Opinion ID: 3171512
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Antonio

Text: Antonio also disputes the sufficiency of the proof for his conspiracy conviction. The government offered no proof, Antonio claims, that he knew BBC Equities lacked the funds to guarantee investments. Indeed, the jury never heard evidence linking him to the first meetings of the conspiracy, to financial discussions, or to weekly management meetings. Antonio believed the sales pitch and therefore lacked the intent to conspire to commit wire fraud. Accordingly, he urges us to vacate his conviction. To secure a conspiracy conviction, the government need not show that Antonio organized the conspiracy or participated in each of its acts. United States v. France, 611 F. App’x 847, 849 (6th Cir. 2015). It was enough that he knew the sales script included lies and knowingly passed those lies to investors. Antonio encouraged other BBC Equities employees to guarantee investors’ principal, citing his father’s sales pitches. He did this despite receiving explicit instructions to the contrary from the company’s compliance officer and general counsel. He even elaborated on the lies in the sales pitch, making fantastical statements to investor Terry Welsh, representing that BBC Equities had net distributable profits exceeding $50 million in 2007, purchased $500 million in properties that year, and also secured a 30% rate of return for its investors. From this evidence, a jury reasonably could infer that Antonio knew that Bravata’s marketing scheme falsely promised investors security and that Antonio willfully participated in this scheme. - 15 - Case Nos. 13-2380, 13-2381, 13-2591, 15-1370, United States v. Bravata