Boyd
United States v. Boyd
Opinion
Lead Opinion
MEMORANDUM **
I.
Under United States v. Watts, 519 U.S. 148, 157 , 117 S.Ct. 633 , 136 L.Ed.2d 554 (1997), the district court was legally permitted to enhance Erik Damon Boyd’s sentence for using a weapon even though Boyd was acquitted by the jury of a similar firearm charge. The fact that Boyd received a higher sentence with the enhancement than he would have with a 924(c) conviction is irrelevant because Boyd is not entitled to a “net benefit” from *475 his acquittal and Boyd’s total sentence was not higher than the statutory maximum allowed for the crimes of which he was convicted.
II.
There was clear and convincing evidence to support the gun enhancement and the district court so found. McCrary and Hill stated that all of the robbers, including Boyd, carried a gun. Although Brown did not state that everyone had a gun, he did testify that Boyd was present when Pace instructed everyone to make sure their guns were operable. The fact that the jury acquitted him of the firearm charge does not mean that the jury “rejected” testimony that Boyd carried a gun. See Watts, 519 U.S. at 155 , 117 S.Ct. 633 .