United States v. Antwoyn Anderson ( 2019 )


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  •            Case: 19-10948    Date Filed: 09/19/2019   Page: 1 of 4
    [DO NOT PUBLISH]
    IN THE UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS
    FOR THE ELEVENTH CIRCUIT
    ________________________
    No. 19-10948
    Non-Argument Calendar
    ________________________
    D.C. Docket No. 0:18-cr-60204-WPD-1
    UNITED STATES OF AMERICA,
    Plaintiff-Appellee,
    versus
    ANTWOYN ANDERSON,
    Defendant-Appellant.
    ________________________
    Appeal from the United States District Court
    for the Southern District of Florida
    ________________________
    (September 19, 2019)
    Before MARTIN, NEWSOM, and ANDERSON, Circuit Judges.
    PER CURIAM:
    Case: 19-10948     Date Filed: 09/19/2019     Page: 2 of 4
    Antwoyn Anderson appeals his 235-month Armed Career Criminal Act
    (“ACCA”) enhanced sentence after he pled guilty to one count of possession of a
    firearm by a convicted felon and one count of possession of a controlled substance.
    First, he argues that the district court erred in using his prior convictions for
    possession of cocaine with intent to sell, in violation of Fla. Stat. § 893.13, as a
    predicate serious drug offense under the ACCA’s elements clause. Second, he
    argues that the district court erred in using his prior conviction for Florida
    aggravated assault as a predicate violent felony under the ACCA’s elements
    clause.
    I.
    We review de novo whether a conviction qualifies as a serious drug offense
    under the ACCA. United States v. White, 
    837 F.3d 1225
    , 1228 (11th Cir. 2016).
    We are bound by a prior panel opinion, even if it was wrongly decided, until the
    opinion’s holding is overruled by the Supreme Court or this Court sitting en banc.
    See United States v. Golden, 
    854 F.3d 1256
    , 1257 (11th Cir. 2017). Further, we do
    not assign precedential significance to grants of certiorari. Gissendaner v. Ga.
    Dep’t of Corr., 
    779 F.3d 1275
    , 1284 (11th Cir. 2015) (“Until the Supreme Court
    issues a decision that actually changes the law, we are duty-bound to apply this
    Court’s precedent . . . .”).
    2
    Case: 19-10948      Date Filed: 09/19/2019    Page: 3 of 4
    We have held that the Florida crime of possession of a controlled substance
    with the intent to sell, in violation of Fla. Stat § 893.13, is categorically a serious
    drug offense under the ACCA. United States v. Smith, 
    775 F.3d 1262
    , 1267-68
    (11th Cir. 2014). Anderson’s argument that his prior convictions for possession of
    cocaine with intent to sell under Fla. Stat. § 893.13 were not serious drug offenses
    is thus foreclosed by Smith. Accordingly, the district court did not err in using Fla.
    Stat. § 893.13 to determine his status as an armed career criminal.
    II
    We review de novo the district court’s determination that a defendant’s prior
    convictions constituted violent felonies under the ACCA. United States v.
    Howard, 
    742 F.3d 1334
    , 1341 (11th Cir. 2014). We have held that the Florida
    crime of aggravated assault is categorically a violent felony under the ACCA.
    Turner v. Warden Coleman FCI, 
    709 F.3d 1328
    , 1337-39 (11th Cir. 2013)
    abrogated on other grounds by United States v. Hill, 
    799 F.3d 1318
    , 1321 n.1
    (11th Cir. 2015). Further, we have since reaffirmed our holding as to Florida
    aggravated assault, concluding in Golden that Florida aggravated assault
    constitutes a crime of violence under the identical elements clause in the career
    offender sentencing guidelines. 
    Golden, 854 F.3d at 1256-57
    .
    3
    Case: 19-10948     Date Filed: 09/19/2019    Page: 4 of 4
    Anderson’s argument that his prior conviction for Florida aggravated assault
    was not a violent felony is foreclosed by Turner. Accordingly, the district court
    did not err in using his prior aggravated assault conviction to determine his status
    as an armed career criminal.
    AFFIRMED.
    4
    

Document Info

Docket Number: 19-10948

Filed Date: 9/19/2019

Precedential Status: Non-Precedential

Modified Date: 9/19/2019