United States v. West

550 F.3d 952, 2008 U.S. App. LEXIS 25451, 2008 WL 5158599
CourtCourt of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit
DecidedDecember 10, 2008
Docket06-4284
StatusPublished
Cited by78 cases

This text of 550 F.3d 952 (United States v. West) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals for the Tenth 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. West, 550 F.3d 952, 2008 U.S. App. LEXIS 25451, 2008 WL 5158599 (10th Cir. 2008).

Opinion

EBEL, Circuit Judge.

Defendant-Appellant Jeremiah West received a 235-month sentence for his conviction for being a previously-convicted felon in possession of a firearm. On appeal, he challenges that sentence, primarily on two grounds. First, West argues that the district court erred in concluding that he was subject to a mandatory minimum fifteen-year sentence under the Armed Career Criminal Act (“ACCA”), 18 U.S.C. § 924(e). To resolve this issue, we apply the Supreme Court’s recent decision in Begay v. United States, — U.S.-, 128 S.Ct. 1581, 170 L.Ed.2d 490 (2008), and affirm the district court’s determination.

Second, West argues that in calculating his advisory guideline range under the sentencing guidelines, the district court erred in applying three enhancements that increased his offense level by twelve. Although the presentence report (“PSR”) contained facts supporting the application of these three enhancements, West adequately disputed those facts at sentencing. Thus, the district court was obligated, under Fed.R.Crim.P. 32(f)(3)(B), either to rule on those disputes or explain why the disputed facts were not relevant to sentencing West. Because the court failed to meet its Rule 32(i)(3)(B) fact-finding obligation, we remand for further proceedings.

I. Background

On August 9, 2005, West stopped his car at a gas station in Lehi, Utah. During the stop, a woman accompanying West told the gas station owner that she was being kidnapped. The owner called police.

When officers arrived, they used their cars to block West’s vehicle and prevent him from leaving. As the officers tried to question him, West put his car into reverse and quickly backed up, hitting the building. West then drove his car forward and ran into one of the police cars blocking his path. He continued to alternate driving his car forward and back, repeatedly hitting both the building and the police vehicles blocking his escape. West also floored the accelerator and attempted to use his car to shove one of the police cars out of his way. West continued these efforts to escape until one of the officers drew his weapon and pointed it at West. Even as officers attempted to restrain him physically, West continued to resist.

After arresting West, officers found a fully loaded 12-gauge shotgun in the car, between the driver’s seat and the center console. Officers also found a baggie of methamphetamine in the car, and a large bag of marijuana hidden between the car’s coolant reservoir and the engine firewall.

The United States indicted West on four counts: (1) being a previously convicted felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition, (2) being a person who is addicted to, and an unlawful user of, controlled substances, who knowingly possesses a firearm and ammunition, (3) possessing marijuana with the intent to distribute it, and (4) possessing methamphetamine. In exchange for the Government’s agreement to drop the other three charges, West pled guilty to one count of being a previously convicted felon in possession of a firearm, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(1). 1 In *956 pleading guilty to this charge, West admitted, among other things, that he had tried to evade police, he knowingly possessed the shotgun found in his car, and he had previously been convicted of a felony.

West faced up to ten years in prison on the felon-in-possession conviction. See 18 U.S.C. § 924(a)(2). But before he entered his guilty plea, the Government notified West that it would seek to enhance that sentence under the ACCA. At sentencing, the district court determined that West qualified as an armed career criminal under the ACCA, 18 U.S.C. § 924(e). As such, he faced a statutory mandatory minimum fifteen-year, or 180-month, sentence. See id. § 924(e)(1). 2 Moreover, the PSR calculated West’s offense level to be 33 and his criminal history category to be VI, resulting in an advisory guideline imprisonment range of between 235 and 293 months. The district court imposed a sentence at the lowest end of that range, 235 months. West appeals, challenging that sentence. We have jurisdiction to consider this appeal under 18 U.S.C. § 3742 and 28 U.S.C. § 1291.

II. Discussion

A. Whether West qualifies as an armed career offender under the ACCA

West challenges the district court’s conclusion that his prior convictions make him an armed career offender under the ACCA. A defendant convicted of violating 18 U.S.C. § 922(g) qualifies as an armed career offender if he “has three previous convictions by any court referred to in section 922(g)(1) of this title for a violent felony or a serious drug offense, or both, committed on occasions different from one another.” 18 U.S.C. § 924(e)(1); see also James v. United States, 550 U.S. 192, 127 S.Ct. 1586, 1590-91, 167 L.Ed.2d 532 (2007). In this case, the district court determined that West had three qualifying convictions: 1) a 1999 Utah felony conviction for engaging in a criminal enterprise; 2) a 2000 Utah felony conviction for burglary of a dwelling; and 3) a 2001 Utah felony conviction for failing to stop at a police officer’s command. On appeal, West argues that neither the criminal-enterprise nor the failure-to-stop conviction is sufficient to qualify him as an armed career criminal.

To the extent that West faults the district court for failing to find the factual existence of these predicate convictions by a preponderance of the evidence, we reject that argument. The PSR set forth facts establishing the existence of these prior convictions, as well as the details underlying them. And in the district court, West never challenged the PSR on this basis. “Criminal Procedure Rule 32 requires the defendant to affirmatively point out any fact in the PSR that he contends is inaccurate. Absent an objection to the PSR, the district court ‘may accept any undisputed portion of the pre-sentence report as a finding of fact.’ Fed. R.Crim.P. 32(i)(3)(A).” United States v. Harris, 447 F.3d 1300, 1306 (10th Cir. *957 2006); see also United States v. Avalos,

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Bluebook (online)
550 F.3d 952, 2008 U.S. App. LEXIS 25451, 2008 WL 5158599, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/united-states-v-west-ca10-2008.