United States v. Williams

Defendant-Appellant Byron Ladell Williams appeals his conviction of illegal possession of a "Masterpiece MAC-9mm"-style assault rifle in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(1) and his corresponding 108-month prison sentence, reflecting an upward variance from the Sentencing Guidelines range. Williams contends that: (1) the district court erred in admitting into evidence prior acts that were irrelevant to the charge or unduly prejudicial in violation of Federal Rule of Evidence 404(b); (2) the district court abused its discretion under Federal Rule of Evidence 403 by admitting a recorded telephone conversation that was irrelevant to the case; and (3) the district court committed plain error by considering Williamss bare arrest record as a basis for an upward variance from the Sentencing Guidelines range in determining his sentence. For the reasons set forth below, we AFFIRM both Williamss conviction and sentence.