FILED U.S. COURT OF AP P EALS E LEV EN T HC IRC U IT JAN 08 2008 THOMAS K. KAH

N CLERK [ DO NO T P UB L I S H] I N THE UN I TE D STATE S C OU RT OF APPE ALS F O R T H E E L E V E N T H C IR C U IT

________________________ N o. 07- 13308 N on -A rgum entC al endar

________________________ D . C . D ocketN o. 06 -003 39 -C R -4 U N I T E D S T A T E S O F A M E R I C A , P la in tif f - A p p e lle e , v ersu s K E V I N L O R E N Z O Y O U N G , D e f e n d a n t- A p p e lla n t.

________________________ A pp ea l fr om the U ni t ed S t at es D i stri ctC ou rt f o rth e S o u th e rn D is tr ic t o f G e o r g ia

_________________________ ( Jan u ar y 8, 2008) B efo re A N D E R S O N , H U L L an d K R A V IT C H , C i rcu i tJu d g es. P E R C U R I A M: K e vi n L or e nz o Y oung appe a l s hi s 100- m onth s e nt e nc e i m pos e d f ol l ow i ng2

hi s gui l ty pl eafor posse ss i on of fi re arm s by afe l on . H e c on t ends thatan a m e ndm e ntt o the S e nt e nc i ng G ui de l i ne s tha tt ook e f f e c tbe tw e e n the c om m i s s i on o f th e cri m e an d th e sen t en ci n g h eari n g creat ed an ex p o stfact o p ro b l em . B ecau se th e a m e n d m e n t d id n o t c h a n g e E le v e n th C ir c u it la w , w e a f f irm . I . Ba c k g r o und K evi n L orenzo Y ou ng and R ob ertP i ckettcom m i tt ed a s tri ng of bu rgl ar i es o n J u n e 2 2 , 2 0 0 6 . T h e s e c o n d o f th r e e b u r g la r ie s w a s a t D o u g G a lb r e a th ’s h o m e . T here , they s t ol e f

ou r f i re arm s. A ft erpl ac i ng the gu ns i n the trunk of the ca r, Y ou ng and P i ckettw entt o b urgl ar i ze P am el a G ay ’ s hom e. G ayencoun t er ed P i ckettand cal l ed the po l i ce . P i ckettand Y ou ng fl ed, l ea di ng t o a hi gh -s peed c ha s e tha tl a s t e d s e ve r a l m i l e s . D ur i ng the c ha s e , Y oung dr ove on the w r ong s i de of the hi ghw a y , f

or c i ng othe rve hi c l e s of f the r oa d. T he c ha s e e nde d w he n Y oung c r a s he d the c a ra nd the tw o f l e d on f oot . B oth w e r e c a ughtw hi l e try i ng t o f l e e the p o l i c e . Au th o r i t i e s s e a r c h e d th e c a ra n d f o u n d v a r i o u s i t e m s s t o l e n f r o m th e two resi d en ces, i n cl u d i n g fo u r fi rearm s. Y o u n g p le a d e d g u ilty to p o s s e s s io n o f a f ir e a rm b y a c o n v ic te d f

e lo n in vi ol a t i on of

18 U . S . C . § 922( g) . U s i ng the M a y 2007 G ui de l i ne s m a nua l , the prob at i on offi ce r a ss i gn ed a bas e l evel of 20 un der U . S . S . G § 2 K 2. 1. H e then a dde d a tw o- l e ve l e nha nc e m e ntunde r§ 2K 2. 1( b) ( 1) ( A ) f orthe num be rof3

f i r e a r ms , a tw o - l e v e l e n h a n c e me n tu n d e r§ 2 K 2 . 1 ( b ) ( 4 ) ( A ) b e c a u s e th e f i r e a rms w e r e s t ol e n, a f

our - l e ve l e nha nc e m e ntunde r§ 2K 2. 1( b) ( 6) be c a us e Y oung pos s e s s e d the f

i r e a r m s “ i n c onne c t i on” w i th a nothe rf e l ony of f e ns e , a nd a tw ol e ve l e nha nc e m e ntunde r§ 3C 1. 2 f orr e c kl e s s e nda nge rm e ntdur i ng f l i ght . T he of f i c e rthe n a s s i gne d Y oung a thr e e - l e ve l r e duc t i on f ora c c e pt a nc e of re spon si bi l i ty. T hu s, the adj ust ed offens e l evel w as 27 . Y ou ng had a cri m i nal h is to ry c a te g o ry o f

