United States v. David Robert Iacovetti

466 F.2d 1147
CourtCourt of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit
DecidedOctober 5, 1972
Docket71-2887
StatusPublished
Cited by47 cases

This text of 466 F.2d 1147 (United States v. David Robert Iacovetti) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
United States v. David Robert Iacovetti, 466 F.2d 1147 (5th Cir. 1972).

Opinion

COLEMAN, Circuit Judge:

The individuals in this scenario were:

1. David Robert Iaeovetti,

2. William Vito Dentarmaro, also known as Willie “D”,

3. ' Anthony William De Rosa, also known as Tony Pulió,

4. Robert L. Cardillo,

5. Phillip Waggenheim,

6. Barry Glenn Lipsky.

De Rosa dismissed his appeal and Lip-sky entered a plea of guilty, so the appellate cast is reduced to four. 1

The indictment was in four counts, subsequently reduced to three. 2 The defendants were charged with:

Count I

Conspiring to violate and violating 18 U.S.C., §§ 2314 and 2315; 18 U.S.C., § 371;

Count II

Knowingly, willfully, and unlawfully receiving, selling and disposing of 655 shares of American Express Company stock of the approximate value of $43,869.69, knowing the same to have been stolen, 18 U.S.C., §§ 2315 and 2;

*1149 Count III

Willfully, knowingly, and unlawfully transporting and causing the same to be transported in interstate commerce from the State of New York to the State of Florida, knowing it to have been stolen in violation of 18 U.S.C., §§ 2314 and 2. 3

A second trial resulted in a verdict of guilty on all counts for Cardillo and guilty on the first two counts for Dentarmaro, Iacovetti, and Waggenheim.

The appellants, along with secondary points, vigorously urge that the second trial infringed the prohibition against being twice put in jeopardy for the same offense, United States Constitution, Amendment V. We are compelled to disagree, and the convictions are in all respects affirmed.

I

The Double Jeopardy Issue The first trial began (Lipsky was then pleading not guilty) on December 7, 1970. The very next day, Vincent Teresa was testifying as a witness for the prosecution. Waggenheim’s counsel called for the production of “Jencks” material prior to cross-examination. It was at this point that the fat began to get into the fire.

The trial court agreed and ordered the government to disclose the requested material before the termination of the direct examination of Teresa. Included in this material was the transcript of Teresa’s grand jury testimony, with certain pages omitted which the trial court held did not have to be provided. This undelivered material contained information concerning a stolen check which showed a prior relationship between Teresa and Iacovetti’s attorney.

On December 9, however, this excluded information was voluntarily given to appellants, apparently to avoid the possibility that defense counsel would inadvertently go into it during cross-examination of Teresa.

After receiving this information, all appellants except Iacovetti moved for a severance on the ground that they would be unable fully to cross-examine Teresa *1150 because of his privileged relationship with Iacovetti’s counsel.

Iacovetti asked for a severance in order to obtain other counsel. Dentarmaro and Waggenheim moved, in the alternative, for a mistrial. All counsel agreed that if Iacovetti’s counsel became the subject of an accusation by Teresa, an inference adverse to their clients’ interests would necessarily be raised.

The trial court stated his belief that it was “absolutely impossible to try Iacovetti in this case and to require Kessler to continue as counsel for Iacovetti because of all these situations that have developed and the possibility of future developments . . . ”.

Lipsky’s motion for severance was granted, the trial was ordered to proceed against him, and it was announced that the other appellants would be tried at a later date.

Upon being confronted with this development, the government claimed that this procedure would seriously prejudice its case against the other appellants. It therefore moved the trial court to grant a mistrial as to the other appellants and to try Lipsky at a time subsequent to their trial. Lipsky’s counsel also expressed concern because his client would be “tied with them [the other appellants] with this jury”. After the noon recess, Lipsky’s counsel moved for a mistrial. The motion was granted.

Prior to the second trial appellants moved to dismiss the indictments on the ground that the second trial was precluded by the Fifth Amendment prohibition against double jeopardy. Motion denied.

II

The Second Trial

At the second trial Teresa testified that while vacationing in Miami, Florida, in March of 1969, he met with appellants Cardillo, Iacovetti, and Waggenheim at the Casa Luigi Restaurant. Teresa asked Iacovetti whether he knew anyone who would be in a position to pass stolen securities, i.e., to convert the securities into cash. Iacovetti replied that he would ask an acquaintance in a brokerage firm whether he could handle such securities.

A week later Teresa and the other men met again at the Casa Luigi. Iaeovetti stated that he had spoken with a young man employed by a brokerage firm in Miami who was willing to do anything within reason to help out. However, Iacovetti said that the young man would have to be instructed as to what to do with the stolen securities.

A few minutes later, Barry Lipsky came over to the table where the men were sitting and Iacovetti introduced him as the young man who would pass the stolen securities. Dentarmaro and Waggenheim went to another table while Cardillo and Teresa explained that Lip-sky was to open a brokerage account under an assumed name, through which the securities would be cashed.

Teresa, Cardillo, Waggenheim and Dentarmaro then went to the Thunderbird Hotel on Miami Beach where they met Anthony De Rosa and a man called “Frankie”. In February it had been pre-arranged that De Rosa and Frankie would obtain and supply stolen securities. Frankie said that he would have to call New York, to check on the availability of stolen securities. Frankie placed a call to someone named “Jerry” and asked Jerry to fly to Miami with the stock which he had on hand.

The next day Teresa, Cardillo, Waggenheim, Dentarmaro, De Rosa, Frankie and Jerry met at the Thunderbird Hotel. Teresa selected certain stocks from among the securities which Jerry brought to Miami. Teresa, Waggenheim and Dentarmaro carried the securities Teresa had selected to Cardillo’s home in Miami. Cardillo selected some American Express stock as the best for the purposes of their plan. Then Cardillo called Lipsky and arranged an appointment with him for Teresa to endorse the cer *1151 tificates in the name of “Paul McGaughy”. 4

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Bluebook (online)
466 F.2d 1147, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/united-states-v-david-robert-iacovetti-ca5-1972.