Opinion ID: 688525
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Possession of a Firearm in Connection with a Controlled Substance Offense

Text: 6 The district court's finding that a defendant possessed a firearm during the commission of a controlled substance offense is a factual finding that we review for clear error. See United States v. Buenrostro-Torres, 24 F.3d 1173, 1174 (9th Cir. 1994) (factual findings in applying the Sentencing Guidelines are reviewed for clear error). 7 Hensley argues that the government failed to meet its burden of proof on whether he possessed the firearm in connection with a controlled substance offense under U.S.S.G. Sec. 4B1.4(b)(3)(A). More specifically, Hensley asserts that the district court clearly erred when it relied only on assertions in the PSR to find that at the time of his arrest, Hensley possessed methamphetamine with the intent to distribute. 8 The government acknowledges that it had to prove by a preponderance of the evidence its theory that Hensley possessed the drug with the intent to distribute it. United States v. Restrepo, 946 F.2d 654, 665 (9th Cir. 1991) (en banc), cert. denied, 112 S. Ct. 1564 (1992) (preponderance standard of proof applies for factors enhancing a sentence under the Sentencing Guidelines). But the government argues that it met that burden even without presenting anything other than the PSR, because Hensley accepted almost all of the facts contained in the PSR. 9 We agree with the government. Hensley's argument must fail because he made only limited objections to the allegations in the PSR which supported the court's finding that he possessed the methamphetamine with the intent to distribute it. See United States v. Rigby, 896 F.2d 392, 394 (9th Cir. 1990) (findings of the district court upheld where defendant did not challenge the accuracy of the PSR, but only the inferences drawn from it). 10 Paragraphs 15 and 16 of Hensley's PSR read as follows: 11 15. During a search of Hensley's person, the officer located a loaded Bersa .38 caliber semi-automatic pistol, serial number 246836, on the right side of Hensley's waistband area with a round chambered and a clip magazine. Also located on and seized from Hensley were 20.3 grams (net weight) of methamphetamine, a Mead notebook containing what the officer believed to be drug transaction records, a bag of syringes, a spoon and a set of electronic scales. 12 16. At the time of his arrest, Hensley was transported to the Salem Hospital for treatment of the wounds he sustained in the motorcycle crash. Hensley told the officer he had borrowed the gun from a friend about one-and-a-half weeks ago and the gun was loaded when he borrowed it. He also advised he bought approximately one ounce of methamphetamine a few days earlier for $900 and that he added some Vitamix powder to the methamphetamine. Defendant denied selling methamphetamine. 13 Hensley's only objections to the contents of paragraphs 15 and 16 were that (1) the notebook did not contain drug transaction records, but contained instead contained names and addresses of acquaintances; and (2) he did not add Vitamix powder to the methamphetamine. 14 If we then view the facts contained in paragraphs 15 and 16 of the PSR with the disputed information removed, those paragraphs still contain sufficient information from which the district court could find by a preponderance of the evidence that Hensley possessed the firearm in connection with the crime of distribution of methamphetamine. Therefore we find that the district court did not clearly err when it found that Hensley possessed a firearm in connection with a controlled substance offense, and calculated his offense level accordingly.