Opinion ID: 167108
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Instructing on Pinkerton Conspiracy Theory

Text: 104 Mr. Wittig next challenges the district court's Pinkerton instruction insofar as it concerned count 5, the § 1005 false bank entry charge that addresses Mr. Wittig's submission of his own financial statement on January 8, 2002. Mr. Wittig argues that, as to that count, no conduct by Mr. Weidner was charged or argued. As a result, Mr. Wittig contends, the district court's Pinkerton instruction improperly allowed Mr. Wittig to be convicted for the conduct of a bank official. 105 Mr. Wittig's § 1005 conviction under count 5 was not based upon the Pinkerton doctrine. That doctrine provides that one conspirator can be found guilty of crimes committed by another conspirator in furtherance of the conspiracy. See Russell, 963 F.2d at 1322. Here, it was Mr. Wittig, not his co-conspirator, who committed the act alleged in count 5 by submitting his own financial statement. As we have noted, bank customers who conspire or aid and abet bank officials may be convicted under § 1005. See, e.g., Copple, 827 F.2d at 1186; Luke, 701 F.2d at 1108; Phillips, 406 F.2d at 601-02. Thus, there is no instructional error here. 106