Document ID: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-ca8-04-03439/USCOURTS-ca8-04-03439-0/pdf.json

Parties Involved:
Keith Major Shearin
Appellant
United States of America
Appellee

Document Text:

1

The Honorable Nanette K. Laughrey, United States District Judge for the

Western District of Missouri.

United States Court of Appeals

FOR THE EIGHTH CIRCUIT

___________

No. 04-3439

___________

United States of America, *

*

Appellee, * Appeal from the United States

* District Court for the

v. * Western District of Missouri.

*

Keith Major Shearin, * [UNPUBLISHED]

*

Appellant. *

___________

Submitted: October 31, 2005 

Filed: December 9, 2005

___________

Before MURPHY, COLLOTON, and BENTON, Circuit Judges.

___________

PER CURIAM.

Keith Shearin pleaded guilty, without a written plea agreement, to two counts

of possession of pseudoephedrine knowing it would be used to manufacture

methamphetamine, in violation of 21 U.S.C. § 841(c)(2); two counts of manufacturing

methamphetamine, in violation of 21 U.S.C. § 841(a)(1); and one count of conspiracy

to manufacture 50 grams or more of methamphetamine, in violation of 21 U.S.C.

§ 846. Over Shearin’s objection under Blakely v. Washington, 124 S. Ct. 2531 (2004),

the district court1

 applied a 2-level enhancement for possessing a firearm in

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connection with the offenses, under U.S.S.G. § 2D1.1(b)(1), and after denying safetyvalve relief under U.S.S.G. § 5C1.2, sentenced Shearin to 120 months in prison and

5 years supervised release--the statutory minimum under 21 U.S.C. § 841(b)(1)(A).

The court also pronounced an alternative discretionary sentence of 120 months to be

imposed if the Guidelines were found unconstitutional. On appeal, Shearin argues

that (1) the district court violated his Sixth Amendment rights by applying the firearmpossession enhancement based on facts that were neither admitted by him nor proved

to a jury, and erred in sentencing him under an unconstitutional sentencing scheme,

and (2) the district court erred in denying safety-valve relief and in placing the burden

of proof on Shearin to show entitlement to the relief. We affirm.

The district court did not clearly err in finding that Shearin possessed one or

more firearms in connection with his drug offenses, making him ineligible for a

sentence below the statutory minimum under the safety-valve provision. See U.S.S.G.

§§ 5C1.2(a)(2), 2D1.1(b)(1) & comment. (n.3) (clear-improbability standard for

enhancement); United States v. Moore, 184 F.3d 790, 794-95 (8th Cir. 1999)

(applying § 2D1.1(b)(1)’s clear-improbability standard when evaluating safety-valve

eligibility; clear-error standard of review), cert. denied, 528 U.S. 1161 (2000). A

search of Shearin’s residence revealed items associated with the production of

methamphetamine in the garage, and a firearm in a safe in Shearin’s bedroom, see

United States v. Savage, 414 F.3d 964, 967 (8th Cir. 2005) (district court did not

clearly err where firearm was readily accessible to defendant and would be available

to him in case of dispute during drug transaction); and during a subsequent search, a

firearm and methamphetamine paraphernalia were found in a duffle bag in Shearin’s

vehicle, which was parked in his garage, see United States v. Cave, 293 F.3d 1077,

1079 (8th Cir. 2002) (evidence that weapon was found in same location as drugs or

drug paraphernalia usually suffices). 

Also, Shearin cannot challenge his sentence under Blakely or United States v.

Booker, 125 S. Ct. 738 (2005), as he was sentenced to the statutory mandatory

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minimum sentence based on his stipulation to a drug quantity. See United States v.

Rojas-Coria, 401 F.3d 871, 874 n.4 (8th Cir. 2005) (Booker has no impact on case

where sentence was based on statutory mandatory minimum).

Accordingly, we affirm.

______________________________

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