Opinion ID: 353818
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 6

Heading: the securities issue

Text: 121 J. C. Hawkins' involvement with counterfeit Georgia State Certificates of Title furnished the basis for his conviction on Count Eight of receiving and disposing of a counterfeit security moving in interstate commerce, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2315. Also, because conduct violative of § 2315 qualifies as an act of racketeering activity under 18 U.S.C. § 1961(1)(B), evidence that J. C., Delph, and Taylor distributed the counterfeit titles was admitted during the trial as relevant to the RICO conspiracy charge, Count One. At trial and in this appeal, J. C., Delph, and Taylor contend that evidence relating to the titles was improperly admitted because a Georgia State Certificate of Title is not a security as that term is defined in 18 U.S.C. § 2311. We cannot agree. 122 A security, for § 2315 purposes, includes, in part, any instrument or document or writing evidencing ownership of goods, wares, and merchandise or transferring or assigning any right, title or interest in or to goods, wares, and merchandise. 18 U.S.C. § 2311. Under Georgia law, a certificate of title is prima facie evidence of ownership of an automobile and is sufficient to prove ownership in the absence of evidence clearly contradicting the facts recited in the certificate. Hightower v. Berlin, 129 Ga.App. 246, 199 S.E.2d 335 (1973); Baker v. State, 123 Ga.App. 394, 181 S.E.2d 288 (1971); Ga.Code Ann. § 68-411a(c) (1975). Accordingly, we hold that a Georgia State Certificate of Title is a security, as defined in 18 U.S.C. § 2311. Cf. United States v. Dickson, 462 F.2d 184 (4th Cir. 1972), cert. denied, 409 U.S. 876, 93 S.Ct. 126, 34 L.Ed.2d 129. Although appellants cite United States v. Canton, 470 F.2d 861 (2d Cir. 1972), as authority to the contrary, we note that Canton involved a counterfeit New York State certificate of registration the purpose of which is to show that the motor vehicle may rightfully be operated on public highways, and which was never intended . . . as a certificate of title. Canton is thus inapposite to the facts of this case.