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

__ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ _
No. 1 7- 35 69

__ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ _ 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.

Mar k An th on y

Reyna, Sr.

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 Dis tri ct of S ou th Dako ta - Sio ux Fal ls

__ __ __ __ __ __
Su bm it te d: Octo be r 15 , 20 18 Fi le d: Jan ua ry

31 , 20 19 [Un pu bl is he d]

__ __ __ __ __ __ Befo re WOL LMAN, COLLOTON , and BENTON, Circu it Ju dg es

.

__ __ __ __ __ __

PER CURI AM.Mar k Ant ho ny Reyna, Sr., pl ead ed g u il ty to be in g a pr oh ib it ed pe rs on in

po ss es si on of fir e a rm s in vi ol at io n of 18 U.S.C. §§ 92 2( g) (1 ), 92 2( g) (3 ), an d
92 4( a)(2 ). The di st ric t co ur t se nt en ced hi m to 63 m on th s’ im pr is on m en t. W e affi rm

. 1

W hi le Reyna was at wor k, la w en fo rcem en t of fic ers s e a r c h e d hi s ho m e
pu rs ua nt to a warra nt

. Offi cers s e i z e d
, as rel ev an t he re, a di gi ta l sc al e wit h

m et ha m ph et a mi n e res id ue fro m Reyna’s ki tc he n, as well as am m un it io n an d two

se m i-a ut om at ic pi st ol s fro m hi s be dr oo m

. W he n Reyna was la te r arre st ed , o ffi c e rs fo un d $2 13 cas h an d 4.1 gr am s of co cai n e o n h i s p e rs on

. Reyna ad m it te d th at th e di gi ta l sc al e, am m

un it io n, an d fir earm s were hi s. He to ld of fic ers th at he ha d

pu rch as ed th e fir e arm s fo r pr ot ect io n be cau se hi s ho m e ha d be en br ok en in to an d be cau se he ha d h eard th at a ch il d was ab du ct ed fro m hi s s on ’s sch oo l.

The di st ric t co ur t cal cu la te d Reyna’s ad vi so ry se nt en ci ng ran ge un de r th e U.S.
Sen te nc in g Gui de li ne s (Gu id el in es ). Ove r Reyna’s ob jecti on , th e di st r i c t co ur t in crea se d Reyna’s ba se of fen se le ve l b y 4 un de r § 2K2 .1(b )(6 )(B)
, whi ch pr ov id es fo r an in crea se if th e de fen da nt “ us ed or po ss e s s e d a n y fir earm or am m un it io n in

co nn e ct io n wit h an ot he r fel on y of fen se .” The co ur t de te rm in ed th at Reyna’s to ta l of fen se le ve l was 21
, th at hi s cri m in al hi st or y cat eg or y was V, an d th at hi s ad vi so ry

se nt en ci ng ran ge was 7 0 t o 8 7 m on th s’ im pr is on m en t. The co ur t va rie d do wnwar d

to en su re th at Reyna rece i v e d cred it fo r th e ti m e he al read y ha d se rv ed in cu st od y

.

Re yn a fir st arg ue s th at th e di st ric t co ur t erre d whe n it in crea se d hi s of fen se le ve l un de r § 2K2 .1(b )(6 )(B)

. He do es no t di sp ut e th at he po ss es se d a pe rs on al -u se

am ou nt of co cai ne at th e ti m e of hi s arre st or th at hi s po ss es si on co ns ti tu te d a fel on y

un de r st at e la w. Reyna co nt en ds th at hi s fir earm s were no t su ffi ci en tl y co nn ect ed to th e d ru g- po ss es si on fel on y off en se to warran t t he en ha nc em en t.

The Hon or ab le Karen E. Sch rei er, Uni te d St at es Dis tri ct Ju dg e fo r th e Dis tri ct 1 of So ut h Dak ot a.

-2

-“ Fo r pu rp os es of th e § 2K2 .1(b )(6 )(B) en ha nc em en t, a fir earm is po ss es se d ‘in

co nn ect io n wit h’ a dr ug po ss es si on fe l o n y i f i t ‘facil it at ed
, or ha d th e po te nt ia l of faci li ta ti ng ,’ th at ot he r fel on y .” Uni te d St at es v. Qui nn , 81 2 F.3 d 69 4, 70 0 (8 th Ci r. 20 16 ) (q uo ti ng § 2 K 2

. 1 c mt

. n.1 4( A)). The en ha nc em en t do es no t ap pl y if th e de fen da nt ’s po ss es si on of t he dru gs an d fi rear m was “ th e res ul t of m ere a cci de nt or

co in ci de nc e.” Uni te d St at es v. Sm it h, 53 5 F.3 d 88 3, 88 5 (8 th Ci r. 20 08 ). In st ead
, th e

ev id en ce m

us t sh ow th at “ th e fir earm ha d a pu rp os e or effe ct wit h res pe ct to th e ot he r fel on y off en se .” Id . (in te rn al qu ot at io n m ark s an d c it at io n o m it te d)

.

