Case Name: UNITED STATES of America, Plaintiff-Appellee, v. Richard Chester NORRIS, Defendant-Appellant
Court: United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit
Jurisdiction: United States
Decision Date: 2014-10-09
Citations: 580 F. App'x 456
Docket Number: No. 13-6508
Parties: UNITED STATES of America, Plaintiff-Appellee, v. Richard Chester NORRIS, Defendant-Appellant.
Judges: 
Reporter: West's Federal Appendix
Volume: 580
Pages: 456–457

Head Matter:
UNITED STATES of America, Plaintiff-Appellee, v. Richard Chester NORRIS, Defendant-Appellant.
No. 13-6508.
United States Court of Appeals, Sixth Circuit.
Oct. 9, 2014.
BEFORE: McKEAGUE and GRIFFIN, Circuit Judges; and POLSTER, District Judge.
Honorable Dan Aaron Polster, United States District Judge for the Northern District of Ohio, sitting by designation.

Opinion:
MEMORANDUM OPINION
PER CURIAM.
Defendant Richard Chester Norris pled guilty to knowingly selling a firearm to a person prohibited from possessing a firearm, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 922(d)(1). On November 5, 2013, he was sentenced to 24 months' imprisonment. On appeal, Norris challenges the sentence as procedurally unreasonable. He contends the district court improperly applied a sentence enhancement under U.S.S.G. § 2K2.1(b)(6)(B), based on the finding that he used the firearm in connection with another felony. Although the government originally opposed Norris's claim of error, following oral arguments in this appeal, the government has acknowledged that Norris did not "use" the firearm. That is, the government has conceded "that defendant did not carry out any purpose or action by means of the firearm when he told [Ronnie] Mutter to dispose of it" . but only "sought Mutter's cooperation as to another felony which involved the firearm." Based on this concession, the government has joined with Norris in moving the court to vacate the sentence and remand for resentencing.
We find the motion well taken. Merely instructing the presumed owner of the firearm to "get rid of it" because it was evidence in a pending murder investigation — where Norris exercised no authority or influence over Mutter, where Mutter did not in fact own or possess the firearm, and where the instruction did not result in the desired impact on the firearm — is not "use" of the firearm in connection with another felony. Accordingly, notwithstanding the "due deference" owed to the district court's sentencing determination, see United States v. Stafford, 721 F.3d 380, 400-01 (6th Cir.2013), we find the sentence enhancement improper. We therefore VACATE the sentence and REMAND for resentencing.
. Our ruling should not be construed as precluding the district court's consideration of Norris's communication with Mutter in fashioning an appropriate sentence. We hold simply that enhancement under § 2K2.1(b)(6)(B) is not appropriate on the facts of record.