United States v. Greenberg

332 F. Supp. 1324
CourtDistrict Court, D. Minnesota
DecidedOctober 18, 1971
DocketNo. 3-70 CR. 104
StatusPublished

This text of 332 F. Supp. 1324 (United States v. Greenberg) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, D. Minnesota primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
United States v. Greenberg, 332 F. Supp. 1324 (mnd 1971).

Opinion

NEVILLE, District Judge.

Defendant, a practicing attorney of many years residing at Eveleth, Minnesota, was indicted September 23, 1970. He was charged with misdemeanors in five counts i.e., failure to file Interest Equalization Tax Returns covering various periods and certain transactions, in violation of 26 U.S.C. § 7203. The Sixth count of the indictment charged defendant with a felony by the filing of a false income tax return, paying a tax of $2,189.49 against an amount due and owing of $9,728.18. Defendant pled not guilty to all counts on November 25, 1970. On July 19, 1971, defendant and his counsel informed the court that he desired to change his plea and to enter a plea of guilty to Counts I and II, the United States Attorney stating that at the time of sentencing the government would dismiss misdemeanor Counts III, IV, V and Count VI, the felony count. Pursuant to Rule 11 of the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure, even though defendant himself is an attorney of wide experience and many years practice, the court personally, together with the United States Attorney, interrogated him as to his understanding of the consequences of his guilty plea, the voluntariness thereof and his knowledge of his rights. The court was satisfied, and defendant’s counsel substantiated such, that defendant was acting voluntarily with full knowledge of the consequences and cognizant of his rights. Particularly defendant was asked and stated that [1326]*1326he had received no promise from the court or otherwise as to what sentence would or might be imposed. The court further determined to its satisfaction that there was a factual basis for the plea.

Following the plea the court obtained a presentence report from the probation officer of the court and on September 7, 1971 imposed as a sentence under Count I a fine of $10,000 plus a period of five years probation, conditioned that defendant use best efforts under the aegis of the probation officer to pay his civil tax liability. On Count II the court committed defendant to the custody of the Attorney General for imprisonment for a period of 90 days. On request of defendant’s counsel the court stayed execution of the sentence for 45 days to the end that defendant might arrange his business affairs to accommodate the 90 days absence. The motion of the United States Attorney to dismiss Counts III through VI was granted.

It is apparent that the 90 day jail term imposed under Count II is principally what rankles with defendant. The bulk of the argument by his counsel for reduction of sentence was directed to this feature.

The court gave a deal of consideration to this case before imposing sentence. Numerous letters were received by the probation officer and transmitted to the court attesting to defendant’s excellent reputation as a practicing lawyer, importuning the court to grant leniency. The court’s initial and preliminary approach was that the Interest Equalization Tax is a little known tax, not generally criminally enforced and perhaps easily or inadvertently overlooked by one' owning, selling and dealing, as in this case, in capital stocks in Canadian companies. The presentenee report however contains a copy of a letter written by defendant well before the interest equalization tax was enacted by Congress in 1964 showing his acquaintance with and knowledge of the prospective tax. It reads in part as follows:

“There is in the United States a measure being discussed in Congress which would be a tax on American purchases of foreign securities which tax I believe if reduced to law would be 15%. I understand, however, that there is a provision for exemption if 60% or more of the stock is owned by American citizens.”

By the statement of defendant’s own counsel, considerable effort was made at the Washington, D.C. level after passage of the law to secure a ruling or interpretation that defendant’s transactions or certain of them were exempt or were not covered by the law. This resulted in a decision or ruling adverse to defendant some time in 1965. Still no tax returns ever were filed, nor any procedure taken to test the law in the tax courts nor to pay the tax and claim a refund. Over the years defendant dealt in, sold or owned and invested in stocks of eight different Canadian corporations. Counsel’s explanation to the court is twofold both of which the court deems inadequate. First, it is asserted that defendant did not keep adequate records, despite the requirements of 26 U.S.C. § 6001 and other sections of the Internal Revenue Code and therefore since it has been impossible to trace or reconstruct all his transactions he should not be held accountable therefor and second, at all times since 1965 the Internal Revenue Service from time to time has been examining defendant and his activities and thus the government was fully advised of his transactions, thereby negating any criminal intent in failure to file returns.

Upon the above facts, the court concluded that defendant’s failure to file interest equalization tax returns was not accidental nor inadvertent, but purposeful and intentional. The court’s original and preliminary impressions dissipated. The revenue agents determined “for the purpose of prosecution defendant purchased stock totaling $40,757.26 on which he owes $6,113.58 in equalization taxes.”

[1327]*1327Apart from the interest equalization tax, a look at defendant’s past activities as shown in the presentence investigation report reveals the following:

“Defendant previously was under investigation by the Intelligence Division of IRS in 1958 and 1959, covering the years 1946 through 1956. Prosecution was not recommended, and the case was closed with defendant paying additional taxes and penalties totaling $51,915.91.”

Further, the internal revenue agent’s report (not of course verified or substantiated by any court proceedings) shows for the years 1958 through 1964 defendant declared a taxable income of $18,669.83 when the true figure is $263,081.01. Be that as it may, the court should properly disregard this because strictly speaking there has been no evidentiary proof of these figures and the felony tax evasion count VI in the indictment was dismissed.

Defendant was president and principal executive officer of a Canadian corporation, Sapawe Gold Mines Ltd., formerly Lindsay Explorations Ltd., from March 1961 until October 2, 1964. During this time, a large number of unregistered shares of Canadian Gold Mine stock were sold in the United States, to the point where on March 19, 1963, Honorable Gunnar H. Nordbye of this court permanently enjoined the company, its officers and agents from further violating the registration provisions of the Securities and Exchange Act. Defendant was not included as a defendant in the suit. The court stated because defendant’s counsel challenged the relevance of this proceeding to the case at bar that he would examine this file, 5-63 Civ. 8, and has done so.

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Bluebook (online)
332 F. Supp. 1324, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/united-states-v-greenberg-mnd-1971.