United States v. Kaatz

705 F.2d 1237, 12 Fed. R. Serv. 743, 51 A.F.T.R.2d (RIA) 743, 1983 U.S. App. LEXIS 31228
CourtCourt of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit
DecidedJanuary 20, 1983
DocketNos. 81-1935, 81-1936 and 81-1941
StatusPublished
Cited by51 cases

This text of 705 F.2d 1237 (United States v. Kaatz) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals for the Tenth 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. Kaatz, 705 F.2d 1237, 12 Fed. R. Serv. 743, 51 A.F.T.R.2d (RIA) 743, 1983 U.S. App. LEXIS 31228 (10th Cir. 1983).

Opinion

BREITENSTEIN, Circuit Judge.

A 12-count information charged the three defendants-appellants with submission of false income tax returns and evasion of income tax in violation of 26 U.S.C. §§ 7206 and 7201. The jury found each guilty under each count in which he was named as a defendant. The separate appeals were consolidated for hearing and disposition in this court. We affirm.

The defendants Donald Kaatz, Morton Kaatz, and Burton Kaatz are brothers who were engaged in various family businesses in Denver, Colorado. Three companies are involved: Denver Hardware Company

(Hardware), a corporation in the wholesale hardware business; Denver Screen Company (Screen), a Subchapter S corporation for income tax purposes, which is engaged in the manufacture and sale of screens, doors, windows, related supplies, and materials; and Denver Key and Lock Company (Key), a corporation engaged in a retail locksmith business. Additionally, the three brothers held equal interests in a partnership, Kabro Investments.

The three Kaatz brothers were the shareholders and officers of the three corpora[1240]*1240tions, Hardware, Screen, and Key. Hardware and Screen shared the same location. Key was separately located. The bookkeeping for all three enterprises was done by Hardware. Gilbert Hirsh was the accountant for the brothers and their enterprises. He prepared the questioned income tax returns from records furnished to him. Banking for all concerned was at the American National Bank of Denver (Bank). The Internal Revenue Service, IRS, investigation which culminated in prosecution of the brothers was instigated by a Currency Transaction Report, CTR, by Bank to IRS showing the purchase of a $100,000 certificate of deposit by Morton Kaatz in which $96,000 of currency in small bills was used. The 1973 federal income tax return of Morton was assigned to IRS agent Dunbar for civil audit. The audit was expanded to include Donald, Burton, and Hardware. Dunbar found firm indications of fraud and referred the matter to the IRS Intelligence Division. The pending criminal charges followed.

The government presented a “specific items” case based on the understatement of receipts by Hardware and the diversion of such receipts to the brothers. The unreported items came from two sources: first, cash receipts from over-the-counter sales which were not shown on the company books; second, payments, by Key to Hardware for materials furnished, not shown on the books. Cash derived from the two sources was diverted either to the brothers or to their partnership, Kabro.

On the over-the-counter sales, the government produced ten customers who made purchases from Hardware and paid by check or currency. The checks were endorsed by Hardware. Berland, the credit manager at Hardware, testified that the cash sales were noted on a small invoice. The credit sales were noted on a large invoice. The credit sales were recorded and shown on bank deposit slips. The checks or cash received at the time of sale were totalled on adding machine tape and presented to the Bank in return for cash. Christenson, a Hardware bookkeeper, testified that Morton would pick up the small invoices which were never returned to Hardware nor recorded on the books.

Vahling, the manager of Key, testified that Key purchased various items from Hardware and paid at month’s end by checks signed by him. Pertinent checks, variously endorsed, will be discussed later.

The government summary, Ex. No. 2338, prepared by witness Butterfield, showed the following unreported Hardware sales:

Fiscal Fiscal Fiscal

1973 1974 1975

Over-the-Counter

Sales $22,157.88 $12,527.95 $ 9,806.49

Sales-Key and Lock 59,596.44 57,536.19 12,810.93

Total Unreported

Sales 81,754.32 70,064.14 22,617.42

Three bank tellers testified that, on an almost daily basis, one of the brothers would produce at a bank drive-up window two sets of checks, one of which was deposited to the Hardware account. The other, accompanied by the adding machine tape, would be paid by currency, usually $100 bills, in amounts varying from $400 to $2,500. Fallon, another Bank employee, testified that during the 1972-1974 period, certificates of deposit totalling $500,000 were purchased at the Bank in the names of Kabro, Morton Kaatz; and Ida Mae Kaatz.

Agent Dunbar interviewed each brother and their accountant Hirsh. He also examined the books and records furnished to him. Defense complaints about Dunbar’s activities will be discussed later.

IRS agent Burich testified that he examined all the books and records of Hardware for the pertinent years and could not find a single instance where an over-the-counter sale paid in cash or check was recorded or deposited. He obtained micro-film copies of many checks cashed but not deposited. Requests were made to customers for original invoices and checks relating to over-the-counter sales. Customer responses filled 14 volumes. Burich could find no record on the books of payments by Key to Hardware.

IRS agent Butterfield presented summary exhibits of the government evidence. These summaries, Ex. Nos. 2340, 2341 and 2342, showed the following taxes due from each defendant for the year noted:

[1241]*12411972 1973 1974

Donald Kaatz $11,516.46 $11,491.32 $ 7,183.43

Morton Kaatz 24,515.63 19,635.01 12,526.59

Burton Kaatz 10,351.48 11,616.17 3,355.43

Defense witnesses testified that the brothers often used cash in running their businesses but none identified the amount of cash so used. Accountant Hirsh testified that, in preparing the income tax returns, he used the books and records furnished to him. He was unaware of the dual invoices used on over-the-counter sales and of the payments by Key to Hardware for materials purchased. Defense witness Stone, qualified as an expert, testified as to accounting theories pertaining to gross receipts and trade discounts, and admitted that he had not examined any of the relevant books and records. None of the defendants testified.

We first consider defense claims of the erroneous receipt of evidence. The defendants moved to suppress evidence obtained by IRS agent Dunbar “and the fruits of any such evidence.” The defense grounds for the motion were based on (1) the use of a Currency Transaction Report, CTR, and (2) the use of evidence obtained by Dunbar during civil audit of records of the brothers and their enterprises. The court held a lengthy hearing and denied the motion.

The Currency Transaction Report.

The brothers banked at the American National Bank of Denver. On July 17, 1973, the operations officer of the Bank executed a CTR on IRS Form 4789 in which he reported that on July 17, Morton Kaatz purchased a $100,000 certificate of deposit and used in the transaction $96,000 in currency none of which was in a denomination of $100 or higher. The CTR was received by the IRS at its Philadelphia Service Center on July 23, 1973, and sent by it to the Intelligence Division at Denver where it was received on September 14, 1973. In 1975 Dunbar was assigned to audit the tax returns of Morton Kaatz. The CTR was in the file which he received.

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Bluebook (online)
705 F.2d 1237, 12 Fed. R. Serv. 743, 51 A.F.T.R.2d (RIA) 743, 1983 U.S. App. LEXIS 31228, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/united-states-v-kaatz-ca10-1983.