United States v. James Edward Carpenter

GOLDBERG, Circuit Judge:

On appeal from a conviction for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, Carpenter contends: [1] that the district court erred by denying his motion to suppress statements made after counsel was appointed for him in an unrelated state court case; [2] that the district court should have excluded all references to a “crack pipe” discovered next to the firearm in question; and [3] that the district court erred in making an upward departure of his sentence. We affirm.

I. THE CONFESSION

Arrested on an outstanding warrant for a burglary charge, Carpenter was placed in the…