Opinion ID: 2972165
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Defendant’s Trial and Sentencing

Text: Defendant was indicted and tried solely under 18 U.S.C. § 922(g), felon in possession of a firearm. At trial, the jury heard testimony relating to attempted robbery, however on more than one occasion, the district court noted that the only issue before the jury was Defendant’s guilt as a felon in possession of a firearm. For example, during defense counsel’s cross-examination of Officer Perry, the court explicitly stated that “the only two issues before the jury are the knowing possession of a firearm question and then, of course, the interstate commerce question . . . it’s not a robbery case.” (Joint Appendix (“J.A.”) at 54, ¶ 11-16, 19.) During defense counsel’s cross-examination of Piez, the court once again noted that “we’re just here to decide whether or not there was a firearm. This is not a case about whether or not there was a robbery or an aggravated assault or anything else.” (J.A. at 68, ¶ 9-12.)1 Despite the court’s statements regarding robbery, the jury heard testimony from Defendant’s co-conspirator in the alleged robbery, Angela Love. Love is not Angela Elliot, the woman identified by Piez as one of the robbers, and Love was not present at the Wrenwood house on the day of the robbery or arrested for the robbery. Love testified that she and Defendant went to Piez’s house to get money, and that the gun and white car they used belonged to her boyfriend, Jeff Edmondson. Love also testified that she knew Piez prior to the robbery attempt, and that she and Piez had used drugs together several times in the past. Conversely, Piez testified that he did not know the woman who attempted to rob him, and he denied using drugs with Angela Love. Piez was also unable to 1 Additionally, during defense counsel’s cross-examination of Officer Logan, the prosecutor objected to questioning relating to whether the officers were called to Piez’s home for a robbery. The district court sustained the objection “because of the nature of the charge in the case.” (J.A. at 26, ¶ 18.) No. 04-5359 United States v. Smith Page 3 identify Defendant at trial as the man who attempted to rob him, although Piez did positively identify a photograph of Defendant taken at the time of his arrest. The jury convicted Defendant under § 922(g). In preparation for sentencing, the probation department submitted a presentence report calculating Defendant’s sentence under the Guideline for robbery, which calls for a base offense level of 20. U.S. SENTENCING GUIDELINES MANUAL § 2B3.1(a) (2002). The Guideline for firearms, § 2K2.1(c)(1)(A), states that where the defendant used or possessed a firearm in connection with the attempted commission of another offense, the district court is to apply the guideline for attempt, conspiracy, or solicitation, § 2X1.1, “in respect to that other offense, if the resulting offense level is greater than that determined” under § 2K2.1 generally. U.S.S.G. § 2K2.1(c)(1)(A). The presentence report determined that Defendant used a firearm in connection with an attempted robbery, and therefore applied the cross-reference to § 2X1.1; the application of § 2X1.1, in turn, led to the application of the robbery Guideline, which has a higher base offense level than the firearms Guideline. Coupled with Defendant’s criminal history category of VI, the sentencing range using the robbery Guideline2 was 110 to 137 months. Because the statutory maximum sentence for § 922(g) is ten years, the presentence report recommended a sentence of 120 months imprisonment. Defendant filed written objections to the presentence report, arguing that because he was indicted and convicted of being a felon in possession of a firearm, and not robbery or attempted robbery, his sentence should be calculated under the firearm Guideline without cross-referencing the attempt, conspiracy, or solicitation Guideline. The firearm Guideline, § 2K2.1(a)(6)(A), has a base offense level of 14, and with Defendant’s criminal history score it would have yielded a sentencing range of 37-46 months. At the sentencing hearing before the district court, Defendant reiterated his argument that the district court had no basis for sentencing him under the robbery Guideline, given that he was neither charged with nor convicted of robbery. Defendant also argued that the evidence presented at trial would not support a finding that he committed or attempted to commit robbery, or alternatively, that he had a principal role in robbery. Defendant noted that although Love implicated him as her co-conspirator in attempted robbery, her statements that both the gun and car belonged to her boyfriend, as well as her claim that she had “gotten high” with Piez several times, cast doubt upon Defendant’s role in the attempted robbery. Defendant also pointed out Piez’s inability to identify him in the courtroom, and the inconsistency between Love’s testimony and Piez’s regarding drug use. Defendant surmised that in applying the robbery guideline, the court was obviously taking Love’s and Piez’s testimony into account; given the problems with those testimonies, Defendant argued that the district court could not apply the robbery Guideline. Unpersuaded by Defendant’s arguments, the district court adopted the sentencing calculation set forth in the presentence report. The court opined that “the facts fully support the facts as set out in the presentence report . . . [it] is appropriate for the robbery guideline to be used in this particular case.” (J.A. at 83). Because of Defendant’s lengthy criminal history, the court imposed the 120 month statutory maximum sentence. Defendant now appeals that sentence.