N O T FO R PUB L ICAT IO N UNITED STATES C OUR T OF APPEALS FOR THE NINTH C IR C UIT
UNITED STATES OF AM ER IC A,

Pla i ntiff-Appe lle e , v. DEB OR AH JOY DUR

A N D, De fe nda nt-Appe l la

nt. No. 17-30244

D.C . No. 4:16-c r-00043-B M M -1
M EM O R ANDUM *

Appe a l from

the Unite d

Stat e s Distric t C ourt for the Distric t of M o nta

na B ria n M
. M orris, Distric t

Judge , Pre siding Subm itte d Nove m

be r 5, 2018 ** Portla nd, Ore gon B e fore : FER

NANDEZ a

nd IKUTA, C irc uit Judge s, a nd SESSIONS, * ** Distric t Judge
. 

# F IL ED NOV 23 2018 M OLLY C. DW Y E R, CLERK U. S. CO URT O F APPEALS

* This disposition is not a ppropria te for public at ion a

nd is not pre c e de nt e xc e pt a s provide d

by Ninth C irc uit R

ule 36-3.

* * The pa

ne l una nim ously c onc lude s this c a se is suita ble for de c ision without oral a

rgum e nt. Se e Fe d. R . App. P. 34(a)(2).

* * * The Honora

ble W illia m K. Se ssions III, Unite d State s Distric t Judge for the Distric t of Ve rm ont, sitting by de s igna tion.De bora h Joy Dura nd a ppe a ls he r c onvic tions following a be n c h tria l for fraudule nt a c ts in viola

tion of 18 U.S.C . §§ 1920, 1343, 287, a n d 641. Vie wing thee vide nc e in the light mo st fa vora b le to the prose c ution, a

finde r of fa c t c o uld re a sona

bly de t e rm ine that Dura

nd’ s sta te m e nts to Dr. Ja

m e s Hood
re ga rding thee xte nt of he r im pa irm e nts a

nd pa i n we re fa l se . B e c a

use Dr. Hood’ s dia g nosis of Dura

nd a s pe rm ane ntly

disa ble d wa s ba se d on he r fa lse sta te m e nts,
and the gove rnm e nt re lie d on Dr. Hood’ s fla we d dia gnosis in c la ssify ing Dura nd a s pe rm ane ntly

disa ble d, Dura

nd wa s not e ntitle d to re ly on e ithe r the dia gnosis or the gove rnm e nt’ s c l a ssific ation. For thesa m e re a son, ne ithe r the dia gnosis nor the gove rnm e nt’ s c l a ssific ation c o nstitute d e ntra pm e nt by e stoppe l whic h pre v e nte d Durand from

re turning to work. Se eUnite d State s v . Batte rje e , 361 F.3d 1210, 1216 (9th C ir. 2004). B e c a u se Dura nd ha d c e rtifie d

tha t she would im

m e diate ly inform the gove rnm e nt

of a ny im prove m e nt in he r m e dic a l c ondition, she wa s not
e ntitle d to c ontinuec olle c t ing be ne fits until the gove rnm e nt a ske d he r for followup inform ation or offe re d he r a ppropria te e m ploy m e nt. Although Dura

nd a nd he r witne s se s te stifie d tha

t she wa s in fa c t pe rm ane ntly disa b le d, the fa c tfinde r wa s fre e to c re dit thec ontra

ry e vide nc e . Se eUnite d State s v . N e v ils , 598 F.3d 1158, 1164–65 (9th C ir. 2010) (e n ba nc ).

2A re a sona ble fa c tfinde r c ould a lso c onc lude tha t Dura nd wa s guilty

of fra ud for filing 31 c la im s for m e dic a lly -re late d tra v e l re im burse m e nt to loc ations tha t ha d no c orre sponding re c ords of m e dic a l a ppointm e nts or pre sc ription-pic kups by Durand. Although Dura

nd te stifie d tha

t the c la im s she file d we re le g itim ate de spite the la c k of c orre sponding re c ords, the fa c tfinde r wa s fre e to not be lie ve he r. Unite d State s v . W illiams , 435 F.2d 642, 645–46 (9th C ir. 1970). Ac c ordingly , the
e vide nc e introduc e d at tria l wa s suffic ie nt for a rationa l finde r of fa c t to find the
e sse ntia l e le m e nts of thec rim e s be y ond a re a sona ble doubt. Se eN

e v ils , 598 F.3d
at 1163–65; Unite d State

s v . Spe ars , 631 F.2d 114, 117 (9th C i r. 1980). AFFIRM E D
.

3