United States of America v. Quivadas Quadell-Lee Gaines

United States Court of Appeals
For the Eighth Circuit
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No. 24-3400
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United States of America
lllllllllllllllllllllPlaintiff - Appellee
v.
Quivadas Quadell-Lee Gaines
lllllllllllllllllllllDefendant - Appellant
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Appeal from United States District Court
for the Southern District of Iowa - Eastern
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Submitted: April 28, 2026
Filed: May 1, 2026
[Unpublished]
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Before GRUENDER, GRASZ, and STRAS, Circuit Judges.
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PER CURIAM.
Quivadas Gaines appeals after he pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession
of a firearm and the district court1 sentenced him to 115 months in prison. On appeal,
1The Honorable Stephen H. Locher, United States District Judge for the
Southern District of Iowa.

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Gaines argues that 18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(1) is unconstitutional in light of New York
State Rifle & Pistol Ass’n, Inc. v. Bruen, 597 U.S. 1 (2022), and that the district court
erred in calculating his Guidelines range by imposing an enhancement for possessing
a firearm in connection with another felony.
Upon careful review, we conclude that Gaines’s constitutional challenge is
unavailing. We have held that section 922(g)(1) is not facially unconstitutional under
Bruen. See United States v. Cunningham, 114 F.4th 671, 675 (8th Cir. 2024)
(holding that the longstanding prohibition on possession of firearms by a felon is
constitutional); see also United States v. Rahimi, 144 S. Ct. 1889 (2023) (upholding
18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(8), the federal prohibition on possession of a firearm while
subject to a domestic violence restraining order, as constitutional on its face). We
also conclude that the district court did not err in applying the enhancement for
possessing a firearm in connection with another felony, as the government presented
adequate evidence that Gaines’s possession of the firearm was related to his theft.
See United States v. Turner, 781 F.3d 374, 393 (8th Cir. 2015) (reviewing the
construction and application of the Guidelines de novo; factual findings are reviewed
for clear error).
Accordingly, we affirm.
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