Opinion ID: 341674
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Sufficiency of Evidence United States Treasury Checks.

Text: 6 We have examined the record relating to appellant's conviction on the counts relating to his possession and cashing of the two United States Treasury checks. The Government's evidence established that the checks had been stolen from the mail. It introduced proof of mailing of those Treasury checks and proved that the payees did not receive them in the mail. Testimony of Brenda Johnson indicated that, when Reece possessed these checks, he knew they had been stolen from the mails. Other testimony established that Reece in fact possessed the checks, forged the endorsements on the checks, and presented them to the First National Bank in Little Rock, Arkansas, in order to cash them. Thus, the Government established beyond any reasonable doubt that Reece unlawfully possessed stolen mail in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1708; see Blue v. United States, 528 F.2d 892 (8th Cir. 1976); United States v. Patterson, 477 F.2d 558, 559 (8th Cir. 1973); and United States v. Mooney, 417 F.2d 936, 938 (8th Cir. 1969), cert. denied, 397 U.S. 1029, 90 S.Ct. 1280, 25 L.Ed.2d 541 (1970); that Reece forged endorsements on these two checks in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 495, and that he uttered and published as true forged checks with intent to defraud the United States, also in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 495. 7