US v. Henry Smith

Filing

UNPUBLISHED PER CURIAM OPINION filed. Originating case number: 1:10-cr-00160-WO-1 Copies to all parties and the district court/agency. [998686891].. [11-4018]

Appeal: 11-4018

Document: 22

Date Filed: 09/27/2011

Page: 1 of 3

UNPUBLISHED
UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS
FOR THE FOURTH CIRCUIT

No. 11-4018

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA,
Plaintiff - Appellee,
v.
HENRY MONTARIOUS SMITH,
Defendant - Appellant.

Appeal from the United States District Court for the Middle
District of North Carolina, at Greensboro.
William L. Osteen,
Jr., District Judge. (1:10-cr-00160-WO-1)

Submitted:

September 8, 2011

Decided:

September 27, 2011

Before MOTZ, KING, and SHEDD, Circuit Judges.

Vacated and remanded by unpublished per curiam opinion.

Louis C. Allen, Federal Public Defender, William C. Ingram,
First Assistant Federal Public Defender, Greensboro, North
Carolina, for Appellant.
Ripley Rand, United States Attorney,
Graham T. Green, Assistant United States Attorney, WinstonSalem, North Carolina, for Appellee.

Unpublished opinions are not binding precedent in this circuit.

Appeal: 11-4018

Document: 22

Date Filed: 09/27/2011

Page: 2 of 3

PER CURIAM:
Henry
conditional
conviction

Montarious

guilty
of

a

plea

crime

Smith
to

was

convicted

possession

of

punishable

by

more

following

a

firearm

than

one

after

year

imprisonment, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(1) (2006).

his

of
The

district court sentenced Smith to 180 months of imprisonment.
Smith reserved his right to appeal the district court’s denial
of his motion to dismiss the indictment.
On appeal, Smith argues that his prior North Carolina
state

convictions

for

breaking

and

entering

and

attempted

breaking and entering were not punishable by more than one year
of imprisonment and thus are not predicate convictions pursuant
to 18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(1).
F.3d

In light of United States v. Simmons,

, 2011 WL 3607266 (4th Cir. Aug. 17, 2011) (en

banc), we vacate and remand.
Under 18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(1), it is unlawful for any
person convicted of a crime punishable by imprisonment for a
term exceeding one year to possess a firearm.

Smith’s prior

offenses specified in the § 922(g)(1) charge were punishable by
not more than ten months’ imprisonment.

See N.C. Gen. Stat. §

15A-1340.17(c)-(d)

(setting

and

applicable

North

regime).

under

out

minimum

Carolina’s

maximum

“structured

sentences

sentencing”

When Smith raised this argument in the district court,

it was foreclosed by our decision in United States v. Harp, 406
2

Appeal: 11-4018

Document: 22

Date Filed: 09/27/2011

F.3d 242 (4th Cir. 2005).
Harp

with

the

en

banc

Page: 3 of 3

Subsequently, however, we overruled

decision

in

Simmons,

where

a

similar

argument was presented and sustained in favor of the defendant.
In

view

court’s

of

our

judgment

holding

in

Simmons,

and

remand

to

we

the

vacate

the

district

district

court

for

proceedings consistent with this opinion.
We dispense with oral argument because the facts and
legal
before

contentions
the

court

are

adequately

and

argument

presented

would

not

in
aid

the
the

materials
decisional

process.
VACATED AND REMANDED

3