Opinion ID: 4020399
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Use of False Documents

Text: Finally, Hattaway was convicted of two counts of using false documents in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1001(a)(3), which holds criminally liable “whoever, in any matter within the jurisdiction of the executive, legislative, or judicial branch of the Government of the United States, knowingly and willfully . . . makes or uses any false writing or document knowing the same to contain any materially false, fictitious, or fraudulent statement or entry.” Despite Hattaway’s arguments to the contrary, there was an adequate basis for the jury to have found that - 11 - Case Nos. 16-5237, 16-5241 United States v. Robert Hattaway Hattaway acted willfully—there was evidence presented that Hattaway had fabricated the receipts and then submitted them to the National Appeals Division in order to influence its decision on whether he was eligible to apply for benefits. To the extent that Hattaway argues that there was insufficient evidence of materiality, we disagree. The National Appeals Division was determining if Hattaway was a crop producer in the year 2009, and Hattaway submitted two falsified receipts purporting to show that he had purchased and cleaned wheat seed that year. This is sufficient evidence for a juror to have found that the false documents were material. And, as discussed above, there was sufficient evidence by which a rational juror could find that the documents were false. Thus, there was sufficient evidence for the jury to have convicted Hattaway of using false documents.