Document ID: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-ca8-06-04029/USCOURTS-ca8-06-04029-0/pdf.json

Parties Involved:
Eddie W. Smith
Appellant
United States of America
Appellee

Document Text:

1

The Honorable Fernando J. Gaitan, Jr., Chief Judge, United States District

Court for the Western District of Missouri.

United States Court of Appeals

FOR THE EIGHTH CIRCUIT

___________

No. 06-4029

___________

United States of America, *

*

Appellee, *

* Appeal from the United States

v. * District Court for the

* Western District of Missouri.

Eddie W. Smith, *

* [UNPUBLISHED]

Appellant. * 

___________

Submitted: August 7, 2008

Filed: August 14, 2008

___________

Before MELLOY, COLLOTON, and SHEPHERD, Circuit Judges.

___________

PER CURIAM.

Eddie Smith pleaded guilty to knowingly possessing ammunition after having

been convicted of a felony, in violation of 18 U.S.C. §§ 922(g)(1) and 924(e)(1). The

district court1

 found that his five prior drug convictions – which included sales of

controlled substances to an undercover officer on three different dates within a fortyday time period – totaled at least three serious drug offenses under the Armed Career

Criminal Act (ACCA), and the court imposed a 180-month prison sentence on

October 6, 2006. Smith appeals, arguing the government did not prove that his prior

Appellate Case: 06-4029 Page: 1 Date Filed: 08/14/2008 Entry ID: 3461175
-2-

narcotics convictions were district criminal episodes rather than one prolonged

transaction constituting a single criminal episode.

We agree with the district court that Smith’s prior drug convictions amount to

at least three qualifying convictions for purposes of the ACCA. See United States v.

Mason, 440 F.3d 1056, 1057 (8th Cir. 2006) (de novo review; criminal episodes

underlying convictions trigger application of ACCA, not date of convictions or

number of trials or pleas); United States v. Speakman, 330 F.3d 1080, 1081-82 (8th

Cir. 2003) (3 drug sales to same undercover officer on 3 separate dates within 1

month, although consolidated into single sentence, were properly treated as 3

convictions for purposes of ACCA); United States v. Cardenas, 217 F.3d 491, 491-92

(7th Cir. 2000) (2 drug sales to same individuals within 45 minutes constituted

separate and distinct episodes under § 924(e)(1); defendant had time to change his

mind, to cease and desist, and to refuse to sell to informants during time lapse). 

Accordingly, we affirm.

______________________________

Appellate Case: 06-4029 Page: 2 Date Filed: 08/14/2008 Entry ID: 3461175