Opinion ID: 2994844
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: Carter’s Sentencing

Text: On December 22, 1998, Carter appeared before the sentencing judge and entered a plea of guilty to Counts One through Four of the information./6 The trial judge, after interrogating Carter and satisfying himself that the plea was being entered knowingly and voluntarily, found Carter guilty and ordered a Presentence Investigation Report (PSR). The PSR recommended that Carter’s offense level be increased four levels under U.S.S.G. sec. 2K2.1(b)(5) since Carter purchased the firearms with the intent to transfer them to another while having reason to believe those firearms would be used in connection with the commission of a felony offense./7 Carter objected to this enhancement, arguing that just because he had knowledge that the guns were being purchased by gang members did not give him reason to believe that the weapons would be used in a future felony. The trial judge rejected this argument and stated: He knew that the Gangster Disciples, as a Gang, that they are engaged in all sorts of illegal activity. It’s well known the Gangster Disciples gang is engaged in felony drug offenses and other crimes of violence and shootings that are felony offenses and that they are using weapons for illegal purposes. It would just be naive of me to say that under the facts, well, you have to show that even though he knew they were being provided to a gang, he really didn’t know what they were going to be used for. I think that that would be an unreasonable assumption and that he knew that they were going to be used for felony offenses.