Opinion ID: 160399
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: The location of the acts constituting the offense.

Text: 25 These discrete conduct elements compel us to conclude that Congress intended the criminal statute to be treated as a continuing offense, rather than as an offense that can occur only at one point in time. See United States v. Payne, 978 F.2d 1177, 1180 (10th Cir. 1992) (holding that the continuing offense doctrine should be applied only in those circumstances in which the explicit language of the substantive criminal statute compels such a conclusion, or the nature of the crime involved is such that Congress must assuredly have intended that it be treated as a continuing one) (internal quotation omitted) (emphasis supplied). 26 The continuing nature of the offense invokes the federal continuing offense statute that states: 27 (a) Except as otherwise expressly provided by enactment of Congress, any offense against the United States begun in one district and completed in another, or committed in more than one district, may be inquired of and prosecuted in any district in which such offense was begun, continued, or completed.... 28 18 U.S.C. 3237(a). Here, the offense was completed in the Western District of Oklahoma and, as such, was properly prosecuted there. 29 The government's analogy to the case of United States v. Cores, 356 U.S. 405 (1958), is instructive. In Cores, the Supreme Court held that an alien crewman, who had willfully remained in the United States in excess of the 29 days that were allowed to him by his landing permit, could be prosecuted in any district through which he passed after the permit had expired. See id. at 407. Although the crime was complete at the moment the permit expired, it continued so long as the alien traveled through the United States with the willful intent to remain here. 30 Likewise, in this case, venue might arguably exist at the moment of crossing state lines, if the intent and attempt elements were also present. But the crime certainly continued under the statute until the attempt was interrupted, and could be prosecuted in the venue where the interruption occurred. It is certainly not the crossing alone but the crossing in order to engage in sexual activity with underage persons that is criminal. After the crossing of state lines, any district in which the completion of the crime occurs has venue. As the government points out, Mr. Cryar does not dispute or controvert that he traveled into the Western District of Oklahoma on or about the dates charged; that his intended victim was located there; that his incriminating statements were made there; or that he was apprehended at the Oklahoma City Zoo after being told he would have a chance to be alone there with the child. 31 This case is also analogous to United States v. Jackson, 482 F.2d 1167 (10th Cir. 1973). Under 21 U.S.C. 952(a), the importation of certain controlled substances into the United States is prohibited. That statute, like 2241, does not fix venue explicitly, and the defendant argued that Colorado, the destination site of the drugs in question, did not have venue because the crime was completed when the drugs had been smuggled into California. Noting that the crime could have been prosecuted in California, we cited Cores for the proposition that venue lies in any district used by the defendant to complete his crime. As we have reasoned above, we agree with the district court that this statute is properly thought of as a continuing offense, and thus venue is proper in the Western District of Oklahoma where the defendant sought to complete his crime. See Medina-Ramos, 834 F.2d at 876-77 (considering constructive possession and venue, and determining that the acts and ability giving rise to constructive possession [of the contraband] can only take place where the possessor is physically present.).