W e fin d no cl ear err or in th e di st ric t co ur t’s fact ua l fin di ng th at Reyna’s

po ss es si on of fir earm s faci li ta te d or ha d th e po te nt ia l of faci li ta ti ng hi s dr ug
po ss es si on

. See id

. (s ta nd ard of rev ie w). The co ur t di st in gu is he d th e ci rcu m st an ces in th is cas e fro m th os e of Sm it h, in whi ch th e ev id en ce di d no t pr ov e th at th e d e f e n d a n t ’ s “ s i m u l t a n e o u s p o s s e s s i o n o f f i r e a r m s , a m m u n i t i o n , a n d

m et ha m ph et am in e res id ue was an y th in g ot he r th an co in ci de nc e.” Id . In Sm it h, th e de fen da nt ad m it te d to us in g a rif le to ki ll co y ot es , an d a se arch of hi s ho m e rev eal ed

a rif le
, a sh ot gu n, a sp are sh ot gu n ba rrel
, am m un it io n, a m et ha m

ph et am in e pi pe , an d

a ba gg ie co nt a i n i n g meth am ph et am in e res id ue

. W e “ reject [ed ] th e di st ric t co ur t’s

c o n c l u s i on th at th e m ere pr es en ce of dr ug res id ue

. . . an d fir earm s al on e [was ]

su ffi ci en t to pr ov e th e ‘in co nn ect io n wit h’ req ui rem en t of § 2K2 .1(b )(6 ).” Id

. at 88 6;

se e al so Uni te d St at es v. W al ke r, 90 0 F .3d 99 5, 9 97 (8t h Ci r. 20 18 ) (“ cl ear erro r to fin d th at th e fir earm faci li ta te d, or ha d th e po te nt ia l to faci li ta te , th e po ss es si on of a

us er qu a n t it y of dr ug s” whe re ev id en ce “ sh ow[ ed ] a te m po ral an d sp aci al ne xu s be twee n th e dr ug s a n d f

i r e a r m, bu t no m or e”). In co nt ras t, th e di st ric t co ur t he re

ex pl ai ne d t h at Reyna’s fir earm s di d no t ha ve “ a hu nt in g pu rp os e,” th at hi s di gi ta l

sc al e wit h m et ha m

ph et am in e res id ue “ in di cat e[d ] ev id en ce of di st rib ut io n of dr ug s,”

an d th at “ at th e ti m e of hi s arre st he was fo un d i n p o s s e s s io n of dr ug s.” The co ur t al so co ns id ered th at Reyna pu r ch as ed th e fir earm s fo r pr ot ect io n, a fai r in fere nc e

-3

-be in g th at th e fir earm s ha d th e pu rp os e o r effe ct of pr ot ect in g th e dr ug s th at Reyna

po ss es se d.

Reyna ne xt arg ue s th at hi s se nt en ce is su bs ta nt iv el y un reas on ab le be cau se th e

co ur t gav e to o m

uc h wei gh t t o hi s con vi ct io n for bu rg la ry of a ha bi ta ti on , whi ch he

co m m it te d in 19 97 whe n he was ei gh te en y ears ol d, an d hi s co nv ic ti on fo r ag gr av at ed

ro bb ery, whi ch he co m

m it te d in 19 98 whe n h e w a s ni ne te en y ears ol d. The se

co nv ic ti on s pr ov id ed 6 of Reyna’s 10 cri m in al h i s t o r y po in ts , cau si ng hi s cri m in al hi st or y cat eg or y to be V in st ead of II I
, a n d t h e 1 99 8 ro bb ery in crea se d hi s ba se of fen se lev el by 6.

W e fin d no ab us e of di sc ret io n in th e se nt en ci ng de ci si on

. See Gall v. Uni te d
St at es , 55 2 U.S. 38
, 51 (2 00 7) (s ta nd ard of rev ie w). In de nyin g Reyna’s req ue st fo r

a do wnwar d va ria nc e or de pa rtu re on th e ba si s of ov ers ta te d cri m in al hi st or y , th e di st ric t co ur t s ta te d th at “ whi le two of th os e [co nv ic ti on s] are f or ol d o ffen se s, t he y

are of fen se s th at m ak e th e ris k of po ss es si ng gu ns an d th e po t e n t i al of en ga gi ng in ad di ti on al cri m in al act iv it y m or e li ke ly.” Afte r co ns id eri ng Reyn a ’s f ul l cri m in al hi st or y , t h e co ur t co nc lu de d th at th e Gui de li ne s se nt en ci ng ran ge “ is ap pr op ria te
pu ni sh m en t fo r th e of

fen se he re.” W e th us co nc lu de th at th e di st ric t co ur t d i d no t

co m m it a cl ear erro r of jud gm en t in weig hi ng Reyna’s cri m in al hi st or y

. See Uni te d
St at es v. Jo hn so n, 81 2 F.3 d 71 4, 71 5

- 1 6 (8 th Ci r. 20 16 ) (p er cu ria m ) (n o ab us e of di sc ret io n in de nyin g do wnwar d va ria nc e fro m a pr op erl y cal cu la te d se nt en ce on th e ba si s o f an ov ers ta te d c riminal hi st or y ).

The sen te nc e is affi rm ed

.

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

-4

-