United States v. Cravatas

330 F. Supp. 91, 1971 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 13730
CourtDistrict Court, D. Connecticut
DecidedApril 15, 1971
DocketCrim. No. 12721
StatusPublished
Cited by7 cases

This text of 330 F. Supp. 91 (United States v. Cravatas) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, D. Connecticut primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
United States v. Cravatas, 330 F. Supp. 91, 1971 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 13730 (D. Conn. 1971).

Opinion

TIMBERS, Chief Judge.

QUESTION PRESENTED

The motion by defendant George C. Cravatas, Esq., to withdraw his plea of nolo contendere and to set aside his judgment of conviction, Rule 32(d), Fed. R.Crim.P., presents the question whether an attorney, who is a member of the bar of this Court, after pleading nolo contendere to, and the Court having found him guilty of, a charge of willful failure to file his federal income tax return, 26 U.S.C. § 7203 (1964), and after having been sentenced to the maximum term of imprisonment and having been ordered to pay the maximum fine, should be permitted to withdraw his nolo contendere plea, chiefly upon defendant’s representation that his attorney (formerly a trial attorney with the Criminal Frauds Section of the IRS) had told him he would not be incarcerated as a result of his plea — a representation flatly denied by the said attorney.

After an evidentiary hearing, and upon the basis of the findings of fact, conclusions of law and opinion hereinafter set forth, the Court holds that defendant should not be permitted to withdraw his plea. Defendant’s motion is denied.

FINDINGS OF FACT

(1) On February 4, 1970, a grand jury in the District of Connecticut returned an indictment charging defendant with three counts of willful failure to file his federal income tax returns for the calendar years 1963, 1965 and 1966, in violation of 26 U.S.C. § 7203 (1964).1

(2) On March 9, 1970, defendant pleaded not guilty to each of the three counts.

(3) During the seven to eight month period following defendant’s plea of not guilty on March 9, 1970, he had numerous conferences with representatives of the IRS and of the United States Attorney’s office; and during this period defendant was in contact with or had the assistance of no less than four attorneys of his own choosing (not including, of course, the attorney currently representing defendant on the instant motion).

(4) On October 26, 1970, while represented by retained counsel, John J. Lokos, Esq., defendant requested and was granted permission to change his not guilty plea to count two (willful failure to file his 1965 return) to a plea of nolo contendere, after which the Court made a finding that defendant was guilty of the crime charged in count two. The official court reporter’s transcript of the change of plea proceedings before the undersigned. on October 26,1970 is attached hereto as APPENDIX A.

(5) The transcript of the change of plea proceedings on October 26, 1970 (APPENDIX A), to the extent relevant to the issues on the instant motion, shows the following:

(a) The Court first addressed defendant personally, and in fact specifically requested that defendant step forward.
(b) Defendant stated he had been furnished with a copy of the indict[93]*93ment and was fully aware of the charges set forth therein against him.
(c) Defendant stated he understood, if the Court accepted his nolo contendere plea to count two, that the Court thereupon would make a finding of guilty based on that plea.
(d) Defendant stated he understood that the Court could impose a maximum sentence of one year in prison and/or a $10,000 fine.
(e) Defendant stated that no one —including his lawyer or anyone connected with the government — had given or promised him anything to induce him to plead nolo contendere to count two; except that the government had stated on the record that it intended to move to dismiss counts one and three at the time of sentencing.
(f) Defendant stated that, as a lawyer himself familiar with the law and as a result of conferences with his retained lawyer, Attorney Lokos, he freely acknowledged the factual basis for his admission that he did commit the offense charged against him in count two; and, in response to the Court’s questions, defendant specifically admitted each of the essential elements of the crime charged viz:
(i) That he was required to file a United States individual income tax return for the calendar year 1965.
(ii) That he failed to file a timely tax return for that year.
(iii) That his failure to file a timely tax return for that year was done knowingly and willfully.
(g) Government counsel stated, in response to the Court’s question, that, absent defendant’s plea of nolo contendere and the Court’s finding of guilty to be entered thereon, the government would be in a position to prove beyond a reasonable doubt each of the essential elements of the offense charged in count two; and defendant specifically stated, before entering his nolo contendere plea, that he understood that the government was in a position to so prove its case.
(h) Finally, the Court addressed the following question to defendant and he responded as indicated:
“THE COURT: And finally, I will ask whether in the event the Court accepts your plea of nolo contendere to count two, whether you wish the Court to understand that such plea is entered by you freely, voluntarily, with full acknowledgment of the fact that you did commit the offense charged in count two, including the essential elements of that offense which I have just asked you about, and do you further wish the Court to understand that you enter your plea of nolo contendere with full appreciation and understanding that the Court may impose punishment upon you within the statutory limits that I have indicated to you?
DEFENDANT CRAVATAS.: I do, your Honor.”
(i) Thereupon, the Court ordered that defendant’s not guilty plea to count two be erased; and defendant pleaded nolo contendere to that count.
(j) The Court after accepting defendant’s nolo contendere plea and ordering it recorded, made a finding of guilty, stating that “ . . . the Court does hereby find, in accordance with Rule 11 of the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure, and more specifically in accordance with the practice of this Court established by the decision in United States v. Steele, opinion by Honorable J. Joseph Smith, Second Circuit, on June 9, 1969, that there is a factual basis for the finding of guilty . . . .”

(6) On January 11, 1971, following a pre-sentence investigation and report, and while represented by Attorney Lokos, defendant was sentenced upon count two to the maximum of one year in prison and to pay the maximum fine of $10,000 within 10 days. The official court reporter’s transcript of the sen-[94]*94fencing proceedings before the undersigned on January 11, 1971 is attached hereto as APPENDIX B.

(7) To date the fine has not been paid. No stay of execution thereof has been requested or granted. See APPENDIX B.

(8) At the time of sentencing on January 11, 1971, counts one and three were dismissed upon motion of the government,2

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Bluebook (online)
330 F. Supp. 91, 1971 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 13730, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/united-states-v-cravatas-ctd-1971.