United States v. Richard Wayne Drewry, 365 F.3d 957, 10th Cir. (2004)

365 F.
3d 957
UNITED STATES of America, Plaintiff-Appellee,

v.
Richard Wayne DREWRY, Defendant-Appellant.
No. 03-6011.
United States Court of Appeals, Tenth Circuit.

April 28, 2004.
Submitted on the Briefs: *

Robert G. McCampbell, United States Attorney, and Rozia McKinneyFoster, Assistant U.S. Attorney, Oklahoma City, OK, on the brief, for
Plaintiff-Appellee.
William P. Earley, Assistant Federal Public Defender, Oklahoma City,
OK, on the brief for Defendant-Appellant.
Before SEYMOUR, MURPHY and O'BRIEN, Circuit Judges.
SEYMOUR, Circuit Judge.
Richard Wayne Drewry was convicted of five charges of physical and sexual
abuse of four children in Indian country in violation of 18 U.S.C. 2241(c)
(aggravated sexual abuse of a child), 2244(c) (abusive sexual contact with a
child under the age of twelve), and 113(a)(5) (assault against a victim under
the age of sixteen). He was sentenced to 210 total months of imprisonment. Mr.
Drewry appeals his conviction and sentence, and we affirm.
* Mr. Drewry was the common-law husband of Waka Tabbie Edwards, and
they lived together in Virginia. Upon the death of her mother, Ms. Edwards
moved to Oklahoma to take care of her six nieces and nephews who had
previously been under the care of her mother. Mr. Drewry later joined Ms.
Edwards in Oklahoma and was eventually charged with physically and sexually
assaulting four of the children. A jury found him guilty on all counts, and this
appeal followed.
Mr. Drewry contends the district court committed reversible error on three
grounds: by not properly engaging in the required balancing under Federal Rule
of Evidence 403 when it admitted evidence regarding uncharged prior acts of
child molestation by Mr. Drewry; by not granting his motion for judgment of
acquittal because the government failed to prove the victims were Indians for
the purposes of 18 U.S.C. 1152; by enhancing his sentence under United
States Sentencing Guideline 2A3.1(b)(1). We address each issue in turn.
II
4
Mr. Drewry first asserts the district court erred in admitting testimony under
Federal Rule of Evidence 414(a) regarding his alleged commission of prior acts
of child molestation. He specifically contends the court failed to properly
engage in the prejudice analysis required by Rule 403. We will disturb a trial
court's decision to admit evidence under Rule 403 only for an abuse of
discretion. United States v. Charley, 189 F.3d 1251, 1259-60 (10th Cir.1999).
A district court may exercise its discretion to admit evidence under Rule 414(a)
only when a defendant is charged with an offense of child molestation, the
proffered evidence is of the defendant's commission of another offense of child
molestation, and the court determines the proffered evidence is relevant. United
States v. McHorse, 179 F.3d 889, 898 (10th Cir.1999). Although a court must
engage in a Rule 403 balancing inquiry in determining whether the evidence is
relevant, "under Rule 414 the courts are to `liberally' admit evidence of prior
uncharged sex offenses." United States v. Meacham, 115 F.3d 1488, 1492 (10th
Cir.1997). Because of the unique nature of evidence presented under Rule 414,
it is important that the trial court "make a reasoned, recorded" statement of its
403 decision.... The district court need not make detailed factual findings in
support of its Rule 403 determination. However, "[b]ecause of the sensitive
nature of the balancing test in these cases, it will be particularly important for a
district court to fully evaluate the proffered Rule ... [414] evidence and make a
clear record of the reasoning behind its findings."
United States v. Castillo, 140 F.3d 874, 884 (10th Cir.1998) (citing United
States v. Guardia, 135 F.3d 1326, 1331-32 (10th Cir.1998)). Under Rule 403, a
court may exclude evidence "if its probative value is substantially outweighed
by the danger of unfair prejudice, confusion of the issues, or misleading the
jury, or by considerations of undue delay, waste of time, or needless
presentation of cumulative evidence." Fed.R.Evid. 403.
At trial, the government proffered testimony from Larena Morales regarding

