Source: https://supreme.justia.com/cases/federal/us/257/42/case.html
Timestamp: 2016-10-28 17:53:02
Document Index: 427464887

Matched Legal Cases: ['§ 37', '§ 37', '§ 37', '§ 37', '§ 148', '§ 37']

United States v. Janowitz (full text) :: 257 U.S. 42 (1921) :: Justia U.S. Supreme Court Center Log In
› United States v. Janowitz
United States v. Janowitz 257 U.S. 42 (1921)
U.S. Supreme CourtUnited States v. Janowitz, 257 U.S. 42 (1921)United States v. JanowitzNo. 49Argued October 20, 1921Decided November 7, 1921257 U.S. 42ERROR TO THE DISTRICT COURT OF THE UNITED STATES
A conspiracy to purchase war savings certificates from their owners, remove the stamps therefrom, attach them to other, blank war savings certificates to be illegally procured, write upon the latter the names of persons other than the conspirators, and present them, so stamped and signed at a post office of the United States Page 257 U. S. 43 for payment, is a conspiracy to defraud the United States (Crim.Code § 37) and to commit the offense of altering, with intent to defraud, obligations of the United States (Crim.Code, §§ 37, 148.). P. 257 U. S. 45. United States v. Sacks, ante, 257 U. S. 37.
The indictment in the present case is in two counts, the first charging a violation of § 37 of the Criminal Code, and the second charging a conspiracy under § 37 to violate § 148. The basis of both is a conspiracy to defraud the United States by the violation of the Act of Congress of September 24, 1917, passed on in United States v. Sacks. The ways and means of the execution of the conspiracy are described with much detail by a recitation of the Acts of Congress of September 24, 1917, and September 24, 1918, and the provisions of the circulars issued by the Secretary of the Treasury providing for the execution of the purpose of those acts. And, specifically, it is averred that the defendants Page 257 U. S. 44 in the case, defendants in error here, purchased from persons not authorized by the Secretary of the Treasury to sell the same a quantity of war savings certificates of the series of 1918 and 1919, with savings certificate stamps affixed thereto, and that the defendants well knew that the certificates and the stamps were not transferable, were worthless in their hands, and could not be redeemed by them at or prior to maturity dates thereof, and were not payable to anyone save one who had purchased them from an authorized agent of the United States, and to a person whose name was written on them at the time of issue and purchase, but conspired to obtain them for themselves from the United States prior to the maturity date of the certificates and stamps knowing that they were not entitled thereto and that the United States was not obligated to pay them, and thereby defraud the United States.
To effect the object of the conspiracy, it is averred that the defendant Janowitz, at the Southern District of New York, maintained during the months of August and September, 1919, an office for the purpose of purchasing certificates and stamps, and that, in the manner described, the defendants at the times and places set forth conspired Page 257 U. S. 45 to defraud the United States, and one of them did an
"an entirely Page 257 U. S. 46 new law -- a law which would hinder and obstruct persons from the exercise of the valuable property right which such persons have exercised in the full belief of its propriety for some years past."
The reasoning of the opinion in that case applies in this, and determines the reversal of the judgment of the district court -- in other words, determines that the facts stated in the counts are sufficient to constitute crimes Page 257 U. S. 47 under §§ 37 and 148 of the Criminal Code and the Act of Congress of September 24, 1917, properly construed.