United States v. Seals, No. 15-1372 (7th Cir. 2016)
Annotate this CaseOn February 14, three masked men walked into a Fort Wayne bank; pointed their guns at employees; handcuffed the manager; and left with approximately $100,000. Officers arrived and discovered a loaded handgun the robbers had left behind. Forensic analysis found Seals’ DNA on the ammunition inside the gun. On March 20, an officer attempted to initiate a traffic stop of a black Infiniti; a high-speed chase ensued, ending when the Infiniti crashed into parked cars. Two occupants fled on foot. They were not apprehended. Officers searched the car and found a handgun, a cell phone, a traffic citation that had been issued to Seals, Seals’ driver’s license, a black ski mask, boxes of ammunition—some of which matched the gun recovered from the bank—and $1,231 in $1 and $10 bills. Seals voluntarily met with the FBI and stated that he had loaded the gun for his brother, but that his participation ended there. Convicted of armed bank robbery, brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence, and possession of a firearm after a felony conviction, he was sentenced to 272 months in prison. The Seventh Circuit affirmed the conviction, rejecting an argument that the government introduced improper propensity evidence, but remanded for resentencing because the court erred in applying enhancements.
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