Mr. Drewry's acts of child molestation against her some twenty-five years
earlier. The district court initially declined to admit this evidence as more
prejudicial than probative, expressing concern regarding the extended period of
time that had passed since the alleged occurrence of the prior acts. After
hearing the testimony of the molestation victims as well as that of Ms. Morales,
however, the court determined there were clear similarities between how Mr.
Drewry allegedly molested Ms. Morales and the victims in the present case.
While the court repeated its concern regarding the extended time that had
passed since the alleged molestation of Morales, it nonetheless held the
evidence could be presented because the prior act was so similar to the facts of
the present case, thus increasing its probative value. Sufficient factual similarity
can rehabilitate evidence of prior uncharged offenses that might otherwise be
inadmissible due to staleness. See, e.g., United States v. Gabe, 237 F.3d 954,
959 (8th Cir.2001) (similarity of prior act evidence to charged crime warranted
admission of evidence); Meacham, 115 F.3d at 1495 ("Similarity of prior acts
to the charged offense may outweigh concerns of remoteness in time."); United
States v. Larson, 112 F.3d 600, 605 (2d Cir.1997) (same). Moreover, case law
makes clear Ms. Morales' testimony was not so stale or old as to undermine its
relevance. See Meacham, 115 F.3d at 1491-92 (admitting evidence thirty years
old and noting that no time limit is imposed on the remoteness of the uncharged
offense). We are not persuaded the district court abused its discretion in striking
the Rule 403 balance in favor of admitting Ms. Morales' testimony.
Mr. Drewry next challenges the district court's failure to grant his motion for
judgment of acquittal. He contends the court lacked jurisdiction because the
government failed to present sufficient evidence proving the victims were
Indians for purposes of 18 U.S.C. 1152, which establishes federal jurisdiction
over crimes "in which the defendant is an Indian and the victim is a non-Indian,
or vice-versa." United States v. Prentiss, 273 F.3d 1277, 1278 (10th Cir.2001).
A reversal of the district court's ruling is not warranted if "`after reviewing the
evidence in the light most favorable to the prosecution, any rational trier of fact
could have found the essential elements of the crime beyond a reasonable
doubt.'" United States v. McPhilomy, 270 F.3d 1302, 1307 (10th Cir.2001)
(quoting Jackson v. Virginia, 443 U.S. 307, 319, 99 S.Ct. 2781, 61 L.Ed.2d 560
(1979)).
10
In Prentiss, we determined that to qualify as an Indian under section 1152, an

individual is required to have some Indian blood, and be "`recognized as an
Indian by a tribe or by the federal government.'" 273 F.3d at 1280 & n. 2
(quoting Scrivner v. Tansy, 68 F.3d 1234, 1241 (10th Cir.1995)). The parties
accept that each victim here was one-quarter Indian (one-eighth Comanche
Indian and one-eighth Kiowa Indian). Mr. Drewry argues the government failed
to satisfy the second prong of the Prentiss test and prove the children were
recognized as Indians by a tribe.
11
In United States v. Lawrence, 51 F.3d 150 (8th Cir.1995), the Eighth Circuit
outlined four factors courts should consider when determining whether an
individual is recognized by an Indian tribe or the federal government: "1) tribal
enrollment; 2) government recognition formally and informally through receipt
of assistance reserved only to Indians; 3) enjoyment of the benefits of tribal
affiliation; and 4) social recognition as an Indian through residence on a
reservation and participation in Indian social life." Id. at 152. The children in
this case were not officially enrolled as members in the Comanche tribe until
after the date of at least two of the allegations in the indictment against Mr.
Drewry. But enrollment in a tribe is not the only way an individual can show
she is an Indian under 18 U.S.C. 1152. See United States v. Antelope, 430
U.S. 641, 646 n. 7, 97 S.Ct. 1395, 51 L.Ed.2d 701 (1997) ("enrollment in an
official tribe has not been held to be an absolute requirement for federal
jurisdiction"); United States v. Keys, 103 F.3d 758, 761 (9th Cir.1996) ("While
tribal enrollment is one means of establishing status as an `Indian' under 18
U.S.C. 1152, it is not the sole means of proving such status.").
12
Evidence presented at trial sufficiently satisfied the other factors listed in

