Thornton

FOR PUBLICATION

UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS

FOR THE NINTH CIRCUIT

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA,  No. 06-50597 Plaintiff-Appellee, v.  D.C. No.

CR-02-00185-AHS

DAVID FREDERICK THORNTON,

OPINION

Defendant-Appellant.  Appeal from the United States District Court for the Central District of California Alicemarie H. Stotler, District Judge, Presiding

Argued and Submitted August 8, 2007—Pasadena, California

Filed January 10, 2008

Before: Stephen Reinhardt and Marsha S. Berzon, Circuit Judges, and James K. Singleton,* Chief District Judge.

Opinion by Judge Berzon

*The Honorable James K. Singleton, United States District Judge for the District of Alaska, sitting by designation.

349 352 UNITED STATES v. THORNTON

COUNSEL

W.C. Melcher and William Paul Melcher, Melcher, Melcher & Melcher, Woodland Hills, California, for the appellant.

George S. Cardona, Acting United States Attorney, Thomas P. O’Brien, Chief, Criminal Division, & Curtis A. Kin, Chief, Domestic Security and Immigration Crimes Section, U.S. Department of Justice, Los Angeles, California, for the appel- lee.

OPINION

BERZON, Circuit Judge:

David…