I V , w h ic h r e s u lte d in aG u id e lin e s r a n g e o f 1 0 0 to 1 2 5 m o n th s . B e c a us e the s t a tut ory m a xi m um w a s 120 m onths , how e ve r , the r a nge be c a m e 100 t o 1 2 0 m o n th s. Y o u n g o b

j e c t e d t o th e § 2 K 2 . 1 ( b ) ( 6 ) e n h a n c e me n tf o rp o s s e s s i o n o f

f i r e a r ms

“ i n con nect i on ” w i th ano ther off ense . H e a ss ert ed thatthe w eapo ns w er e s t ol en as partof the bu rgl ary a nd , thu s, w er e the proceeds of the cr i m e; he ar gu ed thatthey w ere n o t“ p o ssessed i n co n n ect i o n w i th ” th e cri m e. A tsen t en ci n g , Y o u n g al so arg u ed th atap p l yi n g th e am en d ed v ersi o n o f § 2 K 2 . 1 (b )(6 ) w o u l d creat e an ex p o st f a c t o p r o b l e m. T he courtqu es t i on ed w hether the am ended v er si on of § 2 K 2. 1(b)(6) m arked a c ha nge i n the G ui de l i ne s orw he the ri ts i m pl y r e s ol ve d a c i r c ui ts pl i t . Y oung r e s p o n d e d th a t th e a m e n d m e n t w a s a s u b s ta n tiv e c h a n g e a n d , a s s u c h , th a t it s h o u ld notbe appl i e d i n hi s c a s e . T he c our ta dopt e d the P S I f a c tua l f i ndi ngs a nd4

d e te r m in e d th a t th e f

ir e a r m s s to le n d u r in g th e e a r lie rb u r g la ry a n d w h ic h w e r e in the ca r duri ng the es cape had the po t ent i al t o fac i l i t at e a no ther f el on y. T here fore , the c our tc onc l ude d tha tthe pr oba t i on of f i c e rpr ope r l y appl i e d the G ui de l i ne s . T he c our tthe n a dopt e d the P S I c a l c ul a t i ons a nd s e nt e nc e d Y oung t o 100 m onths im p r is o n m e n t. O n appe a l , Y oung c ont e nds tha tthe c our ti m pr ope r l y appl i e d § 2K 2. 1( b) ( 6) be c a us e he di d notpos s e s s the f i r e a rm s “ i n c onne c t i on w i th” a nothe rf e l ony o f f e n s e . II . S tan d ard of R evi ew W e r e vi e w f

orc l e a re rr orthe di s tr i c tc our t ’ s f i ndi ngs of

f a c tr e ga r di ng w h eth er a d efen d an tsh o u l d recei v e an en h an ced sen t en ce u n d er th e G u i d el i n es. U ni t e d S t a t e s v. C l a y , 376 F . 3d 1296, 1300 ( 11th C i r . 2004) . W e r e vi e w de novo the “ di s tr i c tc our t ’ s i nt e rpr e t a t i on of the G ui de l i ne s a nd i t s appl i c a t i on of the G ui del i nes t o the fa ct s. ” U ni t ed S t at es v. M cG i l l , 45 0 F . 3d 12 76 , 12 78 (11th C i r. 20 06 ). I I I . A n a ly s is T he c our ts houl d appl y the G ui de l i ne s m a nua l i n e f f e c ta tthe t i m e of s e n te n c in g u n le s s d o in g s o p r e s e n ts a n e x p o s t f a c to v io la tio n . U .S .S .G . § 1B 1. 11 (a ), (b)( 1); S t i nson v. U ni t ed S t at es , 50 8 U . S . 36 , 38 (199 3).5

S e c t i on 2K 2. 1( b) ( 6) pr ovi de s , “ i f the de f e nda ntus e d orpos s e s s e d a ny fi rearm o r am m u n i t i o n i n co n n ect i o n w i th an o th er fel o n y o ffen se . . . i n crease b y 4 l evel s. ” U . S . S . G § 2 K 2. 1(b)(6). A m endm ent69 1, w hi ch became eff ec t i ve betw ee n the t i m e w he n Y oung c om m i tt e d the c r i m e a nd w he n Y oung w a s s e nt e nc e d di d not c h a n g e th e la n g u a g e o f

th e r e le v a n t G u id e lin e s p r o v is io n b u t a d d e d a n o te to th is se ct i on w hi ch re sol ved a ci rc ui tspl i t . A m endm ent69 1 m ade c l ea r thatthe fourl ev el en h an cem en tap p l i es “ i n a case i n w h i ch a d efen d an tw h o , d u ri n g th e co u rse o f a b u r g la ry , f

