 18 U.S.C. §§ 922(g)(1) and 924(a)(2). Archambeau appeals, and we affirm the district court. 1

According to evidence presented at trial, on July 22, 2004, Archambeau, a convicted felon, and Leland Fallis visited Darrel Gregor at his house in Wagner, South Dakota. Archambeau inquired whether Gregor would “take a couple of guns in hock.” (T. Tr. at 103). Although Gregor is blind, he recognized Arehambeau’s voice. After asking whether the guns were “hot,” to which Archambeau replied that he had not stolen them, Gregor agreed to pay $35, with the understanding that Archambeau would later repay the loan with $15 interest and regain possession of the guns. (T. Tr. at 105, 107, 117). Gregor asked Sherry Zephier, who lives with Gregor, to write out the serial numbers and makes of the guns, then told Archambeau to sign his name. (T. Tr. at 105, 108). Archambeau initially tried to get Fallis to the sign the document, then signed someone else’s name, and finally signed his own name. (T. Tr. at 109). Archambeau, who had been drinking throughout the previous night and into the morning, left to buy beer. (T. Tr. at 64, 194). Shortly thereafter, Gregor learned that the guns had been stolen from Joey Kezena, called Kezena’s father to tell him that he had the guns, and eventually returned the guns to Kezena, who contacted the police. (T. Tr. at 37, 39, 44, 110).

The jury found Archambeau guilty of unlawful possession of a firearm as a convicted felon, but acquitted him of knowingly possessing a stolen firearm. At sentencing, the court applied a two-level enhancement for possessing stolen firearms, see USSG § 2K2.1(b)(4), calculated an advisory guideline range of 84 to 105 months, (S. Tr. at 45), and then, based on the atypical nature of the case, applied a “Booker variance” to arrive at a sentence of 66 months’ imprisonment. (S. Tr. at 58-59). The court found that “given the fact of how drunk he was, ... he would have pawned anything in order to get more booze.” (S. Tr. at 54).

On appeal, Archambeau argues that the evidence presented at trial was insufficient to prove that he possessed the guns. We view the evidence in the light most favorable to the jury’s verdict, and reverse only if no reasonable jury could find the defendant guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. United States v. Sheikh, 367 F.3d 756, 763 (8th Cir.2004).

The evidence supports a finding that Archambeau possessed the guns. Kezena testified that two guns were stolen from a locked closet in his bedroom on July 21, 2004. Zephier testified that on July 22, 2004, she saw Archambeau carrying something wrapped in a blanket, and he approached her to ask where he could “hock” some guns. (T. Tr. at 54, 57). Zephier, who was with Fallis, walked with Archambeau to Gregor’s house. When they arrived, Zephier saw that the blanket covered two guns, which Archambeau put on the table and asked if Gregor would take in hock. (T. Tr. at 58-59). After Gregor *405 agreed to take the guns, Zephier testified that Gregor had her write the serial numbers on a piece of paper, and she watched as Archambeau signed the paper. (T. Tr. at 60-62). She testified that Gregor took the piece of paper and gave Archambeau money. (T. Tr. at 63). Gregor also testified that Archambeau, whose voice he recognized, asked whether Gregor would put some guns in hock, and he agreed, but required Archambeau to sign a piece of paper listing the serial numbers of the guns. (T. Tr. at 103-04). Gregor stated that upon discovering the guns might have been stolen from Kezena, he called Kezena, who came to identify the guns. (T. Tr. at 110). Kezena testified that the guns were his. (T. Tr. at 39).

Archambeau argues on appeal that Gregor is not credible because he is blind, and that Zephier is not credible because she was intoxicated and has given contradictory accounts of the events. Credibility of witnesses, however, is a matter for the jury. United States v. Mangine, 302 F.3d 819, 823 (8th Cir.2002). Archambeau had an opportunity to cross-examine the witnesses and argue these issues to the jury. Taking the evidence in the light most favorable to the verdict, a reasonable juror could infer that Archambeau possessed the stolen guns and exchanged them for money with Gregor.

Archambeau next argues that the district court improperly gave an instruction that encouraged the jury to focus on Archambeau’s intoxication, rather than on the evidence, and improperly “played into the ‘drunken Indian’ stereotype.” (Appellant’s Supplemental Br. at 15-16). Since Archambeau did not object to the instructions at trial, (T. Tr. at 155-56), we review for plain error. United States v. Willis, 277 F.3d 1026, 1031 (8th Cir.2002). The trial court has broad discretion in formulating jury instructions, and a “defendant is not entitled to a particularly worded instruction where the instructions given adequately and correctly cover the substance of the requested instruction.” United States v. Johnson, 278 F.3d 749, 751-52 (8th Cir.2002) (internal quotation omitted). On appeal, we consider the instructions as a whole, and affirm if they “fairly and adequately submitted the issues to the jury.” Id.

Intoxication is a defense to possessing stolen guns, a specific intent crime, United States v. Iron Eyes, 367 F.3d 781, 784-85 (8th Cir.2004), but it is not a defense to unlawful possession of a firearm as a previously convicted felon, a general intent crime. United States v. Klein, 13 F.3d 1182, 1183 (8th Cir.1994). The jury instructions given by the court stated:

One of the issues in this case is whether Defendant was intoxicated at the time the acts charged in Count 2 of the Indictment were committed. Intoxication, however, is not a defense to Count 1.... Evidence that Defendant acted while under the influence of alcohol may be considered by you, together with all the other evidence, in determining whether or not he did in fact know or have reasonable cause to believe that the firearms were stolen.

(Jury Instruction No. 21, R. at 63). Archambeau argues that this instruction should also have included language stating that the jury “cannot, however, convict the defendant simply because he was intoxicated. Although intoxication is not a defense to the crime charged in Count 1, neither is it a fact favoring conviction.” (Appellant’s Supplemental Br. at 16).

We find no error by the district court. The challenged instruction was a correct statement of the law.

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Bluebook (online)
179 F. App'x 403, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/united-states-v-kenneth-archambeau-ca8-2006.