Opinion ID: 441741
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: The Substantive Counts: 18 U.S.C. Secs. 287 and 1001

Text: 78 With regard to the substantive counts, the arguments advanced by Dr. Gold, Opti-Center and Warren are somewhat different from those advanced by Highsmith. The first three appellants contend that since they did not actually sign or submit any of the false Medicare claims, the government must establish that they were guilty of aiding and abetting the criminal acts of their subordinates. Highsmith once again raises his ill-fated following orders defense and also specifically challenges the sufficiency of the evidence against him on count twenty-five, which charges a violation of 18 U.S.C. Sec. 1001. 79 The defendants were not charged in the indictment as aiders and abettors under 18 U.S.C. Sec. 2, so it is unnecessary for us to explore the contours of the law of aiding and abetting. Once we have concluded that the evidence was sufficient to establish that all of these defendants were members of the conspiracy, they can each be held liable for the substantive offenses committed by their co-conspirators that were within the scope of the conspiracy and in furtherance of its objectives. Pinkerton v. United States, 328 U.S. 640, 647, 66 S.Ct. 1180, 1184, 90 L.Ed. 1489 (1946); United States v. Smith, 680 F.2d 255, 261 (1st Cir.1982), cert. denied, 459 U.S. 1110, 103 S.Ct. 738, 74 L.Ed.2d 960 (1983). We believe that the evidence presented at trial was sufficient to demonstrate that false statements were made on the Medicare claims cited in counts two through forty of the indictment; appellants essentially concede as much themselves. Because these fraudulent submissions were clearly acts within the scope of the conspiracy, the appellants can be held liable despite the fact that they never personally submitted a fraudulent claim. 80 We have rejected Highsmith's following orders defense, so we can also dispose of his remaining objections to the sufficiency of the evidence. The only count to which Highsmith raises any specific objection is count twenty-five, which involved a claim submitted on behalf of Herbert Mansbridge from the Opti-Center store at the Floriland Mall in August 1980. Although the claim was apparently signed with Highsmith's signature, he never worked at the Floriland Mall store; moreover, Mansbridge testified that he was serviced by a black salesperson, whereas Highsmith is white. We need not resolve this conflict, however, since the penalty imposed on count twenty-five--an eighteen-month suspended sentence and three years' probation--runs concurrently with that imposed on counts twenty-four and thirty-one. There is no necessity that we review a conviction when the sentence is concurrent with that of another unchallenged or upheld conviction, United States v. Johnson, 700 F.2d 699, 701 (11th Cir.1983), and Highsmith's counsel acknowledged at oral argument that reversal of the conviction on count twenty-five would have no effect on the length of his client's incarceration or parole.