in d s a n d ta k e s a f

ir e a rm , e v e n if

th e d e f e n d a n t d id n o t e n g a g e in other c on du ctw i th the fi re arm du ri ng the course of the bu rgl ary. ” Y ou ng ar gu es th a t r e tr o a c tiv e ap p lic a tio n o f th is a m e n d m e n t c r e a te s a n e x p o s t f a c to p r o b le m . B e c a u s e th i s c h a n g e i n th e Gu i d e l i n e s d i d n o tc h a n g e E l e v e n th C i r c u i tl a w, h o w e v e r , w e d is a g r e e . T w o c a s e s a r e p a r tic u la r ly in f o rm a tiv e . I n U n ite d S ta te s v . Y o u n g , 1 1 5 F .3 d 8 3 4 ( 1 1 th C ir . 1 9 9 7 ) , th is c o u r t u p h e ld a s i m i l a re nha nc e m e nti n the a r m e d c a r e e rc r i m i na l c ont e xt . I n tha tc a s e , the defe nd antst ol e ari fl e duri ng the com m i ss i on of a burgl ary; ac cordi ng l y, the court c onc l ude d tha the pos s e s s e d the f i r e a rm “ i n c onne c t i on w i th” tha tbur gl a ry f or pu rposes of appl yi ng the enhancem ent . Id. at83 6. H e di d n otbrandi sh the fi re arm a t th e s c e n e o f

th e b u r g la ry o ra f

te rw a r d s . S e e id . W e h a v e th e s a m e s c e n a r io h e r e .Amendment 691 moved the releva nt provision from 2K2.1(b)( 5) to 2K2.1(b) (6). 1 Be causeunder e ither ver sion of the Guidelines the c ourt properly applied the 2 enhanc ement, wedo not need to address whether Amendment 691 is a clarif ying or substantive amendment. 6 In U . S . v R hi nd , 28 9 F . 3d 69 0, 69 2 (11 th C i r. 20 02 ), the defendant s pl ac ed a n unl oa de d f

i r e a r m unde rthe pa s s e nge rs e a tof a ve hi c l e a nd one i n the trunk b e f o r e v e n tu r in g o u t o n a f o u r - s ta te r o a d tr ip p a s s in g o f f c o u n te r f e it b ills . T h is c our tuphe l d a f

our - l e ve l e nha nc e m e ntunde rthe s a m e G ui de l i ne pr ovi s i on a ti s s ue i n th i s c a s e . Th e c o u r tn o t e d th a t“ th e a v a i l ab i l i ty a n d ap p e a r a n c e o f th e f i r e a rms 1 c o u ld h a v e e a s ily s e r v e d to p r o m o te th e d e f e n d a n ts ’ p r o lo n g e d c r im in a l e p is o d e .” Id. at69 5. T hu s, the courtfocuse d o n the fa ctthatthe fi re arm s c ou l d h ave been u s e d in th e c o m m is s io n o f o th e rc r im e s , n o t w h e th e rth e y a c tu a lly w e r e u s e d . S im ila r ly , th e a v a ilab ility o f th e f ir e a rm s in th is c a s e c o u ld h a v e “e a s ily s e r ve d t o pr om ot e ” Y oung’ s c r i m i na l e pi s ode . A f t e robt a i ni ng the f

i r e a rm s i n the G a l br e a th bur gl a ry , Y oung w e ntt o the G a y r e s i de nc e w he r e he e nc ount e r e d the ow ne r . Y oung the n f

l e d the s c e ne a nd l e d pol i c e i n a hi gh- s pe e d pol i c e c ha s e f or se vera l m i l es . A tany poi ntaf t erhe ob t ai ned the fi re arm s, Y ou ng coul d h ave use d th e m to p r o m o te th e b u r g la r ie s la te rin th e d a y o rc o u ld h a v e u s e d th e m to a id h is ge t a w a y . T he s e nt e nc i ng j udge m e nt i one d a s m uc h. T hus , be c a us e E l e ve nth C i r c ui tpr e c e de nte s t abl i s he d tha tthe e nha nc e m e nt ap p lie d in th is c a s e , th e ap p e lla n t’s e x p o s t f a c to a r g u m e n t is w ith o u t m e r it. 27 I V . C on c l u s i on F or the re as on s abo ve, w e AF F I RM .