Opinion ID: 369349
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: The Sufficiency of the Evidence as to Count III

Text: 93 The defendants were convicted on count III of the indictment which charged that they transmitted or caused the transmission of a telex from Seven Oak to the Louisville Trust Bank in furtherance of a scheme to defraud, in violation of 18 U.S.C. §§ 2, 1343. 8 In the defendants' view, they were at most aiders and abettors and they find the evidence insufficient to show that any of their co-defendants acted as principal in actually sending the telex. 94 This argument misses the mark. The operative language of section 1343 requires only that a person transmits Or causes to be transmitted . . . any writings, signs, signals, pictures, or sounds for the purpose of executing such scheme. . . . (Emphasis supplied.) Similar operative language is contained in the analogous mail fraud statute, 18 U.S.C. § 1341. This similarity has been held to require that the sections be interpreted with equal breadth. United States v. Calvert, 523 F.2d 895, 903 (8th Cir. 1975), Cert. denied, 424 U.S. 911, 96 S.Ct. 1106, 47 L.Ed.2d 314, 98 L.Ed. 435 (1976). We agree with this conclusion. Thus the language of the Supreme Court in Pereira v. United States, 347 U.S. 1, 8-9, 74 S.Ct. 358, 363 (1954), is applicable here: 95 Where one does an act with knowledge that the use of the mails will follow in the ordinary course of business, or where such use can reasonably be foreseen, even though not actually intended, then he causes the mails to be used. 96 See United States v. Talbott, 590 F.2d 192 (6th Cir. 1978). 97 Judged by this standard, we are confident that the evidence was sufficient to establish that Kaye and Calandrella, as principals, caused the sending of the telex from Seven Oak to the bank which confirmed that Kaye had the right to use the CD as backup collateral. Kaye had actively sought to help put bank officials in touch with Calandrella and with Seven Oak in the expectation that the bank would receive just this sort of assurance. Kaye contacted Calandrella who in turn, the evidence tended to show, contacted Seven Oak. The result a few days later was the first telex sent from Seven Oak. The telex was reasonably foreseeable following each of the defendant's actions. 98 Additionally, as regards defendant Kaye, we believe that the evidence was also sufficient to show that he aided and abetted defendant Calandrella in causing the telex to be sent. See 18 U.S.C. § 2.