United States v. Nathaniel Broughton

── United States v. Nathaniel Broughton ── Court: Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit Date: April 17, 2026 Category: NEW USCA11 Case: 24-12556 Document: 30-1 Date Filed: 04/17/2026 Page: 1 of 15 NOT FOR PUBLICATION In the United States Court of Appeals For the Eleventh Circuit ____________________ No. 24-12556 Non-Argument Calendar ____________________ UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, Plaintiff-Appellee, versus NATHANIEL BROUGHTON, Defendant-Appellant. ____________________ Appeal from the United States District Court for the Northern District of Georgia D.C. Docket No. 1:22-cr-00043-TWT-CCB-1 ____________________ Before LAGOA, ABUDU, and WILSON, Circuit Judges. PER CURIAM: Nathaniel Broughton appeals his 87-month sentence for pos- session of a firearm as a convicted felon, in violation of 18 U.S.C. USCA11 Case: 24-12556 Document: 30-1 Date Filed: 04/17/2026 Page: 2 of 15 2 Opinion of the Court 24-12556 § 922(g)(1). On appeal, Broughton argues that his sentence is pro- cedurally and substantively unreasonable. After careful review, we affirm. We also remand for the limited purpose of allowing the district court to correct a clerical error in the judgment. I. FACTUAL BACKGROUND & PROCEDURAL HISTORY In 2022, Broughton was charged, by indictment, with pos- session of a firearm by a convicted felon, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(1). Broughton pled guilty in July 2023 without a plea agreement. Before sentencing, a probation officer prepared a presen- tence investigation report (“PSI”) which described Broughton’s of- fense conduct as follows. On June 15, 2021, an Atlanta, Georgia, Police Department officer heard multiple gunshots coming from a motel. The officer entered the motel parking lot and observed Broughton holding a silver pistol. When the officer instructed Broughton to drop the firearm, Broughton threw the gun over a nearby fence and attempted to flee on foot. The officer hit Brough- ton with a taser and detained him. Following his arrest, Broughton stated that another individual, Lavonta Broughton (“Lavonta”) had shot at him. Lavonta was also arrested at the motel. Security footage video showed Broughton and Lavonta sit- ting in a vehicle together, Lavonta then quickly exited the vehicle and shot at Broughton before walking away, then Broughton aimed his pistol at Lavonta and fired one shot in return. Further investigation revealed that Broughton’s pistol had traveled in inter- state commerce and that he was a convicted felon. USCA11 Case: 24-12556 Document: 30-1 Date Filed: 04/17/2026 Page: 3 of 15 24-12556 Opinion of the Court 3 The PSI calculated Broughton’s base offense level to be 24, under U.S.S.G. § 2K2.1(a)(2), because Broughton had at least two previous felony convictions for crimes of violence or controlled substance offenses. Under U.S.S.G. § 2K2.1(b)(6)(B), it then added four levels because Broughton used or possessed a firearm in con- nection with another felony offense—aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. The PSI increased Broughton’s offense level to 34 under the Armed Career Criminal Act (“ACCA”), 18 U.S.C. § 924(e), because the offense o