Document ID: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-ca8-05-02581/USCOURTS-ca8-05-02581-0/pdf.json

Parties Involved:
Nancy Lee Kraft
Appellant
United States of America
Appellee

Document Text:

United States Court of Appeals

FOR THE EIGHTH CIRCUIT

___________

No. 05-2581

___________

United States of America, *

*

Appellee, * Appeal from the United States

* District Court for the District

v. * of Minnesota.

*

Nancy Lee Kraft, * [UNPUBLISHED]

*

Appellant. *

___________

Submitted: January 9, 2006

Filed: January 13, 2006

___________

Before MURPHY, FAGG, and SMITH, Circuit Judges.

___________

PER CURIAM.

Nancy Lee Kraft and her husband ran businesses dealing in wildlife and exotic

animals, an area regulated by the Lacey Act, 16 U.S.C. § 3371-78, among other

federal laws. In submitting governmental form 7020 covering interstate

transportation of protected wildlife, the Krafts falsely claimed illegal interstate sales

of protected wildlife were lawful donations. The Government charged the Krafts with

submitting false records for wildlife transported in interstate commerce, and

conspiracy to submit false records. See 16 U.S.C. § 3372(d)(2), 18 U.S.C. § 371.

After Kraft’s husband pleaded guilty, a jury convicted Kraft of submitting false

Appellate Case: 05-2581 Page: 1 Date Filed: 01/13/2006 Entry ID: 1997032
*

The Honorable Ann D. Montgomery, United States District Judge for the

District of Minnesota. 

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records and conspiracy to do so. The district court*

 sentenced Kraft to fifteen months

in prison. 

Section 3372(d)(2) makes it unlawful for any person to make or submit any

false record for any wildlife that is transferred in interstate commerce. Kraft

contends the false forms she prepared and submitted do not qualify as records under

the Act. Contrary to Kraft’s contention, form 7020 is a record within the term’s

common definition. See United States v. Kapp, 419 F.3d 666, 668, 676 (7th Cir.

2005) (upholding Lacey Act conviction where defendant misrepresented on form

7020 that animals were legally donated rather than illegally sold). Indeed, the form

expressly states that it is a “record.” Although the specific information about the

nature of the transaction is not required to be provided on form 7020, the Krafts chose

to complete that part of the form, and did so to hide their illegal conduct. Making or

submitting false records is illegal regardless of whether there is a duty to submit the

records. United States v. Allemand, 34 F.3d 923, 926 (10th Cir. 1994). 

Kraft also asserts her conviction violates due process because she had no

warning that submitting the false information on form 7020 would subject her to

criminal prosecution. We disagree. The statute plainly states it is unlawful to submit

a false record for any wildlife that is transferred in interstate commerce. We conclude

§ 3372(d)(2) affords fair warning of the proscribed conduct. See Slavin v. United

States, 403 F.3d 522, 523-24 (8th Cir. 2005); United States v. Lee, 937 F.3d 1388,

1394-95 (9th Cir. 1991). 

Kraft last argues the evidence is insufficient to support her convictions.

Viewing the evidence in the light most favorable to the verdict, we conclude a

reasonable jury could find beyond a reasonable doubt that Kraft submitted false

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records for wildlife transferred in interstate commerce and conspired with her

husband and individual buyers to do so. See Kapp, 419 F.3d at 668, 676. Testimony

indicated Kraft told one buyer his form 7020 was marked “donation” to avoid raising

any red flags when the Krafts were inspected by the USDA, especially with respect

to leopards, which she acknowledged were protected and could not be legally sold

interstate. Kraft told other buyers their forms were marked “donation” because that

was “the way to do it.” In contrast to the forms, Kraft’s notebooks indicated the

transactions were sales. 

We thus affirm the district court.

______________________________

Appellate Case: 05-2581 Page: 3 Date Filed: 01/13/2006 Entry ID: 1997032