Opinion ID: 556604
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Mail Fraud--18 U.S.C. Sec. 1341

Text: 1 Proof that a defendant is guilty of mail fraud under 18 U.S.C. Sec. 1341 requires a showing that the defendant used the mails for the purpose of executing or attempting to execute a scheme to defraud. Pereira v. United States, 347 U.S. 1, 8-9, 74 S.Ct. 358, 362-63, 98 L.Ed. 435 (1954); United States v. Serrano, 870 F.2d 1, 6 (1st Cir.1989). The essence of a scheme to defraud, within the meaning of that statute, is the existence of a plan that if carried out would constitute a fraud. See Serrano, 870 F.2d at 6 (the essence of a scheme to defraud, within the meaning of that statute, is the existence of a plan conceived ... for the purpose of defrauding ... by means of false pretenses, representations or promises ...). It is not necessary to establish that the intended victim was actually defrauded. United States v. King, 860 F.2d 54, 55 (2d Cir.1988) (per curiam), cert. denied, 490 U.S. 1065, 109 S.Ct. 2062, 104 L.Ed.2d 628 (1989); United States v. Lea, 618 F.2d 426 (7th Cir.), cert. denied, 449 U.S. 823, 101 S.Ct. 82, 66 L.Ed.2d 25 (1980); New England Enterprises, Inc. v. United States, 400 F.2d 58 (1968), cert. denied, 393 U.S. 1036, 89 S.Ct. 654, 21 L.Ed.2d 581 (1969). Nor is it a defense that the victim received something in exchange even if it was equivalent in value to what the victim was deceived into relinquishing. See King, 860 F.2d at 55. The relevant inquiry is whether there was an intent to mislead the victim by inducing an uninformed consent to part with money or property. McNally, 483 U.S. at 358, 107 S.Ct. at 2880-81; Edwards v. United States, 249 F. 686 (6th Cir.), cert. denied, 248 U.S. 560, 39 S.Ct. 7, 63 L.Ed. 422 (1918). For purposes of this appeal, the scheme pursuant to which Allard is charged with acting is one to defraud Worcester Hospital. Therefore, in weighing his arguments, we must focus on whether he was informed of and understood that to be the charge.