Opinion ID: 206048
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Mail Fraud (Counts One through Four)

Text: The indictment charges Schmitz with four counts of mail fraud, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1341. [7] Schmitz contends that the mail-fraud counts are insufficient because they do not state a criminal offense and do not give her adequate notice of the alleged scheme to defraud. Mail fraud consists of the following elements: (1) an intentional participation in a scheme to defraud a person of money or property, and (2) the use of the mails in furtherance of the scheme. United States v. Sharpe, 438 F.3d 1257, 1263 (11th Cir.2006) (citation and quotations omitted). We find that Counts Two through Four adequately allege the mail-fraud offenses. After identifying Schmitz and the CITY Program, the indictment alleges that from 2003 to 2006 Schmitz intentionally devised a scheme to defraud the CITY Program of $177,251.82 in salary and other benefits. The indictment alleges that Schmitz accepted this money even though she performed virtually no services, generated virtually no work product, and rarely even appeared for work at CITY Program offices. (Dkt. 1 at 3.) To accomplish her fraudulent scheme, the indictment alleges, Schmitz obtained her job through illegitimate means and received authorization to perform her job based on a flexible work schedule. ( Id. at 2-3.) The indictment further alleges that Schmitz sought to conceal, and therefore facilitate, her fraudulent scheme by preparing and submitting false statements regarding the number of hours she worked and the volume and nature of her services. The final paragraph of the indictment then charges that Schmitz used the mails on four separate occasions to facilitate the fraudulent scheme. Based on these allegations, the indictment presents the essential elements of mail fraud and provided Schmitz with the notice necessary to enable her to defend against those charges. The district court did not err in denying Schmitz's motion to dismiss the mail-fraud counts. [8]