Opinion ID: 534912
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: The 18 U.S.C. Sec. 1001 Violation

Text: This code section provides as follows: 39 Section 1001. Statements or Entries Generally. Whoever, in any matter within the jurisdiction of any department or agency of the United States knowingly and wilfully falsifies, conceals or covers up by any trick, scheme, or device a material fact, or makes any false, fictitious or fraudulent statements or representations, or makes or uses any false writing or document knowing the same to contain any false, fictitious or fraudulent statement or entry, shall be fined not more than $10,000 or imprisoned not more than five years, or both. 40 Here, the appellants do not contend that there was insufficient evidence to prove that they had intentionally caused David Williams falsely to represent to the government agents that he was solely responsible for growing the marijuana crop on the Bell farm. Even if they did, however, the evidence is clearly sufficient to establish that they actively participated in a plan to cause Williams to take the fall if the marijuana farm was busted. There was also evidence that Smith and Williams falsely backdated a sublease of the Bell property and that Williams had paid monthly rent to Smith for the farm at the time of the bust. This was to create the impression that Williams, rather than Smith, was the lessee of the property. There was also evidence that Rush told Williams that he and his family would be killed unless Williams continued to take entire responsibility for the marijuana growing and sales. It is undisputed that Williams thereafter got in touch with state and federal narcotics agents and made a detailed statement falsely claiming to be the only one involved in the marijuana business at Bell. 41 It seems frivolous for appellants to contend that this evidence did not support a jury verdict that appellants were guilty of covering up by [a] trick, scheme, or device a material fact or ... making or using [a] false writing or document knowing the same to contain [a] false, fictitious or fraudulent statement or entry. There was clearly a false or fraudulent trick and there was clearly a false writing or document used to establish appellants' lack of participation in the operation of the Bell farm. 42 We therefore conclude that the conviction on this count was fully warranted.