United States v. Coleman

CARL E. STEWART, Circuit Judge:

James Ray Coleman was charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(1). He sought dismissal on the ground that his underlying felony conviction was not a valid predicate offense. The underlying felony conviction was pursuant to 18 U.S.C. § 371 for conspiracy to pirate encrypted satellite signals and to infringe a copyright. Coleman alleged that the conviction should fall within the 18 U.S.C. § 921(a)(20)(A) exception to § 922(g)(1) for offenses relating to the regulation of business practices. The district court ruled…