United States v. Edwards

816 F. Supp. 272, 1993 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 3091, 1993 WL 68099
CourtDistrict Court, D. Delaware
DecidedMarch 9, 1993
DocketCrim. A. No. 92-69 LON
StatusPublished

This text of 816 F. Supp. 272 (United States v. Edwards) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, D. Delaware primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
United States v. Edwards, 816 F. Supp. 272, 1993 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 3091, 1993 WL 68099 (D. Del. 1993).

Opinion

OPINION

LONGOBARDI, Chief Judge.

Defendant Kenneth Edwards (“Edwards”) has moved for judgment of acquittal or a new trial.

I. BACKGROUND

After a jury trial on December 21 and 22, 1992, the Defendant was convicted of Counts I and II of an Indictment.1 Count I charged the Defendant with knowingly conspiring to violate Title 18, United States Code, Sections 1029(a)(2) and 1029(c)(1), by knowingly using unauthorized access devices, with intent to defraud and gain property in excess of $1,000 during a period of less than one year, thereby affecting interstate commerce. Count II charged the Defendant with knowingly using and knowingly aiding in the use of an unauthorized access device, with intent to defraud, thereby gaining property in excess of $1,000 during a period of less than one year, and affecting interstate commerce. Subse[274]*274quent to the trial, the Defendant timely filed a motion for judgment of acquittal, Docket Item (“D.I.”) 38, and a motion for a new trial, D.I. 37.

II. DISCUSSION

A. MOTION FOR JUDGMENT OF ACQUITTAL

Pursuant to Federal Rule of Criminal Procedure 29(c), Edwards moves for judgment of acquittal on two grounds. First, Edwards asserts that the jury verdict is counter to the evidence at trial. According to Edwards, the evidence clearly showed that he did not commit credit card fraud, nor did he aid or abet anyone else in such offense, nor did he conspire to commit such offense. Second, Edwards contends that the evidence did not establish a violation of the offense charged in the Indictment. Specifically, Edwards asserts there was no proof that he obtained property, nor aided anyone else in obtaining property, valued in excess of $1,000 as a consequence of the transaction at issue.

Under the standard for examining a post-verdict motion for judgment of acquittal, the Court must view the evidence in the light most favorable to the jury verdict and presume that the jury properly evaluated credibility of the witnesses, found the facts and drew rational inferences. United States v. Iafelice, 978 F.2d 92, 94 (3d Cir.1992) (citing United States v. Coleman, 811 F.2d 804, 807 (3d Cir.1987)). “The verdict of a jury must be sustained if there is substantial evidence, taking the view most favorable to the Government, to support it.” Iafelice, 978 F.2d at 94 (quoting Glasser v. United States, 315 U.S. 60, 80, 62 S.Ct. 457, 469, 86 L.Ed. 680 (1942)). The Court must consider the evidence and the inferences which may be drawn from it “in the light most favorable to the prosecution” and must deny such a motion if “any rational trier of fact could have found the essential elements of the crime beyond a reasonable doubt.” Jackson v. Virginia, 443 U.S. 307, 319, 99 S.Ct. 2781, 2789, 61 L.Ed.2d 560 (1979).

The essential elements of the offense charged in Count I are: (1) that the Defendant knowingly became a member of a conspiracy to commit access device fraud; (2) that the credit card is an access device; (3) that the Defendant or a co-conspirator knowingly used one or more unauthorized access devices during any one year period and in so doing obtained anything of value amounting to $1,000 or more; (4) that the use was with an intent to defraud; and (5) that interstate commerce was affected by the use of the unauthorized access device. The essential elements of the offense charged in Count II are: (1) that the credit card is an access device; (2) that the Defendant knowingly used or did knowingly aid in the use of one or more unauthorized access devices during any one year period and in so doing obtained anything of value amounting to $1,000 or more; (3) that the Defendant acted with an intent to defraud; and (4) that interstate commerce was affected by the use of the unauthorized access device.

The Court concludes that the jury verdict was not contrary to the evidence at trial. First, the evidence showed that a CoreStates credit card issued to Eleanor Myers, account number 4262 4100 4010 8454, was used at the Automobile Association of America (“AAA”) office in Newark, Delaware on July 24,1992 to obtain $3,000 in American Express Travelers Cheques, and a few minutes later, to obtain an additional $1,000 in American Express Travelers Cheques. Eleanor Myers testified that the travelers cheques were purchased without her authorization, and the signatures on the accompanying paperwork (Government Exhibits (“G.X.”) 1, 2, 3 and 4), were not the true signatures of Eleanor Myers and her husband, John Myers, the other cardholder on her account. United States Secret Service (“USSS”) Special Agent Thomas Hennesy testified that his investigation revealed that AAA received authorization to process these transactions from CoreStates’ headquarters in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, thus satisfying the element of affecting interstate commerce.

As the first ground for his motion for judgment of acquittal, Edwards specifically argues that the evidence failed to show that he committed, aided or abetted another in committing or conspired to commit credit card fraud. AAA employees Teresa Wilkins [275]*275(“Wilkins”) and Elizabeth Daly (“Daly”) made in-court identifications of Edwards as the person who accompanied McDonald to AAA on July 24, 1992. Wilkins and Daly testified that after McDonald presented the Eleanor Myers credit card and signed the accompanying paperwork for the $3,000 in travelers cheques, the Defendant asked for an additional $1,000 in travelers cheques, again using the Eleanor Myers credit card as payment. Edwards then signed the requisite purchase order (G.X. 3) in the name “John Myers.” In addition to the testimony of Daly and Wilkins that the Defendant signed this form, Delaware State Police handwriting expert Georgia Carter compared the Defendant’s known handwriting exemplars and the signature of John Myers on G.X. 3, and concluded at trial that it was Edwards who signed “John Myers” on G.X. 3. The evidence also showed that after the Defendant signed this form, authorization was obtained for the purchase of $1,000 in travelers che-ques, and those travelers cheques were given to the Defendant.

Wilkins further testified that she received a telephone call at AAA shortly after 6:00 p.m. on July 24, 1992 from a man who wanted to know what time AAA was closing that evening. She testified that the man would not state the purpose of his visit to AAA. Shortly before closing time, at 7:00 p.m., the Defendant and McDonald came into the AAA office. During the ensuing twenty to thirty minute conversation, Wilkins recognized that Edwards’ voice was similar to the speaker from the earlier telephone call.

Daly further testified that after McDonald and Edwards asked to buy travelers cheques, McDonald was uncertain as to what name she should use for completion of the accompanying paperwork. Edwards then said “come on Eleanor,” after , which McDonald supplied the name Eleanor Myers. Wilkins and Daly recalled that McDonald seemed “out of it” at times and had some initial difficulty in completing the paperwork. In contrast, however, the Defendant was very alert and evidenced no difficulty in completing the paperwork.

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Bluebook (online)
816 F. Supp. 272, 1993 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 3091, 1993 WL 68099, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/united-states-v-edwards-ded-1993.