Opinion ID: 537466
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 5

Heading: Defendant McQueen's objection to the Jury Instruction.

Text: 70 Defendant McQueen contends the trial court failed to instruct the jury that the interstate movement of the securities must have been reasonably foreseeable by defendant in order to convict him of interstate transportation of securities taken by fraud, 18 U.S.C. Sec. 2314. The court instructed the jury: 71 If the evidence establishes to your satisfaction beyond a reasonable doubt that a Defendant knowingly caused the securities ... to be transported from one state to another, then the Defendant caused the securities to be transported in interstate commerce within the meaning of the statute.... 72 [I]t is not necessary that the Defendant knew the security would be transported in interstate commerce. 73 Of course, it is common knowledge that checks or drafts drawn on an out-of-state bank will be sent to that bank for collection. If ... a Defendant knowingly caused the checks ... to be put in interstate commerce, then ... he has caused it to be transported in interstate commerce within the meaning of the law. 74 (Emphasis added.) Defendant objected to the instruction, stating that the instruction should have included language that the interstate transportation of the documents must have been reasonably foreseeable to defendant. 75 The majority of courts addressing the matter have held that the interstate transportation requirement of Sec. 2314 is merely to insure federal jurisdiction and does not impose a requirement that the government prove that the interstate transportation was in any way reasonably foreseeable. United States v. White, 451 F.2d 559, 560 (6th Cir.1971), cert. denied, 405 U.S. 1071 (1972); United States v. Kibby, 848 F.2d 920, 923 (8th Cir.1988); United States v. Squires, 581 F.2d 408, 409-10 (4th Cir.1978). 76 Therefore, we conclude the trial court did not err in failing to instruct the jury that the foreseeability of the interstate transportation of the securities is required to convict defendant of interstate transportation of securities taken by fraud, 18 U.S.C. Sec. 2314. 77