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UNITED STATES OF AMERICA,
Plaintiff-Appellee,
v.
LEON WARD,
Defendant-Appellant. |
Nos. 19-5747/5751 |
Appeal from the United States District Court
for the Western District of Tennessee at Memphis.
Nos. 2:18-cr-20239-1; 2:18-cr-20055—John Thomas Fowlkes, Jr., District Judge.
Decided and Filed: April 30, 2020
Before: BOGGS, GRIFFIN, and READLER, Circuit Judges.
_________________________
OPINION
_________________________
A jury convicted Leon Ward of being a felon in possession of a firearm, in violation of
18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(1). Ward now appeals, arguing that his conviction was improper under
Rehaif v. United States because neither the indictment nor the jury instructions in his case
charged that he “knew he belonged to the relevant category of persons barred from possessing a
firearm.” 139 S. Ct. 2191, 2200 (2019). In the alternative, he argues that the evidence presented
at trial was insufficient to support his conviction. We affirm. |
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UNITED STATES OF AMERICA,
Plaintiff-Appellee,
v.
WILLIE R. BENTON, JR.,
Defendant-Appellant. |
No. 19-3287 |
Appeal from the United States District Court
for the Northern District of Ohio at Akron.
No. 5:18-cr-00406-1—John R. Adams, District Judge.
Decided and Filed: April 30, 2020
Before: MOORE, McKEAGUE, and READLER, Circuit Judges.
_________________________
OPINION
_________________________
CHAD A. READLER, Circuit Judge. Willie Benton was arrested after purchasing four
kilograms of powder cocaine during a transaction in his home. Benton later pleaded guilty to
conspiring to possess with the intent to distribute and conspiring to distribute cocaine, a plea he
does not contest. But he does contest his sentence for that offense. Benton asserts that the
district court improperly calculated his Federal Sentencing Guidelines range by adding as
“relevant conduct” to his underlying offense three kilograms of crack cocaine found in a safe in
his home. See U.S.S.G. § 1B1.3(a)(2). Benton likewise challenges the district court’s
imposition of a 260-month sentence as procedurally and substantively unreasonable. Seeing no
error in the proceedings below, we AFFIRM the judgment of the district court. |
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DANIEL LEMON,
Plaintiff-Appellant,
v.
NORFOLK SOUTHERN RAILWAY COMPANY,
Defendant-Appellee. |
No. 19-3906 |
Appeal from the United States District Court
for the Northern District of Ohio at Toledo.
No. 3:18-cv-01029—James G. Carr, District Judge.
Decided and Filed: April 30, 2020
Before: MERRITT, SUHRHEINRICH, and SUTTON, Circuit Judges.
_________________________
OPINION
_________________________
SUTTON, Circuit Judge. One evening after work, Daniel Lemon told his employer,
Norfolk Southern Railway, that he hurt himself on the job. In the process of investigating the
report, the railroad learned that Lemon told coworkers that he injured himself at home. It fired
him for telling tales. Because railroads may not retaliate against employees for reporting on-the-job injuries, Lemon sued. Because railroads may fire employees for making false statements, we
affirm the district court’s summary judgment ruling for the railroad. |
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