United States v. McMillan , 346 F. App'x 945 ( 2009 )


Menu:
  •                               UNPUBLISHED
    UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS
    FOR THE FOURTH CIRCUIT
    No. 09-4120
    UNITED STATES OF AMERICA,
    Plaintiff - Appellee,
    v.
    RICHARD TYRONE MCMILLAN,
    Defendant - Appellant.
    Appeal from the United States District Court for the Western
    District of Virginia, at Roanoke.     James C. Turk, Senior
    District Judge. (7:08-cr-00031-jct-3)
    Submitted:    September 29, 2009            Decided:   October 13, 2009
    Before WILKINSON and      GREGORY,   Circuit   Judges,   and   HAMILTON,
    Senior Circuit Judge.
    Affirmed by unpublished per curiam opinion.
    Krysia Carmel Nelson, NELSON & TUCKER, PLC, Charlottesville,
    Virginia, for Appellant. Julia C. Dudley, United States
    Attorney, Jean B. Hudson, Assistant United States Attorney,
    Charlottesville, Virginia, for Appellee.
    Unpublished opinions are not binding precedent in this circuit.
    PER CURIAM:
    A jury convicted Richard Tyrone McMillan of possession
    of a stolen firearm and aiding and abetting, in violation of 
    18 U.S.C. §§ 2
    , 922(j) (2006), and possession of a firearm after
    having previously been convicted of a crime punishable by more
    than one year, in violation of 
    18 U.S.C. § 922
    (g)(1) (2006).
    McMillan     was     sentenced         to   ten     years     of   imprisonment     for
    possession of a stolen firearm and fifteen years of imprisonment
    for     being   a    felon       in    possession        of   a    firearm,    to   run
    concurrently, and now appeals.               Finding no error, we affirm.
    McMillan       first       challenges       the    sufficiency     of   the
    evidence.       This court reviews a district court’s decision to
    deny a Fed. R. Crim. P. 29 motion for a judgment of acquittal de
    novo.      United States v. Smith, 
    451 F.3d 209
    , 216-17 (4th Cir.
    2006).     A defendant challenging the sufficiency of the evidence
    faces a heavy burden.            United States v. Beidler, 
    110 F.3d 1064
    ,
    1067 (4th Cir. 1997).             The verdict of a jury must be sustained
    “if, viewing the evidence in the light most favorable to the
    prosecution,        the      verdict        is      supported      by     ‘substantial
    evidence.’”          Smith,      
    451 F.3d at 216
       (citations      omitted).
    Substantial evidence is “evidence that a reasonable finder of
    fact    could   accept      as    adequate        and   sufficient      to   support   a
    conclusion of a defendant’s guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.”
    
    Id.
          (internal        quotation         marks       and    citation       omitted).
    2
    Furthermore, “[t]he jury, not the reviewing court, weighs the
    credibility of the evidence and resolves any conflicts in the
    evidence        presented.”             Beidler,         
    110 F.3d at 1067
          (internal
    quotation          marks        and     citation          omitted).                “Reversal        for
    insufficient evidence is reserved for the rare case where the
    prosecution’s failure is clear.”                          
    Id.
     (internal quotation marks
    and citation omitted).
    McMillan           argues        that       the        Government           failed     to
    demonstrate that the firearm charged in the indictment was a
    firearm within the meaning of the statute because the Government
    did not prove that the firearm was not an antique firearm.                                           In
    order to prove McMillan possessed a stolen firearm in violation
    of 
    18 U.S.C. § 922
    (j), the Government had to demonstrate that
    (1) McMillan possessed the stolen firearm; (2) the firearm had
    moved    in     interstate        commerce;             and    (3)    McMillan         knew    or   had
    reason     to      know    that        the     firearm         was     stolen.          See     United
    States v. Moye, 
    454 F.3d 390
    , 395 (4th Cir. 2006).                                     To establish
    a     violation      of     
    18 U.S.C. § 922
    (g)(1),               the    Government        was
    required      to    prove       that:     (1)       McMillan         was   a     convicted     felon;
    (2) he    knowingly         possessed           a    firearm;         and        (3)   the    firearm
    traveled in interstate commerce.                              United States v. Gallimore,
    
