Opinion ID: 535670
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: sufficiency of the evidence

Text: 27 Matousek also challenges the sufficiency of the evidence to support a conviction. He contends that his conduct was not an intentional scheme to defraud the bank. 28 In reviewing a challenge to the sufficiency of the evidence, we give the government the benefit of all of the reasonable inferences to be drawn from the evidence. United States v. Karunatileka, 820 F.2d 961 (8th Cir.1987). Applying this standard, we reject appellant's contention that the evidence was insufficient to support a conviction. 29 The evidence is uncontroverted that the appellant misrepresented the status of his inventory and the Bank surrendered good titles in exchange for worthless titles. The fact that appellant's motives were to avoid financial ruin does not make the conduct less fraudulent. 30 Appellant is mistaken in his argument that the government must prove, as an essential element, a reasonable reliance on the part of the Bank. As in the case of mail fraud, reasonable reliance by the victim of the fraud is not an essential element of the crime. See United States v. Anderson, 447 F.2d 833, 836 (8th Cir.1971), cert. denied, 405 U.S. 918, 92 S.Ct. 943, 30 L.Ed.2d 788 (1972); United States v. Strong, 702 F.2d 97, 100 (6th Cir.1983); United States v. Melton, 689 F.2d 679, 684 (7th Cir.1982); New England Enterprises, Inc. v. United States, 400 F.2d 58, 72 (1st Cir.1968), cert. denied, 393 U.S. 1036, 89 S.Ct. 654, 21 L.Ed.2d 581 (1969). 31 The decision of the district court is AFFIRMED.