United States v. Thomas

Submitted: January 11, 2005 A jury convicted Corey R. Thomas of possessing with the intent to distribute more than 50 grams of cocaine base, and he received a mandatory life sentence because he had two prior convictions for distributing crack. Thomas appeals, arguing that the district court1 abused its discretion by admitting evidence of his prior crimes and from a search of his home and that his mandatory minimum life sentence violated the Sixth Amendment. We affirm. On March 27, 2003, two St. Louis police officers were patrolling in a marked police vehicle when they saw Thomas leaning into the front window of a car in the 4100 block of McRee Avenue. As the officers approached, the car sped off, and Thomas started walking towards the officers. They detained him, ran a check which showed there was an outstanding warrant for a probation violation, and arrested him. The officers then performed a patdown for weapons and found a clear plastic bag containing a large ball of crack in Thomas' waistband and $550 in his jacket pocket.