Opinion ID: 566004
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: facts

Text: 2 In 1988, Nicholas Masterpol was indicted on charges of racketeering, bribery, mail fraud, conspiracy, false statements, perjury and tax fraud. The charges arose in part from Masterpol's attempt to defraud Oliver Schools, Inc. by overcharging it for renovation work that Masterpol's construction company had performed. During the ensuing trial on several of these charges two former employees of Masterpol, Daniel Tagliamonte and Royal Cooper, testified against Masterpol. Both witnesses testified that they had been paid less for their work on the renovation project than Masterpol reported to Oliver Schools. On November 2, 1989, a jury convicted Masterpol on several of the charges in the indictment. Masterpol subsequently pleaded nolo contendere to other charges in the indictment. Sentencing was scheduled for January 19, 1990 before Judge Munson. 3 Shortly before sentencing, Masterpol met individually with Tagliamonte and Cooper. Masterpol urged them to write letters to Judge Munson recanting portions of their trial testimony. At Masterpol's behest, Tagliamonte and Cooper wrote the letters, indicating that they had received either a combination of cash and gifts, or cash alone, from Masterpol equalling the amount that Masterpol claimed to have paid them--in other words, that Masterpol had in fact paid both employees what he had reported to Oliver Schools. According to the government, Masterpol made a copy of the Tagliamonte letter and submitted it to Judge Munson as an attachment to Masterpol's sentencing memorandum. During the sentencing proceedings, Masterpol's attorney presented a copy of the Cooper letter to Judge Munson for consideration in imposing Masterpol's sentence. Judge Munson sentenced Masterpol to three years imprisonment. 4 On February 21, 1990, a federal grand jury returned a second indictment against Masterpol. This indictment was directed at Masterpol's conduct in seeking to influence Tagliamonte and Cooper. Count one alleged that Masterpol attempted to obstruct justice in violation of 18 U.S.C. Sec. 1503 when he urged Cooper and Tagliamonte to recant their trial testimony. Count two alleged that Masterpol aided and abetted a violation of 18 U.S.C. Sec. 1001 by knowingly submitting a copy of a false letter written by Cooper within the jurisdiction of a department of the United States, namely, the United States District Court for the Northern District of New York. Masterpol filed pre-trial motions seeking to have both charges dismissed. The district court denied both motions and the case proceeded to trial. After a four day trial, the jury returned a guilty verdict against Masterpol on both counts. The district court sentenced Masterpol to a twenty-one month term of imprisonment. The first twelve months of the term were imposed in connection with his violations of sections 1503 and 1001 and were to run concurrently with Masterpol's sentence for his earlier conviction. The court ordered that the remaining nine months of the sentence be served consecutively, pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Sec. 3147, because Masterpol committed the offenses while released on bail. 5 On appeal Masterpol renews his contention that sections 1503 and 1001 do not reach the conduct for which he was charged. He also argues that the district court erred in enhancing his sentence under 18 U.S.C. Sec. 3147.