Opinion ID: 768520
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Variance Claim

Text: 10 Romero-Avila argues that there was a fatal variance between the indictment and the evidence introduced at trial and that as a result there was insufficient evidence to convict him of the crime charged. In reviewing this claim, we must ask whether, when the evidence is viewed in the light most favorable to the government, a reasonable jury could find the defendant[ ] guilty beyond a reasonable doubt of each essential element of the crime charged. United States v. Universal Trade and Indus., Inc., 695 F.2d 1151, 1153 (9th Cir. 1983). 11 Section 911 of Title 18 has three identifiable elements. First, a defendant must falsely claim to be a U.S. citizen. Second, the misrepresentation must be willful. Third, the misrepresentation must be made to someone with good reason to inquire into the defendant's citizenship. The first two elements come from the language of the statute itself. 1 The third element derives from our case law. SeeSmiley v. United States, 181 F.2d 505, 507-08 (9th Cir. 1950). 12 Romero-Avila does not dispute that there was sufficient evidence to prove that he falsely and willfully misrepresented his citizenship to three border officers. Nor does he dispute that there was sufficient evidence to prove that these officials had good reason to inquire into his citizenship. He argues only that there was insufficient evidence to prove that the person to whom he lied about his citizenship was C. Perez and that this was a material element of the crime. To support this argument, he points to our decision in Smiley . See 181 F.2d at 507-08. He contends that because Smiley imposes a requirement that the misrepresentation be made to someone with good reason to inquire, the exact person to whom the statement was made is an element of the charged crime. 13 We disagree. Our decision in Smiley did not make exact identity an element of the crime. It only made an element of the crime that the statement be made to someone with good reason to inquire. In this case, the government presented evidence that Romero-Avila made the statement to three border guards, each of whom had good reason to inquire into the citizenship of the defendant. Therefore, there was sufficient evidence to prove this element of the crime. 14 We rejected a similar variance claim in United States v. Von Stoll, 726 F.2d 584 (9th Cir. 1984). In that case, the indictment charged the defendant with transporting in interstate commerce $10,000 taken by fraud from Ron McCallum, while the evidence showed that the defendant took the money from McCallum's business partner. We held that even if there was a variance between the indictment and the evidence, it did not affect the defendant's substantial rights because the identity of the defrauded person is irrelevant to a conviction under 18 U.S.C. S 2314. Id. at 587. Likewise, in United States v. Momeni, 991 F.2d 493 (9th Cir. 1993), we rejected a variance claim where the indictment charged the defendant with fraudulent use of a credit card at one hotel, while the evidence showed that the card was used fraudulently at several other hotels as well. The defendant argued that the variance was fatal because his use of the credit card at the first hotel did not meet the statutory minimum of $1,000, and it was only by producing evidence of the credit card's use at other hotels that the government was able to meet this requirement. We disagreed, holding that the variance did not affect Momeni's substantial rights because the place where the credit card charges were made is irrelevant to conviction under 18 U.S.C. S 1029(a)(2), and the record shows Momeni had notice the government would offer evidence of the charges at other hotels and that he did not object to its introduction at trial. Id. at 495. 15 The same analysis applies here. The exact identity of the border official to whom Romero-Avila lied is not an element of the offense under 18 U.S.C. S 911. In addition, Romero-Avila had notice that the prosecution would offer evidence of his statements to other officers. Finally, although Romero-Avila challenged the sufficiency of the evidence at trial, he never objected to the testimony of the other border officers. Therefore, his fatal variance claim must fail.