United States v. Kenneth Martin Jumper

838 F.2d 755
CourtCourt of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit
DecidedMarch 16, 1988
Docket87-1456
StatusPublished
Cited by9 cases

This text of 838 F.2d 755 (United States v. Kenneth Martin Jumper) 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. Kenneth Martin Jumper, 838 F.2d 755 (5th Cir. 1988).

Opinion

GARZA, Circuit Judge:

I

Kenneth Martin Jumper brings this appeal following his conviction of receiving a fee in return for procuring a bank loan. We affirm his conviction.

Mr. Jumper was the chairman of the board of directors and chief executive officer of the National Bank of Odessa in Odessa, Texas (National Bank). He was accused of accepting $100,000 for procuring a loan for Son’s Fabrication (Son’s). Son’s sought to obtain a $2 million loan from National Bank but was declined because of substantial sums already owed by Son’s to National Bank. Son’s was informed by the National Bank that occasionally some of its investors were interested in participating in loan agreements. Some weeks later Son’s was notified by an officer at National Bank that investors would be visiting Son’s to discuss the loan. Mr. Jumper and Mr. William Sears visited Son’s. Mr. Sears agreed to guarantee the $2 million loan in return for a fee.

On August 21, 1981, Mr. Jumper proposed to Mercantile National Bank of Dallas (Mercantile Bank) that they take full participation in the $2 million loan that National Bank would originate. Mr. Jumper informed Mercantile Bank that Mr. Sears was capable of guaranteeing the loan and would do so. For Mercantile Bank’s participation, National Bank would place an additional $500,000 in a non-interest bearing account with Mercantile Bank.

On August 25, 1981, Son’s co-owners, Terry Lawson and David Pearson, executed a $2 million promissory note payable to National Bank. The Son’s promissory note was then assigned to the Mercantile Bank.

On August 26, 1981, Son’s sent a letter to Mr. Sears detailing their agreement. The letter stated in part:

The acquisition costs of the related drilling components will be approximately $2.4 to 2.6 Million, with our fabrication costs approximately $4 to 5 Hundred Thousand making a total rig cost approximately $2.8 to 3.0 million. We estimate that under current market conditions we should be able to sell the Rig within a 90-120 day period for approximately $3.7 million.
In consideration for you guaranteeing a 2 million line of credit to build the Rig, we would make the following proposal:
*757 1) Upon the sale of the Rig, Son’s will pay to you $200,000.00 net of all expenses, if Rig sold and paid for by Nov. 23, 1981.
2) If the Rig sold and paid for after November 23, 1981, Son’s will pay to you $250,000.00 net of all expenses.

Both Mr. Lawson and Mr. Pearson characterized this arrangement as a joint venture with Mr. Sears and had called it the “S and S” (Son’s and Sears) project. The rig was not sold until January 1982.

On January 7, 1982, Son’s drew a cashier’s check in the amount of $250,000 from its National Bank account made payable to Mr. Sears. Mr. Sears deposited the check in his National Bank account. He transferred just over $100,000 to another account from which he issued a $100,000 check to Mr. Jumper. Mr. Jumper testified he received the $100,000, not for his role in obtaining the loan, but because he privately agreed with Mr. Sears to guarantee 40 percent of Son’s loan. Since he accepted 40 percent of the risk, he was entitled to 40 percent of the profit. Mr. Jumper stated he executed a note to Mr. Sears confirming the arrangement, however, he was unable to produce any written record. Mr. Sears died before this trial began.

II

Mr. Jumper was convicted under the former 18 U.S.C. § 215 1 which requires the government to prove four elements: (1) Mr. Jumper was an officer, or employee of a bank, the deposits of which were insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC); (2) Mr. Jumper agreed to receive or received something of value from another; (3) Mr. Jumper endeavored to procure or procured for that other or anyone else; (4) a loan from the bank in which Mr. Jumper was employed. United States v. Schoenhut, 576 F.2d 1010, 1019 (3d Cir.), cert. denied 439 U.S. 964, 99 S.Ct. 450, 58 L.Ed.2d 421 (1978). This appeal is focused on the third and fourth elements.

The jury had the opportunity to determine the credibility of the witnesses including the testimony of Mr. Jumper with regard to receiving the $100,000. They apparently discredited his testimony.

This court is bound to examine the record in the light most favorable to the jury’s guilty verdict, drawing all reasonable inferences in favor of that verdict. Glasser v. United States, 315 U.S. 60, 80, 62 S.Ct. 457, 469, 86 L.Ed. 680 (1942); United States v. Herron, 816 F.2d 1036, 1042 (5th Cir.1987).

The evidence presented established Son’s had executed a promissory note payable to National Bank for $2 million; National Bank assigned this note to Mercantile Bank; and Mercantile Bank agreed to take full participation in the loan which National Bank originated. The evidence also established Mercantile Bank agreed to accept assignment of Son’s note after Mr. Jumper pledged $500,000 of National Bank’s funds in a non-interest bearing account with Mercantile Bank; Mr. Jumper’s confirmation of the financial ability of Mr. Sears; and National Bank’s agreement that they would perform periodic inspections of Son’s. Additionally, Son’s paid Mr. Sears his $250,000 fee from which Mr. Sears paid Mr. Jumper $100,000. Finally, National Bank and Mercantile Bank were FDIC insured, and Mr. Jumper was an officer of the National Bank.

In his brief, Mr. Jumper contends the indictment fails to state a crime. He states the allegation in the indictment that the loan made from Mercantile Bank was a participation loan with National Bank and is not in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 215. We disagree.

*758 The purpose of 18 U.S.C. § 215 is to protect FDIC insured bank deposits by preventing unsound and improvident lines of credit from being made from such deposits by officers and directors of the bank. United States v. Lane, 464 F.2d 593 (8th Cir.) cert. denied, 409 U.S. 876, 93 S.Ct. 127, 34 L.Ed.2d 129 (1972); United States v. Etheridge, 414 F.Supp. 609 (E.D.Va.1976). In addition, there can be no doubt that Congress’ intent by enacting section 215 was to remove from the path of bank officials the temptation of self enrichment at the expense of the borrower or bank. Ryan v. United States, 278 F.2d 836, 838 (9th Cir.1960). Mr.

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838 F.2d 755, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/united-states-v-kenneth-martin-jumper-ca5-1988.