# U ni te d S ta te s Co ur t of A pp ea ls For the Eig hth Circu it

__ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ _
No. 1 4- 32 77

__ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ _
Uni te d S ta te s o f Am eri ca

ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll l Pla in ti

ff - App el le e

v.

Bran do n Lo ve ll

ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll l Defe nd

an t - Ap pe ll an t

__ __ __ __ __ __ App eal fro m

Uni te d S ta te s Di st ric t Co ur t fo r th e Eas te rn Dis tri ct of Ark an sa s - Li tt le Ro ck

__ __ __ __ __ __
Su bm it te d: Decem

be r 17 , 20 15 Fil ed : J an ua ry

29 , 20 16

__ __ __ __ __ __
Befo re MUR PHY, BENTON, an d KELLY, Circ ui t J ud ge s.

__ __ __ __ __ __
MURP HY, Circ ui t J ud ge

.

Bran do n Lov el l pl ed gu il ty to po ss es si on of a st ol en fir earm , po ss es si on of

m et ha m ph et am in e wit h in te nt to di st r i b u t e, an d carr y in g a fir earm du rin g an d in
rel at io n to a dr ug tra ffi ck in g cri m e. The di st ric t co ur t se nt en ced Lo ve ll to 18 0 1

The Hon or ab le Su sa n W eb be r Wr i g ht
, Uni te d St at es Dis tri ct Ju dg e fo r th e 1 East ern Dis tri ct of Ark an sa s.m on th s im

pr is on m en t as fo res een in hi s pl ea ag reem en t. Lov el l ap pe al s hi s se nt en ce,

an d we a ffi rm

.

I.

On Decem

be r 5, 20 12 Lov el l im

pe rs on at ed a po li ce of

fic er at th e res id en ce of

a m et ha m ph et a mi ne de al er. Lov el l po in te d a rif le at th e fem al e de al er an d to ld he r he was a po li ce of

fic er. W he n he de m an de d m on ey an d dr ug s, sh e co m pl ie d. Sev eral

m on th s la te r, on Ja nu ary 23
, 20 13
, Lov el l retu rn ed to th e de al er's ho m e, st ol e dr ug s

an d m on ey , hi t he r in th e he ad wit h a g u n , an d th en ki dn ap pe d he r in he r own

au to m ob il e. The wom an es cap ed whe n Lov el l an d hi s acco m pl ic e st op pe d at a di ffer en t res id en ce. The reaf te r , o n Feb ru ary 7, 20 13
, Lov el l bu rg la riz ed an ot he r in di vi du al 's h om e whe re h e st ol e at lea st on e fi rear m

.

Lov el l was arres te d on Feb ru ary 8, 20 13 . On th e sa m e d ay , la w en fo rcem en t

ex ec u t e d a se arch warra nt at Lov el l's res id en ce in Cu lp ep pe r, Ark an sa s whe re he
li ve d wi th hi s gran df

at he r. In th e ho m e of

fic ers reco ve red fir earm s, s il en cers m ad e fro m oi l can s, ex pl od ed an d un ex pl od ed pi pe bo m bs
, a bu ll et pr oo f ve st , a gr een jum ps ui t wi th po li ce p at ch es affi xe d t o i t, an d a bl ue li gh t s im il ar t o t he em erg en cy li gh t us ed by la w en fo rcem en t. Lov el l an d hi s gr an df at he r bo th ad m it te d th at Lov el l
ha d b een de to na ti ng pi pe bo m bs in th e y ard of t he ho us e.

The go ve rn m en t ch arg ed Lov el l wi t h s e v e r al cri m es rel at ed to th e arm ed
bu rg la rie s he ha d c om m it te d. On Marc h 27 , 2 01 4 th e pa rti es en te red in to a writ te n pl ea ag reem en t in whi ch Lov el l ag reed to pl ead gu il ty to po ss es si ng a st ol en fir earm , po ss es si ng m et ha m

ph et am in e wit h in te nt to di st rib ut e, an d carr y in g a fir earm du rin g

an d in rel at io n to a dr ug tra ffi ck in g cri m e. The rem ai ni ng co un ts were di sm is se d. In
th e ag reem en t th e pa rti es reco m m en de d th at th e di st ric t co ur t se nt en ce Lov el l to 18 0

m on th s i m

pr is on m en t u nd er Fe de ral Ru le of C riminal Pro ced ur e 1 1( c)(1 )(C)

.

-2

-The co ur t he ld an ev id en ti ary he ari ng be fo re se nt en c i n g Lo v e l l. The co ur t

he ard te st im on y fro m hi s pr ob at io n of fic e r a n d a Bu reau of Alco ho l, Tob acco , an d
F i rear m s sp eci al ag en t who was fam il ia r wit h Lov el l's cri m in al act iv it y

. A f t e r

rece iv in g te st im on y , th e co ur t co nc lu de d th at th e gu id el in e ran ge was 60 to 71 m on th s fo r po ss es si on of a f

i r e a r m an d po ss es si on of m et ha m ph et am in e wit h in te nt to di st rib ut e, pl us an ad di ti on al 60 m on th m in im um fo r carr y in g a fir earm du rin g an d in
rel at io n to a dr

ug tra ffi ck in g cri m e. Se e 1 8 U

. S

. C

. § 92 4( c)(1 )(A)(i ). The di st ric t

co ur t no te d th at Lov el l's cri m in al hi st or y an d gu id el in e ran ge cal cu la t i o n "ac tu al ly

un de rs ta te [d ] th e se rio us ne ss " of hi s of fen se s. The co ur t th en se nt en ced Lov el l to a
t o t a l o f 18 0 m on th s im

pr is on m en t, 12 0 m on th s fo r po ss es si ng a fir earm an d fo r
po ss es si ng m et ha m

p h e t a mi n e wit h th e in te nt to di st rib ut e, wit h a co ns ecu ti ve 60

m on th s fo r carr y in g a fir earm du r i n g an d in rel at io n to a dr ug tra ffi ck in g cri m e. Lov el l ap pe al s h is sen te nc e.

