United States Fourth Circuit

In a prosecution for being a felon in possession of a firearm, district court's sentence of life imprisonment is affirmed where: 1) the district court properly relied on defendant's prior juvenile convictions to enhance his sentence under the ACCA; 2) district court properly rejected defendant's argument that his juvenile burglaries do not constitute prior offenses under the ACCA because he did not carry a firearm while committing a crime of violence; and 3) district court did not err in sentencing defendant to life in prison as the sentence was reasonable in light of his instant offense, his adult conviction for aggravated assault and battery, and his three prior convictions for burglary of firearms from residences.

Appellate Information

• Argued 12/02/2009
• Decided 02/03/2010
• Published 02/03/2010

Judges

• Before WILKINSON, GREGORY, and DUNCAN, Circuit Judges.

Court

• United States Fourth Circuit

Counsel

• For Appellees:
  
• ARGUED:David Bruce Betts, Columbia, South Carolina, for Appellant. Carrie Ann Fisher, Office of the United States Attorney, Florence, South Carolina, for Appellee. ON BRIEF:W. Walter Wilkins, United States Attorney, Columbia, South Carolina, Alfred W. Bethea, Jr., Assistant United States Attorney, Office of the United States Attorney, Florence, South Carolina, for Appellee.