Opinion ID: 204150
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: The Fraudulent Loan Charges

Text: Counts 2-13, 23-30 and 42 charged Alfonzo with making false statements in violation of 18 U.S.C. §§ 2(a) and 1014. Counts 2-13 concerned the Toledo family's emergency and operating loans for alleged damage to their dairy farms. Counts 23-30 concerned the Barreto family's loans. Count 42 concerned Jorge Delgado-Peréz's emergency loan for $500,000. To establish a violation of § 2(a), the government must prove that (1) the principal knowingly submitted false statements; and (2) the accomplice consciously shared knowledge of it, associated himself with it, and intended to help ensure its success. García-Carrasquillo, 483 F.3d at 130. To establish a violation of § 1014, the government must prove that (1) the defendant made a false statement; (2) the defendant acted knowingly; and (3) the false statement was made for the purpose of influencing action on the loan. Tierney, 266 F.3d at 40. Alfonzo argues there is insufficient evidence to support his conviction in the absence of direct evidence showing his participation in submitting the fraudulent loan applications. In particular, Alfonzo asserts that in order to find him guilty, the jury improperly inferred that Morales told him about the infirmities in the loan applications. Direct evidence is not required to find him guilty, and juries are entitled to draw reasonable inferences at trial based on circumstantial evidence. See Rodríguez-Durán, 507 F.3d at 758; Downs-Moses, 329 F.3d at 261. There is sufficient circumstantial evidence to support the jury's finding that Alfonzo was guilty of making false statements to obtain FSA loans. Multiple witnesses at trial testified that Alfonzo's wife Morales intentionally inflated the damages on the loan applications and instructed the cattlemen to obtain falsified invoices. Other witnesses testified that they met with Alfonzo after applying for FSA loans and that he was concerned about their loan applications being investigated. The investigator testified that Alfonzo made excuses for failing to turn over the files in question and also made excuses for why these files contained discrepancies. Based on this evidence, the jury was permitted to infer that Alfonzo shared knowledge of the cattlemen's false statements in the loan applications.