II.

Lo v e l l cl ai m s th at th e co ur t's se nt en ce was su bs ta nt iv el y un reas on ab le

. We
ha ve st at ed
, ho wev er, th at "[a ] de fen da nt who ex pl ic it ly an d vo lu nt ari ly ex po se s hi m se lf to a sp eci fic se nt en ce [in a p l e a a g r e em en t] m ay no t ch al le ng e th at

pu ni sh m en t on ap pe al ." Uni te d St at es v. Ngu y en , 46 F.3 d 78 1, 78 3 (8 th Ci r. 19 95 ). Here, th e reco rd sh ows th at Lov e l l s t i p ul at ed to a 18 0 m on th se nt en ce in hi s pl ea
ag reem en t. Alt ho ug h t he gu id el in e ran ge for th e th ree c rimes to whi ch Lov el l pl ed

gu il ty was le ss th an 18 0 m on th s, Lov el l no ne th e l e s s b e n efi te d fro m hi s pl ea
ag reem en t be cau se in it th e go ve rn m en t ag reed to di sm is s th e rem ai ni ng co un ts of th e in di ct m en t. Lov el l acce pt ed th e b e n e f it of th e pl ea ag reem en t, ex pl ic it ly an d

vo lu nt ari ly ex po si ng hi m se lf to a se nt en ce of 18 0 m on th s. See Uni te d St at es v. Co ok
, 44 7 F .3d 11 27 , 11 28 (8t h C ir. 2 00 6)

.

Mo reo ve r, Lov el l' s se nt en ce is no t un reas on ab le

. Abs en t rev ers ib le pr oc ed ur al

erro r, a di st ric t co ur t ab us es it s di sc ret io n in se nt en ci ng if it "(1 ) fai ls to co ns id er a

-3

-rel ev an t fact or th at sh ou ld ha ve rece iv ed si gn ifi can t weig ht ; (2 ) gi ve s si gn ifi can t

weig ht to an im

pr op er o r i r r e l ev an t fact or ; or (3 ) co ns id ers on ly th e ap pr op ria te fact or s bu t in weig hi ng th os e fa c t or s co m m it s a cl ear erro r of jud gm en t." Uni te d
S t a t e s v

. Feem st er, 57 2 F.3 d 45 5, 46 1 (8 th Ci r. 20 09 ) (en ba nc ) (in te rn al qu ot at i o n

m ark s o m it te d)

. The reco rd sh ows th at th e d is tri ct co ur t i m po se d Lo ve ll 's s en te nc e aft er co ns id eri ng al l of th e 18 U.S.C. § 3 5 5 3( a) fact or s. It ap pe ars th at on e of th e

m os t si gn ifi can t fact or s in th e co ur t's se nt e n c in g de ci si on was th e "n at ur e an d
ci rcu m st an ces " of Lov el l's of fen se s. The co ur t de sc rib ed Lov el l's co nd uc t as "re al ly

te rri fy in g" an d "rea ll y se rio us ." It wa s wi th in th e co ur t's di sc ret io n t o g iv e "g reat er weig ht to th e na tu re an d ci rcu m st an ces of th e of fen se th an to ot he r § 35 53 (a) fact or s."
Uni te d St at es v. Hum m in gb ird
, 74 3 F.3 d 63 6, 63 8 (8 th Ci r. 20 1 4 )

. Not hi ng in th e

reco rd de mo ns tra te s th at th e di st ric t co ur t fai le d to co ns id er a rel ev an t fact or , ga ve i m pr op er weig ht to an irr el ev an t fact or , or co m m it te d a cl ear erro r of jud gm en t in weig hi ng th e ap pr op ria te fact or s. W e co nc lu de th at Lov el l's se nt en c e w a s n ot

un reas on ab le

.

W e de ny Lov el l's m ot io n req ue st in g ne w co un se l an d rai si ng ne w le ga l is su es

. He cl ai m s in effe ct iv e as si st an ce of co un se l an d arg ue s th at hi s se nt en ce vi ol at es th e D o u b l e J e op ard y Cl au se

. Lov el l di d no t rai se ei th er is su e be lo w, an d ne it he r in effe ct iv e as si st an ce no r do ub le jeop ard y is ev id en t in th e reco rd be fo re us

. Rat he r th an at te m

pt in g to rai se an in effe ct iv e as si st an ce cl ai m on di rect ap pe al
, Lov el l m ay
pr op erl y in it ia te it in a 28 U

. S

. C

. § 22 55 m ot io n in th e di st ric t co ur t. See Uni te d
St at es v. Lee, 3 74 F.3d 63 7, 6 54 (8t h C ir. 2 00 4)

.

Fo r th es e rea so ns we affi rm Lov el l's sen te nc e an d d en y hi s p en di ng m ot io n.

__ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __

-4

-