United States v. Vanshun Traywick

── United States v. Vanshun Traywick ── Court: Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit Date: April 14, 2026 Category: NEW USCA11 Case: 25-10882 Document: 40-1 Date Filed: 04/14/2026 Page: 1 of 15 NOT FOR PUBLICATION In the United States Court of Appeals For the Eleventh Circuit ____________________ No. 25-10882 Non-Argument Calendar ____________________ UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, Plaintiff-Appellee, versus VANSHUN TRAYWICK, Defendant-Appellant. ____________________ Appeal from the United States District Court for the Middle District of Alabama D.C. Docket No. 2:23-cr-00309-ECM-SMD-2 ____________________ Before JORDAN, BRANCH, and KIDD, Circuit Judges. PER CURIAM: Vanshun Traywick appeals his total sentence of 288 months’ imprisonment following his conviction for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine USCA11 Case: 25-10882 Document: 40-1 Date Filed: 04/14/2026 Page: 2 of 15 2 Opinion of the Court 25-10882 and conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute cocaine. He argues that the district court erred in sentencing him as a career offender because the instant conspiracy convictions did not qualify as controlled substance offenses for purposes of the career offender enhancement. After review, we affirm. I. Background In 2023, a grand jury indicted Vanshun Traywick, and others, on drug-related charges. As relevant here, Traywick was charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine (Count 1), and conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute cocaine (Count 3) based on conduct that occurred in 2020. Traywick pleaded not guilty and proceeded to a jury trial. Testimony at trial established that from August 17, 2020, through October 18, 2020, the Drug Enforcement Administration (“DEA”) intercepted through a wiretap multiple communications between Traywick, and codefendants Michael Golden, and Rufus Flanagan regarding cocaine. Golden lived in Texas and obtained cocaine from the cartels in Mexico and sold it to “[m]ajor suppliers” in the United States. Golden supplied cocaine to Traywick who was a cocaine distributor in Alabama. Flanagan served as a courier to deliver the cocaine. In October 2020, Golden gave Flanagan a kilogram of cocaine (worth $40,000) to deliver to Traywick. Law enforcement conducted a traffic stop of Flanagan and seized the cocaine. Prior to this incident, Golden had supplied Traywick with a kilogram of cocaine on a couple of occasions. USCA11 Case: 25-10882 Document: 40-1 Date Filed: 04/14/2026 Page: 3 of 15 25-10882 Opinion of the Court 3 Additionally, in October 2020, the DEA intercepted calls between Traywick and codefendant Deneco Nettles discussing Traywick’s purchase of cocaine from Nettles. As a result of the call, law enforcement conducted surveillance at 1471 Foster Street, which was known to law enforcement as Traywick’s “trap house” where he was known to keep and distribute drugs. They observed Nettles’s car arrive at the residence while Traywick’s car was there. The next day,