Document ID: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-ca10-89-03286/USCOURTS-ca10-89-03286-0/pdf.json

Parties Involved:
Randy Lee Hearn
Appellant
United States of America
Appellee

Document Text:

,. 

UNITED STATES COURT OF 

TENTH CIRCUIT 

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, ) 

) 

Plaintiff-Appellee, ) 

) 

v. ) 

) 

RANDY LEE HEARN, ) 

) 

Defendant-Appellant. ) 

l~ l L 

( lt1ired Scates c! D 

"r of Appe.s APPEALS ~nth Circuit 

1UL 2 5 1990 

OBERT L. HOECKE 

Clerk R 

No. 89-3286 

(D.C. No. 89-20040-01) 

(D. Kan.) 

ORDER AND JUDGMENT * 

Before HOLLOWAY, Chief Judge, and ANDERSON and TACHA, Circuit 

Judges. 

After examining the briefs and appellate record, this panel 

has determined unanimously that oral argument would not materially 

assist the determination of this appeal. See Fed. R. App. P. 

34(a); 10th Cir. R. 34.1.9. The case is therefore ordered 

submitted without oral argument. 

This appeal is from an order of the district court imposing a 

sentence of fifteen months upon defendant Hearn for two counts of 

possession of an unregistered firearm and firearm parts in 

violation of 26 U.S.C. sections 586l(d) and 5871. The fifteen 

month sentence was imposed pursuant to 28 u.s.c. § 994(a). 

Defendant argues on appeal that the district court erred in 

* This order and judgment has no precedential value and shall 

not be cited, or used by any court within the Tenth Circuit, 

except for purposes of establishing the doctrines of the law of 

the case, res judicata, or collateral estoppel. 10th Cir. R. 

36.3. 

Appellate Case: 89-3286 Document: 010110038736 Date Filed: 07/25/1990 Page: 1 
applying the sentencing guidelines when the court refused to 

reduce the term of the sentence under section 2K2.2(b)(3) of the 

Sentencing Guidelines which authorizes a decrease of six levels if 

the defendant obtained or possessed the firearm solely for sport, 

recreation or collection. We affirm. 

On June 1, 1989, the defendant, Randy Lee Hearn, sold a fully 

automatic Uzi pistol with a laser sighting scope and silencer to 

an undercover agent from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and 

Firearms in a restaurant parking lot. Hearn was arrested and 

subsequently indicted on four counts of possession of an illegal 

firearm. Pursuant to a plea agreement, he pleaded guilty in 

district court to two counts of possession in violation of 26 

U.S.C. sections 5861(d) and 5871. 

Following the defendant's plea, the court commissioned a 

presentence report to establish guidelines for the sentencing. 

The defendant had claimed that the gun had been purchased as a 

collector's item at a gun show, and U.S.S.G. section 2K2.2(b)(3) 

authorizes a reduction in the sentencing recommendation in cases 

where the firearm is purchased for "sport, recreation or 

collection." The presentence report recommended against such a 

reduction, citing Hearn's prior conviction on aggravated assault 

charges and the circumstances surrounding Hearn's attempted sale 

of the weapon as sufficient evidence that a reduction was not 

appropriate. 

We will not disturb the district court's factual 

determination that a defendant is not entitled to a reduction in 

offense level unless that determination was clearly erroneous. 

2 

Appellate Case: 89-3286 Document: 010110038736 Date Filed: 07/25/1990 Page: 2 
See United States Y...!.. Keys, 899 F.2d 983, 988 (10th Cir. 1990); see 

also United States Y...!.. White, 875 F.2d 427, 431, 433-34 (4th Cir. 

1989). The defendant bears the burden of proof for sentence 

decreases. United States Y...!.. Kirk, 894 F.2d 1162, 1164 (10th Cir. 

1990). The district court in refusing to reduce the offense level 

considered the type of firearm, the ammunition, the location and 

circumstances of possession, and the nature of defendant's 

criminal history. We cannot say that the district court was 

clearly erroneous in finding that defendant did not qualify for a 

reduction in offense level under these circumstances. We AFFIRM. 

3 

ENTERED FOR THE COURT 

Deanell Reece Tacha 

Circuit Judge 

Appellate Case: 89-3286 Document: 010110038736 Date Filed: 07/25/1990 Page: 3