REISSUED OPINION
UNPUBLISHED
UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS
FOR THE FOURTH CIRCUIT
No. 02-4225
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA,
Plaintiff - Appellee,
versus
COREY JEROME HENRY,
Defendant - Appellant.
Appeal from the United States District Court for the Southern
District of West Virginia, at Beckley. David A. Faber, District
Judge. (CR-01-208)
Submitted: July 31, 2002 Decided: November 15, 2002
Before WILLIAMS and KING, Circuit Judges, and HAMILTON, Senior
Circuit Judge.
Affirmed by unpublished per curiam opinion.
Mary Lou Newberger, Federal Public Defender, Edward H. Weis,
Assistant Federal Public Defender, Charleston, West Virginia, for
Appellant. Kasey Warner, United States Attorney, John L. File,
Assistant United States Attorney, Charleston, West Virginia, for
Appellee.
Unpublished opinions are not binding precedent in this circuit.
See Local Rule 36(c).
PER CURIAM:
Corey Jerome Henry appeals from his 71-month sentence for
being a felon in possession of a firearm, in violation of 18
U.S.C.A. §§ 922(g)(1), 924(a)(2) (West 2000), following his
November 29, 2001, guilty plea. At sentencing on February 25,
2002, the district court enhanced his sentence, imposing a
four-level increase to his offense level under United States
Sentencing Guideline Manual § 2K2.1(b)(5) (2000) based on the
court’s finding that Henry possessed the firearm in connection with
the distribution of marijuana.
Henry argues that the Government did not sufficiently prove a
connection between the guns and the drug offense to warrant
increasing his offense level under § 2K2.1(b)(5). However, this
court has repeatedly recognized the close link between firearms and
drug distribution. See United States v. Ward, 171 F.3d 188, 195
(4th Cir. 1999). In this case, the firearm was in Henry’s hand,
Henry admitted selling marijuana only hours before his apprehension
out of the motel where he was found, and the room in which he was
arrested contained a cell phone, pager, large amounts of cash, and
a small amount of marijuana. The evidence produced at sentencing
established by a preponderance that Henry possessed the handgun in
connection with the felony offense of drug possession with intent
to distribute. Id. at 195 (recognizing that a Rolex watch, a wad
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of $1055, and a hand gun were all indicia of drug dealing).
Accordingly, we affirm Henry’s sentence.
We dispense with oral argument because the facts and legal
contentions are adequately presented in the materials before the
court and argument would not aid the decisional process.
AFFIRMED
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