Opinion ID: 2812339
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Elements of Gonzalez’s Offenses

Text: We review the elements that the government must prove to sustain Gonzalez’s convictions. To sustain a conviction for conspiracy to defraud the government with respect to claims, under 18 U.S.C. § 286, the government must prove “the existence of an agreement to achieve an unlawful objective, the defendant’s knowing and voluntary participation in the conspiracy, and the commission of an overt act in furtherance of it.” United States v. Gupta, 463 F.3d 1182, 1194 (11th Cir. 2006) (quotation marks omitted). The unlawful objective of a § 286 conspiracy is to defraud the federal government “by obtaining or aiding to obtain the payment or allowance of any false, fictitious or fraudulent claim.” 18 U.S.C. § 286. 13 Case: 14-11817 Date Filed: 06/26/2015 Page: 14 of 27 To convict a defendant under 18 U.S.C. § 641 of theft of public government, the government must prove that (1) the money or property belonged to the government; (2) the defendant fraudulently appropriated the money or property to his own use or the use of others; and (3) the defendant did so knowingly and willfully with the intent either temporarily or permanently to deprive the owner of the use of the money or property. United States v. McRee, 7 F.3d 976, 980 (11th Cir. 1993) (en banc). To prove aggravated identity theft under 18 U.S.C. § 1028A(a)(1), the evidence must show that the defendant: (1) knowingly transferred, possessed, or used; (2) a means of identification of another person; (3) without lawful authority; (4) during and in relation to a felony enumerated in 18 U.S.C. § 1028A(c). See 18 U.S.C. § 1028A(a)(1); United States v. Barrington, 648 F.3d 1178, 1192 (11th Cir. 2011). Theft of government money, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 641, is one of the offenses listed in § 1028A(c). 18 U.S.C. § 1028A(c)(1). “[T]he term ‘means of identification’ means any name or number that may be used, alone or in conjunction with any other information, to identify a specific individual.” Id. § 1028(d)(7). This includes any name, social security number, or date of birth. Id. § 1028(d)(7)(A).