Case Explained: UNITED STATES OF AMERICA v. NOAH LEE CRADDOCK

Court: United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit Filed: 2026-07-01 The Third Circuit affirmed the District Court’s judgment imposing a four-level sentencing enhancement under U.S. Sentencing Guidelines § 2K2.1(b)(4)(B)(i) for possessing a firearm with an altered serial number. The court held that the enhancement applies if a firearm has at least one serial number modified to be illegible or unrecognizable to the unaided eye, regardless of whether the same firearm also bears a separate legible serial number. In reaching this conclusion, the court applied plenary review to interpret the Guidelines’ text, relying on ordinary dictionary definitions for terms such as “any,” “a,” “modified,” and “illegible.” The court determined that the phrase “any firearm” encompasses firearms with at least one altered serial number, and the presence of a second legible number does not negate the statutory requirement. The court further noted that the 2024 amendment to the Guidelines was intended to resolve circuit splits regarding the term “altered,” not to create an exception for firearms possessing multiple serial numbers where one remains legible. As a result, the District Court’s application of the enhancement is upheld, and Craddock’s sentence stands as imposed. Do It For The Case Law is a news reporting service. Nothing in this episode constitutes legal advice.