Opinion ID: 2995660
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: sufficiency of the evidence

Text: The elements of mail fraud include (1) the defendant’s participation in a scheme to defraud; (2) the defendant’s intent to defraud; and (3) the defendant’s use of the mail in furtherance of the fraudulent scheme. See United States v. Davuluri, 239 F.3d 902, 906 (7th Cir. 2001). Britton contends that the government failed to prove the intent to defraud element beyond a reasonable doubt. Intent to defraud requires a wilful act by the defendant with the specific intent to deceive or cheat, usually for the purpose of getting financial gain for one’s self or causing financial loss to another. See id. As direct evidence of a defendant’s fraudulent intent is typically unavailable, specific intent to defraud may be established by circumstantial evidence and by inferences drawn from examining the scheme itself that demonstrate that the scheme was reasonably calculated to deceive persons of ordinary prudence and comprehension. United States v. Paneras, 222 F.3d 406, 410 (7th Cir. 2000). Britton cannot prevail on her claim unless she demonstrates that no rational jury could have found an intent to defraud. See id. Britton asserts that lack of business acumen, not fraudulent intent, was the reason she improperly spent client funds. Britton contends that she did not realize that she was spending clients’ funds or that her actions were improper. Britton further argues that the evidence showed that she attempted to repay some of the misspent funds and that she kept track of many of the transactions, thus negating any criminal intent. However, a review of the record makes clear that Britton has not met the heavy burden she bears in making a sufficiency of the evidence argument on appeal. The jury’s conclusion that Britton knew she was spending clients’ funds is supported by Kerestes’ testimony. Kerestes, a CCC employee, testified that in January 1996, she told Britton that by paying CCC business expenses out of the trust account, Britton was spending money that belonged to CCC’s clients. Further, the jury’s conclusion that Britton knew that her actions were improper is supported by evidence that for three years after her conversation with Kerestes, Britton continued to spend clients’ funds on her personal expenses. Moreover, Britton continued to collect on clients’ debts long after Britton and her husband had stopped remitting funds to these clients. More importantly, Britton continued to mail CCC payment cards to debtors-- thus encouraging debtors to send her more money--even though CCC had stopped paying clients. The evidence also clearly establishes that Britton benefitted financially from her actions, and that these benefits werecontemporaneous with her misdeeds. See id. (finding an intent to defraud when misrepresentations were contemporaneous with benefits received by defendant). This evidence is more than adequate to establish Britton’s intent to defraud beyond a reasonable doubt, and we therefore conclude that Britton’s sufficiency of the evidence claim fails.