Source: http://openjurist.org/955/f2d/1175
Timestamp: 2017-03-23 06:47:46
Document Index: 541860065

Matched Legal Cases: ['§ 2', '§ 371', '§ 2314', '§ 2314', '§ 2', '§ 2', '§ 2', '§ 2', '§ 3', '§ 2']

955 F2d 1175 United States v. Earles | OpenJurist
955 F. 2d 1175 - United States v. Earles HomeFederal Reporter, Second Series 955 F.2d.
955 F2d 1175 United States v. Earles 955 F.2d 1175
UNITED STATES of America, Appellee,v.Donald Lee EARLES, Appellant.
No. 91-1345.
Submitted Nov. 15, 1991.Decided Feb. 3, 1992.
Before LAY*, Chief Judge, ARNOLD**, Circuit Judge, and STUART***, Senior District Judge.
Defendant Donald Lee Earles appeals his conviction and sentence for mail fraud and related offenses. The issues he raises on appeal address the sufficiency of the evidence, government complicity, newly discovered evidence, mistrial based on improper statements from a witness, the application of the sentencing guidelines, and the propriety of his incarceration in a medium security facility. After reviewing the record, the judgment of the district court1, and the briefs and arguments of counsel, we affirm.I.
"In reviewing a jury conviction, we must consider the evidence in the light most favorable to the government and must uphold the verdict if a reasonable fact finder could have found guilt beyond a reasonable doubt." United States v. Admon, 940 F.2d 1121, 1123 (8th Cir.1991).
Defendant was charged in Count I of the indictment with the crime of mail fraud. See 18 U.S.C. §§ 2 and 1341 (1988). In United States v. Leyden, 842 F.2d 1026, 1028 (8th Cir.1988), the court held:
One who knowingly participates in an ongoing mail fraud devised by another is guilty of mail fraud. See United States v. Sedovic, 679 F.2d 1233, 1238-39 (8th Cir.1982).
Defendant was charged in Count II of the indictment with the crime of conspiracy to commit mail fraud. See 18 U.S.C. § 371. In United States v. Hoelscher, 764 F.2d 491, 494 (8th Cir.1985), the court held: "The offense of conspiracy consists of an agreement between [two or more persons] to commit an offense, attended by an act of one or more of the conspirators to effect the object of the conspiracy." The government presented at trial evidence sufficient for a reasonable jury to conclude that defendant voluntarily and intentionally joined and participated in a conspiracy to commit mail fraud, knowing the purpose of the conspiracy.
Defendant was charged in Count IV of the indictment with the crime of interstate transportation of fraudulently obtained property. See 18 U.S.C. § 2314. In United States v. Miller, 725 F.2d 462, 468 (8th Cir.1984), the court held: "The statutory language of [§ 2314] requires knowledge on the part of the defendant that the property was taken by fraud." Through the testimony of Amsden and Cadenhead, the government presented evidence that when defendant and Amsden returned to Iowa from their meeting with Cadenhead in Kansas City, they took with them a $37,500 cashier's check for non-existent propane tanks. The jury reasonably could conclude from the other evidence presented at trial that defendant did so knowing that the property was taken by fraud.
Defendant was charged in Count V of the indictment with the crime of wire fraud. See 18 U.S.C. §§ 2 & 1343. In United States v. Bryant, 766 F.2d 370, 375 (8th Cir.1985), cert. denied, 474 U.S. 1054, 106 S.Ct. 790, 88 L.Ed.2d 768 (1986), the court held:
The government presented at trial evidence sufficient for a jury to conclude that defendant committed the crime of wire fraud. The defendant placed and received several interstate telephone calls in furtherance of the same scheme to defraud that formed the basis for his mail fraud conviction. See, e.g., United States v. Tackett, 646 F.2d 1240, 1243 (8th Cir.1981) (telephone calls "designed to lull victims into a false sense of security, postpone inquiries or complaints, or make the transaction less suspect" are wire communications made in furtherance of the fraudulent scheme).
