Opinion ID: 772328
Heading Depth: 4
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Timeliness of Superceding Indictments

Text: 34 Ben Zvi's second statute of limitations challenge centers on whether any of the wire fraud conspiracy counts in the superceding indictments was independently timely. We find that the wire fraud conspiracy count in the Second Indictment was independently timely and, furthermore, that the wire fraud conspiracy charges in the Third and Fourth Indictments related back to the wire fraud conspiracy charge in the Second Indictment, making them timely as well. 35 The Second Indictment properly alleged overt acts by Ben Zvi or her co-conspirators to further the scheme occurring within five years of its filing, which was September 15, 1993. Specifically, it alleged as overt acts the causing of checks to be drawn from [Alan J. Martin's bank] account... in payment of the insurance claim between August, 1988 and December 1989[.] A portion of these payments were made to Josi Jewelry, and thus represented anticipated economic benefits of the conspirators, see United States v. Mennuti, 679 F.2d 1032, 1035 (2d Cir. 1982) (conspiracy continues until the conspirators receive their anticipated economic benefits); see also United States v. Fletcher, 928 F.2d 495, 500 (2d Cir. 1991), the knowing receipt of which by the defendant and her co-conspirators constituted overt acts in furtherance of the conspiracy, see United States v. Girard, 744 F.2d 1170, 1173-74 (5th Cir. 1984). 36 Moreover, the wire fraud conspiracy counts in the Third and Fourth Indictments--which were substantially the same as charged in the Second Indictment--relate back to the Second Indictment for determination of timeliness. It is black letter law that [o]nce an indictment is brought, the statute of limitations is tolled as to the charges contained in that indictment. United States v. Grady, 544 F.2d 598, 601 (2d Cir. 1976). When a superceding indictment supplants a pending timely-filed indictment, any charges in the superceding indictment that are neither materially broadened nor substantially amended from the earlier indictment relate back to the date of the filing of the earlier indictment. The superceding indictment continues its predecessor's tolling of the statute of limitations and inherits its predecessor's timeliness. See, e.g., United States v. O'Bryant, 998 F.2d 21, 23 (1st Cir. 1993); Grady, 544 F.2d at 601. 37 Because the wire fraud conspiracy charges in each of the superceding indictments were therefore timely, any challenge Ben Zvi's previous counsel might have made on limitations grounds would have been futile. Thus, Ben Zvi suffered no prejudice from her counsels' omissions and her ineffective assistance claim fails. 2 38