United States v. Swopes, No. 16-1797 (8th Cir. 2018)
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After the Eighth Circuit vacated defendant's sentence on the ground that second-degree robbery in Missouri was not a violent felony under the reasoning of United States v. Bell, 840 F.3d 963, 965-67 (8th Cir. 2016), the en banc court held that the district court properly counted defendant's Missouri robbery conviction as a violent felony. The en banc court granted rehearing, overruled Bell, and then returned the case to this panel to resolve the balance of defendant's appeal.
The panel held that defendant's conviction for unlawful use of a weapon in Missouri was a conviction for a violent felony under 18 U.S.C. 924(e). Therefore, defendant sustained three previous convictions for a violent felony at the time of his offense in this case, and the district court properly applied the sentencing enhancement under the Armed Career Criminal Act.
Court Description: Per Curiam - Before Colloton, Melloy and Shepherd, Circuit Judges] Criminal case - Sentencing. For the court en banc's opinion in the matter concluding Swopes' Missouri robbery conviction was a violent felony, see U.S. v. Swopes, 886 F.3d 668 (8th Cir. 2018)(en banc). Unlawful use of a weapon in violation of Mo. Rev. Stat. Sec. 571.030.1(4) is a violent felony under 18 U.S.C. Sec. 924(3); Swopes therefore had three previous convictions for a violent felony and the district court properly applied the sentencing enhancement under the Armed Career Criminal Act.
This opinion or order relates to an opinion or order originally issued on March 10, 2017.
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