Opinion ID: 440528
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Actual Value of the Paintings

Text: 73 Appellants' argument that the district court altered the offense charged in the indictment when it instructed the jury that the government did not have the burden of proving that the paintings were actually worth $5,000 is without merit. While proof that the paintings had a minimum value of $5,000 would have been necessary had appellants been charged with a substantive violation of section 2314, that proof is unnecessary here because appellants were charged with conspiracy to violate section 2314. United States v. Graves, 669 F.2d 964, 971 (5th Cir.1982); United States v. Maddox, 492 F.2d 104, 106 (5th Cir.), cert. denied, 419 U.S. 851, 95 S.Ct. 92, 42 L.Ed.2d 82 (1974). 74 Federal jurisdiction over the substantive offense of transportation of stolen goods in interstate commerce is predicated on the goods having a value of at least $5,000. 18 U.S.C.A. Sec. 2314; United States v. Tombrello, 666 F.2d 485 (11th Cir.1982). 75 This court, however, has expressly held that proof of the conspirator's belief that the illegal activity would yield more than the jurisdictional amount, $5,000, is all that is required to sustain a conspiracy conviction. Tombrello, 666 F.2d at 489; accord United States v. Rosner, 485 F.2d 1213 (2d Cir.1973), cert. denied, 417 U.S. 950, 94 S.Ct. 3080, 41 L.Ed.2d 672 (1974). 76 The evidence reveals that appellants believed that they would reap $2 million from their sale of stolen paintings. Under Tombrello, appellants' belief covers the jurisdictional amount. Appellants' argument to the contrary overlooks the jurisprudential distinction between a conspiracy and the substantive offense. We hold that the district court correctly instructed the jury with regard to the value of the paintings.