Opinion ID: 337639
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: the single scheme alleged in the indictment was established at trial.

Text: 33 Relying on Kotteakos v. United States, 328 U.S. 750, 66 S.Ct. 1239, 90 L.Ed. 1557 (1946), defendant Phillips claims that the government's evidence did not establish a single scheme but, rather, established two separate schemes to defraud by Cardet and MLC thus creating a fatal variance requiring reversal. In Kotteakos, thirty-two persons were indicted for a single conspiracy to induce various financial institutions to make loans which would then be insured by the Federal Housing Administration. The loans were solicited on the basis of fraudulent information. Nineteen persons went to trial, and seven were convicted. The government was forced to admit that the evidence proved eight or more conspiracies by different groups of conspirators, which had little or no connection with each other. Contrasting those facts with the record in this case, it becomes clear that Kotteakos has no real application. Here there were direct connections between the MLC defendants and the Cardet defendants. During the meetings where the franchise and loan transactions were finalized both Cardet and MLC defendants made misrepresentations. In addition the overall scheme required cooperation from both sets of defendants even though the various defendants had different objectives. 34 The defendant Phillips also challenges the indictment presented in this case on another ground, i. e., that the indictment failed to apprise him of the crime with which he was charged. This Court has previously noted the requirements for a proper indictment in Collins v. Markley, 346 F.2d 230, 232 (7th Cir. 1965), where Judge Duffy stated in an en banc decision: 35 The sufficiency of an indictment is to be measured by certain guide lines. First, the indictment standing alone must contain the elements of the offense intended to be charged, and it must be sufficient to apprise the accused of the nature of the offense. Second, after conviction, the record of the case must be sufficient so that the accused can plead the judgment in bar of any subsequent prosecution for the same offense. 36 Here the indictment alleged the scheme and the misrepresentations, the victims of the scheme, the manner in which the mail was used and a description of the matter mailed. The judgment against Phillips would bar a subsequent prosecution for the offense alleged in the present indictment. Clearly, the indictment apprised Phillips of the offense with which he was charged, and the fact that a group of defendants was acquitted on the charge is not material to the issue of the indictment's sufficiency. 37