UNITED STATES of America, Plaintiff-Appellee, v. James L. KEEN, Defendant-Appellant
Opinion
Opinion
Wood, J.
On September 23, 1994, James L. Keen was convicted of five counts of bank robbery-in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2113 (a), one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm and one count of being a felon in possession of ammunition in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 922 (g)(1), and one count of illegal possession of a sawed-off shotgun in violation of 26 U.S.C. § 5861 (d). In light of Keen’s three prior convictions for violent felonies, he was sentenced to a term of 327 months imprisonment. This appeal followed.
BACKGROUND
Keen was convicted of robbing five banks within a two-month period. Federal agents were first led to Keen after a teller at the fifth bank observed the license plate number of Keen’s car. Keen was arrested as he was about to enter his hotel room on November 10, 1993, the day following the fifth robbery. Inside Keen’s room, agents discovered over $1000 in currency, including 10 “bait bills,” bills whose serial numbers had been prerecorded by bank officials. Agents also found a loaded shotgun and additional ammunition in the room. The shotgun’s barrel had been roughly sawed down and the stock had been cut into a pistol grip. Keen was eventually charged with five…