We review the district court's findings on the government misconduct issue under the "clearly erroneous" standard. See, e.g., United States v. Picone, 773 F.2d 224, 226 (8th Cir.1985) (per curiam). The district court's findings in this case are supported by substantial evidence in the record. We therefore affirm the district court's denial of defendant's motion for new trial based on government misconduct.
To justify a new trial based on newly discovered evidence, the evidence must be of such a nature that it would probably produce an acquittal at a new trial. United States v. Begnaud, 848 F.2d 111, 113 (8th Cir.1988); United States v. Bednar, 776 F.2d 236, 238 (8th Cir.1985); United States v. Widgery, 674 F.2d 710, 712 (8th Cir.), cert. denied, 459 U.S. 894, 103 S.Ct. 192, 74 L.Ed.2d 155 (1982). The district court concluded that the new evidence offered by defendant failed to satisfy this standard. We agree.
"[T]he decision whether to grant a mistrial, which is a very drastic remedy, lies within the sound discretion of the district court." United States v. Elem, 845 F.2d 170, 172 (8th Cir.1988). As we noted in Elem, generally an admission of prejudicial statements made during the trial can be cured by striking them and instructing the jury to disregard them. Id. In this case, one of the witnesses (Amsden) mentioned Donald Scott Earles' cocaine addiction. The district court granted Donald Scott Earles' motion for mistrial, denied defendant's motion for mistrial based on the statement relating to his son's addiction, struck the testimony and instructed the jury to disregard it. We believe the district court cured any prejudice which may have resulted from the statement. We conclude that the district court did not abuse its discretion in denying defendant's motion for mistrial.
Defendant challenges the district court's application of the Sentencing Guidelines. The district court determined that defendant's base offense level was six for an offense involving fraud and deceit. See U.S.S.G. § 2F1.1(a) (1991). The court added six points for victim losses between $100,000 and $200,000. See U.S.S.G. § 2F1.1(b)(1)(G) (add 6 for loss between $70,001 and $120,000). The court then added two points for an offense involving more than minimal planning. See U.S.S.G. § 2F1.1(b)(2). The court denied both the defendant's application for a two-point reduction for acceptance of responsibility and the government's application for a two-point enhancement for obstruction of justice. See U.S.S.G. §§ 3E1.1 (acceptance of responsibility) & 3C1.1 (obstruction of justice). Defendant's adjusted offense level of fourteen and category I criminal history yielded a sentencing range of fifteen to twenty-one months. The court sentenced defendant to eighteen months imprisonment.
First, the defendant challenges the addition of six points for victim losses between $100,000 and $200,000. "The amount of the loss is a factual question to be reviewed under the clearly erroneous standard." United States v. West, 942 F.2d 528, 532 (8th Cir.1991). "[I]n calculating the extent of defendant's involvement, for sentencing purposes, the Court is not confined to the amount of money personally taken in and handled by [the defendant]." Morphew v. United States, 909 F.2d 1143, 1145 (8th Cir.1990). Therefore, defendant's argument that only one $5,000 check endorsed by him may be used to establish victim loss is meritless. The government presented evidence that the conspiracy in which the defendant participated defrauded victims of over $100,000. Furthermore, the district court properly included the amount taken from Cadenhead but which did not eventually result in actual loss (Cadenhead was able to stop payment on this check). See U.S.S.G. § 2F1.1, comment (n. 7); West, 942 F.2d at 532; United States v. Johnson, 908 F.2d 396, 398 (8th Cir.1990). The district court's finding of victim losses is not clearly erroneous.
Finally, the defendant challenges the denial of a two-point reduction for acceptance of responsibility. "Whether a defendant has accepted responsibility is a factual question which depends largely on credibility assessments by the sentencing court." United States v. Youmans, 926 F.2d 747, 749 (8th Cir.1991) (per curiam). Upon reviewing the record, we find it supports the district court's denial of a reduction for acceptance of responsibility.