FILED U.S. COURT OF AP P EALS E LEV EN T HC IRC U IT APRIL10 , 2006 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. 05- 13964 N on -A rgum entC al endar

________________________ D . C . D ocketN o. 04 -005 43 -C R -1-1 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 G O R D O N A S A N T E W I L S O N , 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 N o r th e rn D is tr ic t o f G e o r g ia

_________________________ ( A p r i l10, 2006) B efo re T JO F L A T , A N D E R S O N an d B IR C H , C i rcu i tJu d g es. P E R C U R I A M: I n ath r e e - c o u n t in d ic tm e n t h a n d e d d o w n o n D e c e m b e r2 0 , 2 0 0 4 , G o r d o n A s a n te2

W i l s o n w a s c h a r g e d a s f o l l o w s : i n Co u n tO n e w i th k n o w i n g l y c a u s i n g f i r e a rms a n d a m m u n itio n to b e d e liv e r e d to ac o m m o n c a rr ie rf o rs h ip m e n t in in te r s ta te c om m e r c e t o ape r s on othe rtha n al i c e ns e d de a l e ron A ugus t30, 2004, i n vi ol a t i on o f 1 8 U . S . C . § § 9 2 2 (e) an d 9 2 4 (a)(1 ); i n C o u n tT w o w i th m ak i n g fal se r e p r e s e n ta tio n s o n a n A lc o h o l, T o b a c c o , a n d F ir e a rm s ( A T F ) F o rm 4 4 7 3 o n J u ly 10 , 20 04 , by fa l se l y c l ai m i ng thathe w as the ac tual bu ye r of the fi re arm s c ov er ed by the tr a ns a c t i on, i n vi ol a t i on of 18 U . S . C . § 924( a ) ( 1) ( A ) : a nd i n C ountT hr e e by c o m m ittin g th e s a m e § 9 2 4 ( a ) ( 1 ) ( A ) o f f e n s e o n J u ly2 7 , 2 0 0 4 . O n F ebruary8, 20 05 , W i l son p l ed gu i l ty t o C ou ntO ne. H e there af t er w ai ved h i s r i gh tt o a j ury tri al and con se nt ed t o a bench tri al before the di stri ct c our ton C ount s T w o a nd T hr e e . A tthe be nc h tr i a l , W i l s on, ana t i ve of G ha naa nd a n atu ral i zed ci t i zen o f th e U n i t ed S t at es, st i p u l at ed th ath e p u rch ased t en fi rearm s, pi s t ol s , f r om A dve ntur e O ut door s , af e de r a l l y - l i c e ns e d f

i r e a rm s de a l e ra nd tha the hi d the f i r e a rm s i n aM i t s ubi s hi M ont e r o a nd s hi ppe d the M ont e r o t o G ha na . T he G ove rnm e nta l s o e s t abl i s he d

–th a t A d v e n tu r e O u td o o r s w a s r e q u ir e db y f e d e r a l la w to k e e p a n d m a in ta in A T F F o rm 4 4 7 3 , th e F i rearm s T ran sact i o n R eco rd o f fi rearm p u rch ases;

–th at(as al l eg ed i n C o u n t s T w o an d T h ree) S ect i o n A o f F o rm 4 4 7 3 ask s the fol l ow i ng qu es t i on at12 a:3 A r e y o u th e a c tu a l b u y e ro f th e f ir e a rm ( s ) lis te d o n th is f o rm? W ar n i n g: Y ou ar e n ot t h e ac t u alb u y e r i f y ou are acq u i ri n g th e f

i re arm (s ) on b eh al f of an oth er p er son . If

y ou are n ot th e act u al b u y er , th e d eal er c a nno t t r a ns f

e r t he f i r e a r m ( s ) t o yo u.