Lawrence. First, the children received medical care from Indian Medical
Services and their receipt of such care was not predicated on a determination
that they fell within one of the two exceptions allowing for the provision of
care to non-Indians. Rather, evidence indicated their medical care was based on
an assumption that they were Indians eligible for such treatment. Likewise, the
children were permitted to attend a summer camp open only to Comanche
children. Their enrollment in the camp was pursuant to the direction of the
Comanche tribal chairman who indicated to camp officials that the children
were in fact Comanche. The children also participated in the social life of the
tribe through their attendance at pow-wows. Finally, when Mr. Drewry's abuse
of the children was reported, the children were taken into tribal rather than state
custody. A caseworker from the Indian Child Welfare Office specifically
testified that "my boss told us that [the children] were eligible Comanches and
they were coming into our custody. If they weren't eligible, they would have
gone to DHS custody...." App., vol. IV at 441. Viewing the evidence in the
light most favorable to the government, see McPhilomy, 270 F.3d at 1307, a
rational trier of fact could have found the government established beyond a
reasonable doubt that the victims in this case were recognized as Indians by a
tribe. The district court did not err in denying Mr. Drewry's motion for
judgment of acquittal.
13
Finally, Mr. Drewry contends the district court improperly enhanced his
sentence under United States Sentencing Guideline 2A3.1(b)(1) for the use of
force or threats in the course of sexually assaulting one of the children.** In
applying this enhancement, we have noted that "in a case involving the sexual
abuse of a child, the guidelines provide the sentencing judge with the flexibility
to apply a force enhancement depending on the facts," United States v. Reyes
Pena, 216 F.3d 1204, 1211 (10th Cir.2001), and that "a `threat of harm
sufficient to coerce or compel submission' may be quite different for a child
victim than for an adult victim." United States v. Willie, 253 F.3d 1215, 1220
(10th Cir.2001). Reviewing the district court's interpretation of the sentencing
guidelines de novo, see id. at 1218, and recognizing we must "uphold the
factual findings of the district court unless they are clearly erroneous, viewing
the evidence in the light most favorable to the court's determination," Reyes
Pena, 216 F.3d at 1211, we conclude the district court did not err in applying
section 2A3.1(b)(1) to Mr. Drewry's sentence.
14
Mr. Drewry digitally penetrated the vagina of an eleven year old girl after
commanding the child to place her leg in a chair. Immediately after the assault,
Mr. Drewry asked the child to tell him who he was. When she said he was her
uncle, he said "`No, I'm a warrior.'" App., vol. IV at 315. Trial testimony
further indicated the child had stated that when Mr. Drewry sexually assaulted
her, he said he did it so she would trust him. Id., vol. III at 40. The child also
testified that she was scared of Mr. Drewry because he was "very violent all of
the time" and was "always beating" her and her siblings. Id., vol. IV at 306. In a
physical assault against the child prior to the sexual assault, Mr. Drewry pulled
her hair, hit her face, threw her to the floor and stomped on her stomach. On
another occasion he stated "he might just kill [her] and bury [her] by the creek."
Id. at 316.
15
Viewing this evidence in the light most favorable to the district court's
determination, we hold the district court did not err in concluding "the
testimony sustains and supports a finding... that [this child was] intimidated and
threatened over a lengthy period of time, such that submission to the
defendant's sexual advances was as a result of the fear of force...." App., vol. VI
at 8. See also Willie, 253 F.3d at 1220 (history of abuse and threats supports
use-of-force enhancement); Reyes Pena, 216 F.3d at 1211 ("disparity in
coercive power, such as that between an adult and a child" can warrant use-offorce enhancement); United States v. Knife, 9 F.3d 705, 706 (8th Cir.1993)
(physical disparity between defendant and child, threats of future violence, the
child's fear of defendant's "mere presence," and evidence of defendant's
physical abuse against the child justified use-of-force enhancement).
16
We AFFIRM the judgment of the district court.
Notes:
*
After examining the briefs and appellate record, this panel has determined
unanimously to honor the parties' request for a decision on the briefs without
oral argumentSee Fed. R.App. P. 34(f); 10th Cir. R. 34.1(G). The case is
therefore submitted without oral argument.
**
Section 2A3.1(b)(1) of the guidelines allows for a four level enhancement to

sexual abuse charges where the crime was committed by force or threat
pursuant to 18 U.S.C. 2241(a) or (b). U.S. SENTENCING GUIDELINES
MANUAL 2A3.1(b)(1). Section 2241(a) dictates that aggravated sexual
abuse by force or threat includes causing "another person to engage in a sexual
act by using force against that other person; or by threatening or placing that
other person in fear that any person will be subject to death, serious bodily
injury, or kidnapping." 18 U.S.C. 2241(a)

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365 F.

UNITED STATES of America, Plaintiff-Appellee,

United States Court of Appeals, Tenth Circuit.

Submitted on the Briefs: *

At trial, the government proffered testimony from Larena Morales regarding

In Prentiss, we determined that to qualify as an Indian under section 1152, an

Evidence presented at trial sufficiently satisfied the other factors listed in

We AFFIRM the judgment of the district court.

Section 2A3.1(b)(1) of the guidelines allows for a four level enhancement to

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