Court Opinion

ID: 9363813
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-01-17 19:00:37.320017+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T17:15:34.426334
License: Public Domain

Case: 22-10149      Document: 00516612587         Page: 1    Date Filed: 01/17/2023

              United States Court of Appeals
                   for the Fifth Circuit
                                                                      United States Court of Appeals
                                                                               Fifth Circuit
                                  No. 22-10149
                                Summary Calendar                             FILED
                                                                      January 17, 2023
                                                                        Lyle W. Cayce
   United States of America,                                                 Clerk

                                                             Plaintiff—Appellee,

                                       versus

   Kyrin Peters,

                                                          Defendant—Appellant.

                  Appeal from the United States District Court
                      for the Northern District of Texas
                            USDC No. 4:21-CR-77-1

   Before Higginbotham, Graves, and Ho, Circuit Judges.
   Per Curiam:*
          Kyrin Peters appeals the 41-month sentence imposed following his
   guilty plea conviction for unlawful receipt of a firearm while under
   indictment. Peters argues that the district court erred in applying a two-level
   reckless endangerment enhancement pursuant to U.S.S.G. § 3C1.2 because

          *
            Pursuant to 5th Circuit Rule 47.5, the court has determined that this
   opinion should not be published and is not precedent except under the limited
   circumstances set forth in 5th Circuit Rule 47.5.4.
Case: 22-10149       Document: 00516612587           Page: 2   Date Filed: 01/17/2023

                                      No. 22-10149

   his reckless conduct was not the result of attempting to flee from the
   consequences of the offense of conviction. The Government’s unopposed
   motion to correct its brief is GRANTED.
            Peters preserved his challenge to the reckless endangerment
   enhancement in the district court; accordingly, we review the district court’s
   interpretation of the Guidelines de novo and its factual findings for clear
   error. United States v. Deckert, 993 F.3d 399, 401 (5th Cir. 2021). There is
   no clear error when the district court’s findings are plausible in light of the
   entire record. See United States v. Torres-Magana, 938 F.3d 213, 216 (5th Cir.
   2019).
            Citing United States v. Southerland, 405 F.3d 263, 268 (5th Cir. 2005),
   Peters argues that the § 3C1.2 enhancement was not applicable because the
   evidence reveals that he fled from law enforcement officials because he knew
   he had warrants and also possessed marijuana, not because of the offense of
   conviction. He further asserts that there was an unknown temporal nexus
   between the flight and the receipt of the firearm and that he likely would have
   thought he would have been charged with unlawful carrying of a weapon, not
   receipt.
            The district court is permitted to choose between “two permissible
   views of the evidence.” Torres-Magana, 938 F.3d at 216 (internal quotation
   marks and citation omitted). The evidence reveals that it is just as likely that
   Peters fled to avoid detection of the firearm he had in the car as to avoid being
   arrested for warrants or possession of a small amount of marijuana,
   particularly in light of the fact that he admitted to receiving the firearm on or
   about the same day of the chase and that he knew he was under indictment.
   The district court’s conclusion that the § 3C1.2 enhancement was applicable
   given the facts of this case was not clear error. See id. Accordingly, the
   judgment of the district court is AFFIRMED.

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