– tha tW i l s on a ns w e r e d “ Y e s ” t o the above que s t i on; – tha tW i l s on s i gne d the bott om of the F orm unde rne a th the f ol l ow i ng c e r t i f i c a t i on: I c e r t if

y t h a t t h e a b o v e a n s w e r s a r e t r u e a n d c o r r e c t . I u n d e r s t an d t h at an s w e r i n g “y e s ” t o q u e s t i on 12a w h en I a m n o t th e a ctu a lb u y er o f th e fi rea rm i s a c r i m e puni s ha bl e a s a f e l o ny. . . . I a l s o unde r s t a nd t h a t m a kin g a n y f

a ls e o r a l o r w r it t e n s t a t e m e n t . . . w it h r e s p e c t t o t h is t r a n s a c t io n , is a c r im e p u n is h a b le a s a f e l o ny. – tha tW i l s on pl a nne d t o tr a ve l t o G ha naa f t e rthe M ont e r o a rr i ve d the r e a nd t o s e l l the f

i r e a rm s f orappr oxi m a t e l y $1000 e a c h; a nd – thatW i l son k new atthe t i m e he purchase d the subj ec tfi re arm s thati tw as i l l egal t o p osse ss fi re arm s, i ncl ud i ng pi st ol s, i n G hana. W i l s o n f i l l e d o u tFo rm 4 4 7 3 , a n d a n s w e r e d “ y e s ” t o Q u e s t i o n 1 2 ao n th e f o rm:

“ A re you the ac tual bu ye r of the fi re arm s( s) l i st ed on thi s f orm ? ” A tthe c l os e of

the G ove rnm e nt ’ s c a s e - i n- c hi e f , W i l s on m ove d the c our tf or j ud gm entof ac qu i tt al on tw o g roun ds: (1) the l angu age of the w arni ng on F orm 4473 w a s unc ons t i tut i ona l l y va gue a nd thus di d notappl y t o hi s s i tua t i on a nd ( 2)4

the c our ts houl d i nvoke the rul e of l e ni ty . T he c our tde ni e d hi s m ot i on. W i l s on ca l l ed on e w i tness i n h i s def ense , hi s brother. H e t es t i fi ed thatW i l son h ad an im p o r t- e x p o r t lic e n s e a n d s h ip p e d v a r io u s ite m s to G h a n a , m o s tly s h o e s a n d c a r s . H e ha d no i de atha tW i l s on w a s s hi ppi ng guns t o G ha na . A tthe c l os e of the e v id e n c e , th e c o u r t f

o u n d W ils o n g u ilty o n b o th c o u n ts . O n J u n e 1 6 , 2 0 0 5 , it s e n te n c e d h im to c o n c u rr e n t p r is o n te rm s o f 1 2 m o n th s . W ils o n n o w ap p e a ls h is c o n v ic tio n s o n C o u n ts T w o a n d T h r e e . W i l s on c ha l l e nge s hi s c onvi c t i ons on tw o gr ounds . F i r s t , he a r gue s tha tthe d efi n i t i o n o f “ actu al b u yer” o n F o rm 4 4 7 3 i s u n co n st i tu t i o n al l y v ag u e; i ti s so un cl ea r thata per son o f ordi naryi nt el l i gence w ou l d n otbe gi ven fai r not i ce that w h a t h e d id w a s ille g a l. S e c o n d , h e a r g u e s th a t th e c o u r t s h o u ld h a v e g r a n te d h is m ot i on f orj udgm e ntof

a c qui tt a l . W e c ons i de rthe s e a r gum e nt s i n turn.

I. W i l son say s thatF orm 44 73 do es no tcl ea rl y del i neat e i l l egal and l egal c onduc ti n as c e na r i o l i ke the one he r e – i n w hi c h athi r d pa r ty w i l l pur c ha s e the gu ns. W i l son say s thatF orm 44 73 do es no tdefi ne the t erm “ ac tual bu ye r” and that the e xa m pl e s c ont a i ne d on the f orm di d notappl y i n hi s c a s e . R a the rtha n de f i ni ng th e t e rm , h e c o n t i n u e s , th e f o rm o f f e r s as e r i e s o f

e x a m p l e s th a tc r e a t e two d e f in itio n s , n e ith e ro f

w h ic h ap p lie d to h is s itu a tio n .5

W e h av e n ev erd irec tl y a d d re ss ed th e iss u e o f w h eth erF o rm 4 4 7 3 ’s defi ni t i on of “ ac tual bu ye r” i s uncon st i tut i on al l y vague. In U ni t ed S t at es v. O rt i z, h o w e v e r , w e a f

f i rme d th e c o n v i c t i o n o f

O r t i z f o rav i o l a t i o n o f

1 8 U . S. C. § 9 22 (a )( 6), ho l di ng thatan ea rl i ervers i on of F orm 44 73 “ expres sl y [ ] pu t[O rt i z] o n n o tic e th a t h e is th e ‘a c tu a l b u y e r ’ o n ly if th e p u r c h a s e o f