    247 F.3d 134
    ,      136    (4th     Cir.       2001).          The    term       “firearm”     is
    defined under the statute, in part, as “any weapon (including a
    starter gun) which will or is designed to or may readily be
    3
    converted to expel a projectile by the action of an explosive
    . . . [other than] an antique firearm.”                   
    18 U.S.C. § 921
    (a)(3)
    (2006).     In addition, the statute defines an “antique firearm”
    as any firearm manufactured in or before 1898 and any replica
    that is not designed to use modern ammunition.                     See 
    18 U.S.C. § 921
    (a)(16) (2006).
    Moreover,     the     antique       firearms     exception         is    an
    affirmative defense that must be raised by the defendant and
    supported by evidence before the Government must disprove its
    application.        See, e.g., United States v. Lawrence, 
    349 F.3d 109
    , 122-23 (3d Cir. 2003).              As McMillan failed to raise the
    antique firearms exception in the district court or provide any
    evidence of its application, the Government was not required to
    demonstrate that the firearm was not an antique firearm.
    McMillan    also    argues       that   the   Government     failed      to
    demonstrate that he knew the firearm was a firearm within the
    meaning of the statute.         However, the Government was not obliged
    to prove that McMillan knew that the firearm met the statutory
    definition for a firearm.          See United States v. Frazier-El, 
    204 F.3d 553
    , 561 (4th Cir. 2000) (Government need not prove that
    defendant    knew    possession    of    particular       type   of    firearm      was
    prohibited).        In addition, the Government provided sufficient
    evidence    to   demonstrate    that     McMillan     knew   the      weapon   was   a
    firearm, as that term is commonly used.               See 
    id.
    4
    McMillan       next      argues         that    the       Government        failed    to
    demonstrate      that    he     knew    the     firearm          was      stolen.        We    have
    thoroughly      reviewed      the      record       and     conclude        that       there    was
    sufficient evidence from which the jury could find that McMillan
    knew, or had reason to know, that the firearm was stolen.
    Finally, McMillan argues that the district court erred
    in instructing the jury by omitting essential elements of the
    crimes   charged.          As    McMillan          did     not       object       to   the     jury
    instructions in the district court, we review this issue for
    plain error.      See Neder v. United States, 
    527 U.S. 1
    , 8-9 (1999)
    (noting that, in cases where defendant failed to object to jury
    instruction, issue is reviewed for plain error).                              To prevail on
    a claim of unpreserved error, McMillan must demonstrate that
    (1) there was error; (2) the error was plain; and (3) the error
    affected his substantial rights.                      United States v. Olano, 
    507 U.S. 725
    , 732 (1993).             Furthermore, even if McMillan satisfies
    this standard, this court will exercise its discretion to notice
    the error only “if the error seriously affect[s] the fairness,
    integrity, or public reputation of the judicial proceedings.”
    
    Id.
     (internal quotation marks and citation omitted).
    McMillan       argues        that       the     district        court       failed    to
    instruct   the    jury     on    the     definition             of   an    antique       firearm.
    However,   as    noted     above,       McMillan          did    not      raise    the    antique
    firearm exception as an affirmative defense.                                Accordingly, the
    5
    Government was not required to prove that the firearm McMillan
    possessed was not an antique firearm.
    McMillan also argues that the district court failed to
    instruct the jury that the Government had to prove that he knew
    the weapon was a firearm within the meaning of the statute.
    However,     in    order   to    convict       a    defendant     of        a    violation    of
    § 922, the Government does not need to prove that the defendant
    knew    that      possession     of      a   particular       type      of       firearm     was
    prohibited.         See Frazier-El, 
    204 F.3d at 561
    ; see also United
    States v. Jones, 
    471 F.3d 535
    , 540 (4th Cir. 2006) (to establish
    knowing        violation       of        § 922(g),         Government           “must      prove
    defendant’s knowledge with respect to possession of the firearm
    but    not   with    respect        to    other     elements      of    the       offense.”).
    Therefore, we conclude that the district court did not err in
    instructing the jury on the elements of the offenses.
    Accordingly, we affirm the judgment of the district
    court.       We dispense with oral argument because the facts and
    legal    contentions       are      adequately       presented         in       the    materials
    before    the     court    and      argument       would    not   aid       the       decisional
    process.
    AFFIRMED
    6