Opinion ID: 399380
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 8

Heading: proof of allegations in bill of particulars

Text: 50 Roe contends that the government introduced no evidence to establish that two interstate phone calls were made and that two instances of interstate travel occurred, as alleged in the government's Bill of Particulars. Thus, Roe argues, the government failed to prove essential elements of the offenses charged. Specifically, Roe asserts that the government introduced no evidence that (1) someone placed a phone call from New Jersey to Florida, (2) William Nash traveled from New Jersey to Florida, (3) someone placed a phone call from Ohio to Florida, and (4) Ronald Lopeman traveled from Ohio to Florida. In deciding Roe's challenge to the sufficiency of the evidence, 51 (W)e must view all the evidence, direct and circumstantial, in the light most favorable to the government, and must accept all reasonable inferences and credibility choices that tend to support the jury's verdict.... The standard of review is whether a jury could reasonably find that the evidence was inconsistent with every reasonable hypothesis of innocence or, put another way, whether a reasonably minded jury must necessarily entertain a reasonable doubt of the defendant's guilt. 52 United States v. Marx, 635 F.2d 436, 438 (5th Cir. 1981) (citations omitted), quoted in United States v. Glasgow, 658 F.2d 1036, 1040 (5th Cir. 1981). We conclude that no reasonable jury would necessarily entertain a reasonable doubt that the calls were made and the travel occurred in the manner stated in the government's Bill of Particulars. 53 The evidence established that in August, 1976, William Nash placed a telephone call from New Jersey to Florida for the purpose of learning more about Deltron's advertised business opportunity. Nash lived in New Jersey in 1976. In August, 1976, he read an advertisement in the Philadelphia Inquirer concerning a business investment opportunity for light manufacturing and he called the number and the name referred to in the advertisement. T-205. The government introduced a newspaper advertisement that Nash identified as the one he read in the Inquirer. (Government's Exhibit 14; T-271). Both defendants expressly stated that they had no objection to the admission of the advertisement into evidence. T-271. The telephone number printed in the advertisement and used by Nash is the same number that both defendants stipulated was used by Deltron in Tampa, Florida, from June 8, 1976, to October 7, 1976. We also note that the area code of the number in the advertisement (813) is the same area code listed in the telephone directory for Tampa. Although Nash reached only an answering service when he called Deltron's number, Nash testified extensively about how he became involved in Deltron's business as a result of his first phone call. In addition, although Nash did not expressly state that he called Deltron from a telephone located in New Jersey, a reasonable inference from the evidence is that Nash did call from New Jersey. Nash lived in New Jersey at the time he called Deltron, and he read the advertisement in the Inquirer, a newspaper distributed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, located just across the New Jersey border. 54 The evidence also establishes that on September 1, 1976, Nash traveled from New Jersey to Florida, for the purpose of learning how to make hood scoops for Deltron. On August 30, 1976, Nash signed a contract with a Deltron representative in Pennsylvania. Nash testified that arrangements were made for (him) to travel to Tampa on September 1 (1976). T-210. Nash also testified that while he was at Deltron, he observed the manufacturing process and actually made some hood scoops himself. Although Nash did not expressly state that he began his travel to Florida from New Jersey, a reasonable inference from the evidence is that he did begin his travel in New Jersey, because Nash lived in New Jersey throughout 1976. 55 The evidence also establishes that in the summer of 1976, Ronald Lopeman placed a telephone call from Ohio to Florida for the purpose of learning more about Deltron's advertised business opportunity. At the time he called, Lopeman lived in Ohio. He read an advertisement pertaining to Deltron and containing an 813 number printed in the Akron Beacon Journal of Akron, Ohio. He called the number and was referred to a Deltron representative near Cleveland, Ohio. T-388. The government introduced several pages of the Akron newspaper, printed during July and August, 1976, containing an advertisement that is virtually identical to the Philadelphia Inquirer advertisement seen by Nash. (Government's Exhibit 42; T-715). The Akron advertisements include the same telephone number that the defendants stipulated was Deltron's number in Tampa, Florida. Lopeman testified extensively about how he gradually became involved with Deltron as a result of his phone call to Florida. Although Lopeman also did not expressly state that he called Deltron from a telephone located in Ohio, a reasonable inference from the evidence is that Lopeman did call from Ohio. He lived in Ohio, and obtained Deltron's number from an Ohio newspaper. 56 The evidence also establishes that in early September, 1976, Lopeman traveled from Ohio to Florida, for the purpose of learning how to make hood scoops for Deltron. On August 26, 1976, Lopeman signed a contract with a Deltron representative in Ohio. Lopeman testified that he and his son then traveled to Tampa in early September, 1976. T-394-95. Even though Lopeman did not expressly state that he began his travel in Ohio, a reasonable inference from the evidence is that he did begin his travel in Ohio. First, Lopeman lived in Ohio. Second, the defendants introduced a document detailing Lopeman's flight arrangements between Akron and Tampa. (Defendants' Exhibit 45, p. 4). 57 The evidence discussed above clearly indicates that the government met its burden of proof concerning the four challenged allegations in the government's Bill of Particulars. Accordingly, we hold that Roe's contentions to the contrary are without merit.