United States v. Kent E. Hovind

305 F. App'x 615
CourtCourt of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit
DecidedDecember 30, 2008
Docket07-10090, 07-10502
StatusUnpublished
Cited by6 cases

This text of 305 F. App'x 615 (United States v. Kent E. Hovind) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals for the Eleventh 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. Kent E. Hovind, 305 F. App'x 615 (11th Cir. 2008).

Opinion

PER CURIAM:

Kent Hovind appeals his convictions and sentences for failing to collect and pay employment withholding taxes, obstructing tax laws, and structuring transactions to avoid financial reporting laws, 18 U.S.C. § 2; 26 U.S.C. §§ 7202, 7212(a); 31 U.S.C. § 5324(a)(3), (d); 31 C.F.R. § 103.11, and his wife, Jo Hovind, appeals her convictions and sentences for structuring transactions to avoid reporting laws, 18 U.S.C. § 2; 31 U.S.C. § 5324(a)(3), (d); 31 C.F.R. § 103.11. Kent and Jo challenge the sufficiency of their indictments and the evidence. Kent also challenges the calculation of the loss amount and the imposition of restitution, and Jo challenges the order of forfeiture. We affirm.

I. BACKGROUND

The Hovinds owned and operated Creation Science Evangelism Enterprises, which sold videos and literature, provided lecture services, and hosted live debates. Between 1999 and 2003, the Hovinds withdrew from AmSouth Bank over one and a half million dollars in increments less than $10,000 to avoid federal filing requirements. Company documents and records of the transactions established that Jo controlled the finances of Evangelism Enterprises and controlled most of the checks that were cashed. Kent, who oversaw payroll and related federal tax obligations, failed to withhold or pay quarterly federal withholding taxes or file related documents with the Internal Revenue Service between 2001 and 2003.

The Hovinds were charged in a 58-count indictment. Kent was charged in the first twelve counts of the indictment for willfully failing to deduct and pay federal income and withholding taxes for employees of Evangelism Enterprises. 26 U.S.C. § 7202. The Hovinds were charged in the next 45 counts for structuring cash withdrawals to avoid financial reporting requirements. 18 U.S.C. § 2; 31 U.S.C. §§ 5313(a), 5324(a)(3), 5324(d); 31 C.F.R. § 103.11. Kent was charged in the last count of the indictment for obstructing the administration of internal revenue laws. 26 U.S.C. § 7212(a). The indictment also included a provision for forfeiture by the Hovinds of “any and all property, real and personal, involved in” the financial reporting crimes “and any property traceable thereto” and, if that specific property could not be recovered, for “forfeiture of any other property of [the Hovinds] up to the value of the ... property.” Approximately two months after the court-imposed filing deadline, the Hovinds moved to dismiss their indictments. The district court denied the motions as untimely and without merit.

After the government rested its case at trial, the Hovinds moved for an acquittal on each count of the indictment. Defense counsel argued that the government was required to prove for each count of structuring that the transaction equaled or exceeded $10,000 and, because the evidence established that each transaction was less than that threshold, the Hovinds were entitled to dismissal of those counts. The government responded that it had a “fundamental disagreement” with the Hovinds’ interpretation of the structuring statutes and argued that structuring necessarily requires a transaction under $10,000. The district court “agree[d] with the govern *618 ment” that the Hovinds’ interpretation of structuring was contrary to the statutes and denied the Hovinds’ motion. The court later referred to its decision on the motion and instructed defense counsel that they would “not be permitted” to argue their interpretation of the structuring statutes. After discussion of the issue, defense counsel explained that they intended to argue that the government did not prove that the Hovinds structured each transaction to evade reporting requirements.

The Hovinds were found guilty of all charges. The jury found that $430,400 was involved in or traceable to the financial reporting crimes. The jury entered a special verdict against the Hovinds for the forfeiture of real and personal property attributable to the reporting crimes.

Separate presentence investigation reports were prepared for Kent and Jo. Kent’s report paired the first 12 counts of the indictment into one group and the next 44 counts into a second group. United-States Sentencing Guidelines § 3D1.2(d) (Nov.2001). The report listed the offense level applicable to each group and selected the second group, which had the highest offense level of 22. Id. §§ 2Bl.l(b)(l); 3D1.3(b); 2S1.3. The base offense level was increased by 2 levels because the offense was part of a pattern of unlawful activity that involved more than $100,000 in a 12-month period, id. § 2S1.3(b)(2), and increased another 6 levels for Kent’s aggravating role in the crimes. Id. §§ 3Bl.l(a); 3C1.1. With a criminal history of I, the report provided a sentencing range between 97 and 121 months of imprisonment. The report calculated a tax liability, under the first twelve counts of the indictment, of $604,874.87. Id. § 5El.l(a)(2).

Jo’s presentence report listed a base offense level of 22. Id. §§ 2Bl.l(b)(l); 2S1.3. The report decreased the base level by 16 levels because Jo did not act with reckless disregard of the source of the funds and because the funds were the proceeds of lawful activity and were to be used for a lawful purpose, id. § 2D1.3(b)(2). With a criminal history of I, the report provided a sentencing range between 0 and 6 months of imprisonment.

Before Jo’s sentencing hearing, the government moved to forfeit substitute property and requested the court substitute ten parcels of real property and a bank account belonging to Jo and Kent to satisfy the $430,400 judgment. 21 U.S.C. § 853(p). The government attached to the motion an affidavit from Special Agent Charles Evans of the Internal Revenue Service. The affidavit stated that the agency could not find the $430,400 because the Hovinds had transferred the assets to a third party, expended the assets on business-related expenses, and removed the assets from the jurisdiction of the district court.

The district court found that the Hovinds had disposed of the assets subject to forfeiture and granted the motion of the government to substitute property.

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305 F. App'x 615, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/united-states-v-kent-e-hovind-ca11-2008.