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2d 86
Julio Diaz ("Appellant") appeals from his conviction following a jury trial
before Keenan, J. in the United States District Court for the Southern District of
New York. The jury found Appellant guilty on four counts: Conspiracy to
distribute narcotics (Count One); possession with intent to distribute cocaine
(Count Four); receipt of a firearm in interstate commerce by a person
previously convicted of a felony (Count Six); and carrying or using a firearm in
the commission of a "crime of violence" (Count Five). The district court
sentenced Appellant to concurrent terms of four years imprisonment on Counts
One, Four, and Six, and to a mandatory consecutive five-year term of
imprisonment on Count Five. We affirm Appellant's conviction on Counts One,
Four, and Six, and reverse Appellant's conviction on Count Five.
Count Five charges Appellant with a violation of 18 U.S.C. Sec. 924(c), which
provides:
(c) Whoever, during and in relation to any crime of violence, including a crime
of violence which provides for an enhanced punishment if committed by the
use of a deadly or dangerous weapon or device, for which he may be
prosecuted in a court of the United States, uses or carries a firearm, shall, in
addition to the punishment provided for such crime of violence, be sentenced to
imprisonment for five years.... Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the
court shall not place on probation or suspend the sentence of any person
convicted of a violation of this subsection, nor shall the term of imprisonment
imposed under this subsection run concurrently with any other term of
imprisonment including that imposed for the crime of violence in which the
firearm was used or carried. No person sentenced under this subsection shall be
eligible for parole during the term of imprisonment imposed herein.
(a) an offense that has an element the use, attempted use, or threatened use of
physical force against the person or property of another, or
(b) any other offense that is a felony and that, by its nature, involves a
substantial risk that physical force against the person or property of another
may be used in the course of committing the offense.
The district court concluded that Section 924(c) applied to narcotics offenses,
observing that "firearms are the tools of the narcotics trade" and therefore
narcotics offenses involve "a substantial risk that physical force may be used in
the course of their commission." We do not agree.
Section 924(c) applies to an offense that "by its nature" involves a substantial
risk of physical force. While the traffic in drugs is often accompanied by
violence, it does not by its nature involve substantial risk that physical violence
will be used. An individual selling drugs is committing a felony whether the
purchaser is a friend, relative, or stranger, but the sale of itself need not involve
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Affirmed as to Counts One, Four, and Six; reversed as to Count Five and
remanded to the district court for resentencing on Counts One, Four, and Six.
See also United States v. Jernigan, 612 F.Supp. 382, 384 (D.N.C.1985); United
States v. Burton, No. IP 85-8-CR, --- F.Supp. ---- (S.D.Ind. May 17, 1985);
United States v. Maynard, No. CR 85-10V, --- F.Supp. ---- (W.D.Wash. April
3, 1985); United States v. Wells, Crim. No. 84-88, --- F.Supp. ---- (S.D.Iowa
Feb. 17, 1985)
See United States v. Margiotta, 688 F.2d 108, 120-21 (2d Cir.1982), cert.
denied, 461 U.S. 913, 103 S.Ct. 1891, 77 L.Ed.2d 282 (1983)