U.S. v. Rivera

Record contained sufficient evidence to support defendant’s guilty plea to two counts of brandishing firearm in furtherance of crime of violence under 18 USC section 924(c) arising out of defendant’s participation in Hobbs Act robberies that govt. argued qualified as “crimes of violence“ under section 924(c). Ct. rejected defendant’s claim that his Hobbs Act robberies did not qualify as crimes of violence under section 924(c), after it observed that Hobbs Act robbery could not be committed without use or threat of violence.