Opinion ID: 371169
Heading Depth: 4
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Appellant Beecroft.

Text: 42 Beecroft contends that the majority of misrepresentations were in advertisements before he joined the company and that the evidence was insufficient to prove specific intent on his part to participate in the scheme. We disagree. 43 After he became involved in the invention promotion business in November 1972, he reviewed all the product literature and personally made changes in the advertising material. Nevertheless, he allowed one of the brochures (Govt. Ex. 6A) to be used during his association with the company. It contained both the photo and many of the misrepresentations of the first brochure. In addition, advertisements prepared while Beecroft was chairman of NAA-DMI contained representations which, albeit less blatant than those in the earlier literature, nevertheless could be regarded by the trier of fact as half-truths, deceptive to the public. Similar representations were made in the promotional film. 44 Representations that DMI was a successful company with an enviable record and a highly qualified staff were made in newspaper advertisements, and DMI brochures. Beecroft asserts that these were true. Reviewing the evidence in a light most favorable to the government, the court's conclusion that the representations were deceptive and that Beecroft acted with reckless indifference as to their truth or falsity must be sustained. 45 The question of Beecroft's intent is clearly answered in the testimony of Frank Maxfield, project manager at DMI. Maxfield testified that Beecroft instructed him to conceal from the salesmen the fact that the $1,500 and $1,800 portfolio contracts were treated in the same way. Beecroft knew the salesmen and believed they would represent to the public that the two types of contracts would be treated differently. He participated in the suit by NAA against DMI, was aware that duplicate inventions were being accepted, and knew that the 45-day evaluations were not being conducted so that the client truly was risking the entire $1,500 or $1,800 fee rather than $150, as represented. There was sufficient evidence of Beecroft's intent and participation to affirm his conviction. 46