UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS
Filed 9/3/96
FOR THE TENTH CIRCUIT
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA,
Plaintiff-Appellee,
v. No. 95-6383
(D.C. No. CIV-94-1810-L)
KENNETH FITZGERALD BANKS, (W.D. Okla.)
Defendant-Appellant.
ORDER AND JUDGMENT *
Before PORFILIO, LOGAN, and LUCERO, Circuit Judges.
Defendant was convicted after pleading guilty to one count of being a felon
in possession of a firearm in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(1). The district
court sentenced him to 115 months’ imprisonment. Defendant neither objected to
the presentence report at the time of sentencing nor filed a direct criminal appeal.
*
At the parties’ request, the case is unanimously ordered submitted without
oral argument pursuant to the applicable rules. This order and judgment is not
binding precedent, except under the doctrines of law of the case, res judicata, and
collateral estoppel. The court generally disfavors the citation of orders and
judgments; nevertheless, an order and judgment may be cited under the terms and
conditions of 10th Cir. R. 36.3.
Proceeding pro se, he later filed a motion to vacate, set aside or correct his
sentence pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 2255, alleging that his counsel was ineffective
and that the district court incorrectly used two prior state convictions to calculate
his base offense level and incorrectly imposed a four-point enhancement to his
sentence pursuant to U.S.S.G. § 2K2.1(b)(5). The district court denied § 2255
relief after determining defendant’s claims were procedurally barred because he
failed to prove ineffective assistance of counsel as cause excusing his procedural
default. Alternatively, the court determined defendant’s claims lacked merit.
On appeal, defendant first argues that the district court erred in failing to
hold an evidentiary hearing. If afforded an evidentiary hearing, defendant
submits he could have proved that his prior convictions were for simple
possession of a controlled substance, rather than possession with intent to
distribute. The relevant state court documents showed, and the district court
correctly found, that defendant had been convicted twice for possession of a
controlled substance with the intent to distribute, not mere possession. Also, the
district court correctly determined defendant’s claims were procedurally barred.
Because the record conclusively showed that defendant was not entitled to relief,
see 28 U.S.C. § 2255; see also United States v. Marr, 856 F.2d 1471, 1472 (10th
Cir. 1988), we conclude the district court did not abuse its discretion in failing to
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hold an evidentiary hearing, United States v. Barboa, 777 F.2d 1420, 1422 & n.2
(10th Cir. 1985).
Defendant next argues the district court erred in relying on United States v.
Gomez-Arrellano, 5 F.3d 464 (10th Cir. 1993), which he submits was overruled
by Bailey v. United States, 116 S. Ct. 501 (1995), to uphold the four-point
enhancement of his sentence. 1 Bailey, 116 S. Ct. at 505, defined the term “use”
of a firearm during or in relation to a drug trafficking offense or crime of
violence under 18 U.S.C. § 924(c)(1). Before Bailey was decided, this court held
that the standard for conviction for use of a firearm under § 924(c) is much higher
than the standard for enhancement for use or possession of a firearm in
connection with another felony under § 2K2.1(b)(5). United States v. Sanders,
990 F.2d 582, 585 (10th Cir.), cert. denied, 510 U.S. 878 (1993); see also Gomez-
Arrellano, 5 F.3d at 466 (recognizing that although there are differences between
§ 924(c)(1) and § 2K2.1(b)(5), § 924 provides some guidance on nexus between
firearms possession and narcotics offense for § 2K2.1(b)(5) purposes). Thus, we
do not agree that Bailey overruled Gomez-Arrellano or that the district court erred
in relying on Gomez-Arrellano. The district court correctly determined that
defendant was procedurally barred from challenging the enhancement and that the
1
Bailey was decided after the district court entered its decision.
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record shows evidence of an appropriate nexus between the firearm and the drugs
found in defendant’s car.
Finally, defendant argues that the four-point enhancement for use or
possession of a firearm in connection with another felony pursuant to
§ 2K2.1(b)(5) was improper because the enhancement was for the same firearm he
pleaded guilty to possessing and that a two-point enhancement under U.S.S.G.
§ 2D1.1(b)(1) would have been more appropriate. This argument is newly raised
on appeal, and we do not consider it. See Singleton v. Wulff, 428 U.S. 106, 120
(1976)(“It is the general rule . . . that a federal appellate court does not consider
an issue not passed upon below.”); United States v. Allen, 16 F.3d 377, 379 (10th
Cir. 1994)(declining to address issues not presented to district court).
The judgment of the United States District Court is AFFIRMED. The
mandate shall issue forthwith.
Entered for the Court
Carlos F. Lucero
Circuit Judge
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