f ir e a rm s is f

o rh im s e lf o rf o rag if t.” 3 1 8 F .3 d 1 0 3 0 , 1 0 3 8 ( 1 1 th C ir . 2 0 0 3 ) ( e m p h a s is o m itte d ) . O r tiz boughtthe f

i r e a rm s i n G e or gi aa nd s ol d the m t o tw o buy e r s i n N e w Y ork. O ne of the buy e r s ha d a s ke d O r t i z t o pur c ha s e the f i r e a rm f orhi m . T he e vi de nc e di d not d is c lo s e , h o w e v e r , w h e th e ro rn o t th e o th e rp u r c h a s e rh a d m a d e th e s a m e r e q u e s t. W e c onc l ude d tha tr e ga r dl e s s of w he the rO r t i z ha d i de nt i f i e d apur c ha s e rf

ora l l of the f i r e a rm s he bought , he e nga ge d i n as ha m tr a ns a c t i on be c a us e “ a tthe t i m e of c om pl e t i ng F orm 4473 [ he ] ha d no i nt e nt i on of ke e pi ng the f

i r e a rm s orgi vi ng them as a gi ft . . . . ” I d. (e m ph as i s i n o ri gi nal ). O rt i z there fore m i sr epre se nt ed that he w a s the a c tua l buy e r . I d. F orm 44 73 and i t s def

i ni t i on of “ ac tual bu ye r” have been al t er ed som ew hat si nce the vers i on ati ss ue i n O rt i z. A tthatt i m e, the form st at ed, “ A ny i nd i vi du al w ho i s notbuy i ng the f

i r e a rm f orhi m s e l f

. . . f ora s agi f

t , butw ho c om pl e t e s the f orm , vi ol a t e s the l a w . ” I d. a t1038- 39. A tthe t i m e W i l s on pur c ha s e d the fi rearm s, th e fo rm read , as n o t ed ab o v e, “ A re yo u th e actu al b u yer o f th e fi rearm (s)6

l i s t e d on thi s f

orm ? W a rni ng: Y ou a r e notthe a c tua l buy e ri f y ou a r e a c qui r i ng the f i r e a rm ( s ) on be ha l f

of a nothe rpe r s on. ” “ A c tua l buy e r ” i s f ur the rde f

i ne d by

“ Im po rt antN ot i ce 1. ” w hi ch re ads, “ F or pu rposes of thi s f orm , you are the ac tual buy e ri f y ou a r e pur c ha s i ng the f i r e a rm f ory our s e l f

orothe rw i s e a c qui r i ng the f i r e a rm f ory our s e l f

. . . . Y ou a r e a l s o the a c tua l buy e ri f y ou a r e a c qui r i ng the f ir e a rm a s ale g itim a te g if t f o rath ir d p a r ty .” B a s e d on the pl a i n l a ngua ge of F orm 4473, a n “ a c tua l buy e r ” i s one w ho ei ther purchase s afi re arm for hi m se l f or f or another a s agi ft . N o except i on s a re not e d e i the runde rQ ue s t i on 12aorI m por t a ntN ot i c e 1. I n s hor t , the de f i ni t i on of th e te rm is n o t s o c o n f

u s in g th a t m e n o f

c o m m o n in te llig e n c e m u s t n e c e s s a r ily gue s s a ti t s m e a ni ng. M or e ove r , the l a ngua ge of F orm 4473 i s nots o di f f e r e nt f r om the l a ngua ge of

the f orm i n O r t i z , w hi c h w e s a i d “ e xpr e s s l y ” putO r t i z on n o tic e “a s to w h a t c o n s titu te s av io la tio n o f th e la w .” O r tiz , 3 1 8 F .3 d a t 1 0 3 8 . D r a w i ng on O r t i z by a na l ogy , w e f i nd W i l s on’ s voi d f

orva gue ne s s a r gum e nt m eri t l ess. II. I t is w ith o u t d is p u te th a t W ils o n p u r c h a s e d th e f ir e a rm s a t is s u e f

o rr e s a le to o th e r s in G h a n a . I n c la im in g to b e th e a c tu a l b u y e ro f th e g u n s , h e k n o w in g ly vi ol at ed the l aw . T he evi dence of hi s gui l ti s overw hel m i ng ; hence, the di stri ct7

c o u r t d id n o t e rrin d e n y in g h is m o tio n f o rju d g m e n t o f

a c q u itta l. AF F I RME D.