Opinion ID: 502266
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: The Mail Fraud

Text: 33 With respect to the alleged mail fraud, the district court found that the failure to provide more particular identifying information than that furnished in the affidavit rendered the warrant overbroad in scope. Specifically, the district court found, and the law firm argues on appeal, that the failure of the affidavit to name specific cases, clients, doctors or attorneys connected with instances of fraud renders the warrant unconstitutionally overbroad. The government contends, however, that the authorized seizure of files from the first floor suite and files marked with stars or orange stickers passes muster under the fourth amendment because the affidavit supported the conclusion that all such files represented cases in which fraudulent claims had been made. 34 In light of the affiant's statement that all such files represented cases in which fraudulent claims had been made, we fail to see why we should cast on the government the onerous burden of listing, by name, each file that fell within the described groups of files. It is illogical to suggest that an affidavit stating that every file in a specified, readily identifiable group of files contains a fraudulent claim provides any less probable cause than an affidavit identifying by name every file in that group. When an entire, discrete body of evidence is described, the naming of every component of that body is mere surplusage. 35 The district court again relied on Klitzman to support its conclusion that the warrant was fatally overbroad. The warrant in this case, however, is easily distinguished from the warrant at issue in Klitzman. While the Klitzman warrant authorized the seizure of case files not tied to the alleged mail fraud scheme by the supporting affidavit, the warrant in the instant case authorized the seizure of a group of files all of which, according to the affidavit, contained evidence of fraudulent claims. Accordingly, we hold that the affidavit was sufficient to support the magistrate's issuance of the warrant authorizing the seizure of files from the first floor suite and files marked with stars or orange stickers. In consequence, the warrant was not overbroad with respect to those items.