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Parties Involved:
Rassan M. Tarabein
Appellant
United States of America
Appellee

Document Text:

[DO NOT PUBLISH]

In the

United States Court of Appeals

For the Eleventh Circuit

____________________

No. 23-11129

____________________

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, 

Plaintiff-Appellee,

versus

MD RASSAN M. TARABEIN, 

Defendant-Appellant.

____________________

Appeal from the United States District Court

for the Southern District of Alabama

D.C. Docket No. 1:22-cr-00074-JB-B-1

____________________

Before WILSON, BRASHER, and HULL, Circuit Judges.

USCA11 Case: 23-11129 Document: 58-1 Date Filed: 11/26/2024 Page: 1 of 3
2 Opinion of the Court 23-11129

PER CURIAM:

Defendant-Appellant Rassan Tarabein appeals his convictions for bank fraud in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1344(1), false statements to an agency of the United States in violation of 18 U.S.C. 

§ 1001(a)(2), criminal default in violation of 18 U.S.C. §§ 3615, 

3664(m)(1)(A)(i), and aggravated identity theft in violation of 18 

U.S.C. § 1028A(a)(1) (with bank fraud pursuant to 18 U.S.C. 

§ 1344(1) as the predicate offense). He also appeals his sentence of 

48 months’ imprisonment. 

On appeal, Tarabein argues the following: 

I. The district court erred by not severing Counts One 

(Bank Fraud) and Five (Aggravated Identity Theft) of 

his indictment from the rest of the counts.

II. His conviction on Count Five (Aggravated Identity 

Theft) should be vacated because the government’s 

indictment failed to adequately allege aggravated 

identity theft and the predicate offense of bank fraud

and the government failed to present sufficient evidence of the bank fraud.

III. The district court inappropriately admitted into evidence a check seized from his luggage at the Pensacola airport and a Wells Fargo bank statement.

IV. Insufficient evidence supports his convictions on

Counts One (Bank Fraud), Two (False Statement), 

and Three (False Statement).

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23-11129 Opinion of the Court 3

V. The district court erred in applying the 2-point enhancement for sophisticated means, applying the 2-

point enhancement for obstruction of justice, and 

denying Tarabein’s request for a variance downward 

as to his criminal history score due to his criminal history being overstated in the presentence investigation 

report.

After review of the record and the briefs, and with the benefit of oral argument, we find no reversible error and, therefore,

affirm Tarabein’s convictions and sentence.

AFFIRMED. 

USCA11 Case: 23-11129 Document: 58-1 Date Filed: 11/26/2024 Page: 3 of 3