Opinion ID: 153055
Heading Depth: 5
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Possession of a firearm by Villarreal

Text: Villarreal further challenges the district court's factual finding that he possessed a dangerous weapona firearmin connection with the offense, which increased his offense level by two points. See U.S.S.G. § 2D1.1(b)(1). Again, Villarreal's argument against the district court's finding is that the testimony of the witnesses was uncorroborated and not credible. But we again find no clear error. Here, there is evidence to support a finding that Villarreal constructively possessed a firearm. A defendant's possession of a firearm can be shown by demonstrating he actually possessed the firearm or that he constructively possessed it, which means he had ownership, dominion, or control over an object itself or control over the premises in which the object is concealed. United States v. Hernandez, 433 F.3d 1328, 1333 (11th Cir.2005) (quotation omitted). In this case, Santos Salinas, a fellow drug dealer, attested to the presence of two semiautomatic firearms on a table in a marijuana stash house controlled by Villarreal. (R. v.2 Doc. 103 at 12-14.) This testimony supports the district court's finding that Villarreal possessed a firearm, and Villarreal's mere complaint that this testimony is uncorroborated does not lead us to find clear error. Moreover, there is evidence to support a finding that Villarreal's co-conspirator possessed a firearm that could be attributed to Villarreal. A co-conspirator's possession of a firearm may be attributed to the defendant for purposes of this enhancement if his possession of the firearm was reasonably foreseeable by the defendant, occurred while he was a member of the conspiracy, and was in furtherance of the conspiracy. United States v. Gallo, 195 F.3d 1278, 1284 (11th Cir.1999). Here, Dale Smith, one of Villarreal's marijuana customers, testified that Villarreal had sent some guys up to take collections for debts he owed. (R. v.2 Doc. 103 at 66.) Smith further testified that these collectors would carry firearms or a gun. ( Id. at 67-68.) This testimony suffices to attribute the collectors' firearms to Villarreal because Villarreal could have reasonably foreseen that his drug-debt collectors would use a firearm to collect payment in furtherance of the drug distribution conspiracy.