Opinion ID: 535324
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: facts

Text: 2 The facts, for purposes of this appeal, are undisputed. On February 24, 1988, defendant Ryan was indicted on two counts of violating 18 U.S.C. Sec. 1029(a)(2). 1 Count One stated that in the District of Kansas, and elsewhere, ... in transactions affecting interstate commerce, Ms. Ryan did knowingly and with intent to defraud, traffic in or use one or more unauthorized access devices, namely Mastercard credit cards, ... that were stolen or obtained with the intent to defraud, and by such conduct obtained goods of an aggregate value of $1,000.00 or more. Count Two was identical, except that it referred to a VISA card. 3 At the motion to dismiss and plea hearing, the government stated that it had evidence of the following facts: In March and April, 1987, Beverly Ryan, an employee of the United Missouri Bank in Kansas City, Missouri, took credit cards which had been returned by their holders to the bank. Ms. Ryan used these cards, presumably to make purchases, in Missouri and Kansas. In addition, she gave one of the cards to her ex-husband to use. III R. 13-14. 4 The total amount charged was over $1000, but the government concedes that less than $1000 was charged in Kansas. Brief of Appellee at 2. Ms. Ryan was apprehended after a store clerk in Olathe, Kansas, called for authorization on the VISA card which she was attempting to use. III R. 14. Ms. Ryan moved to dismiss, because she asserted that in order to be prosecuted in the United States District Court of Kansas, at least $1000 worth of value must have been obtained in Kansas alone. I R. Item 11. She asserted, and continues to assert, that amounts charged in different states cannot be aggregated to reach the $1000 jurisdictional amount. 5 The district court denied the motion and accepted Ms. Ryan's conditional plea of guilty to Count One. III R. 16. The other count was dismissed. Ms. Ryan was sentenced to a three-year suspended prison sentence with three years of probation. She was also ordered to make restitution and pay an assessment to the Crime Victims Fund. II R. 5-6. 6 The issues raised on appeal are: 1) can the jurisdictional amount for prosecution under 18 U.S.C. Sec. 1029 be satisfied by aggregating amounts from different districts? 2) was venue properly placed in the District of Kansas for prosecution? 3) if aggregation is proper, do amounts charged to credit cards in Missouri affect only intrastate commerce, thus making them unavailable for aggregation?