United States v. Leviton

193 F.2d 848, 1951 U.S. App. LEXIS 2946
CourtCourt of Appeals for the Second Circuit
DecidedNovember 30, 1951
Docket41, Docket 22076
StatusPublished
Cited by101 cases

This text of 193 F.2d 848 (United States v. Leviton) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals for the Second 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. Leviton, 193 F.2d 848, 1951 U.S. App. LEXIS 2946 (2d Cir. 1951).

Opinions

CLARK, Circuit Judge.

These are appeals from convictions under an indictment framed in twenty-one counts. Counts one to eleven charged that defendants “wilfully and knowingly did make and cause to be made false and fraudulent statements in ‘Shippers’ Export Declarations’ in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 80 (1946 Ed.), now 18 U.S.C. §§ 287, 1001. Counts twelve to twenty-one charged that defendants wilfully and knowingly exported flour and lard in violation of Presidential Proclamation No. 2413, 54 Stat. 2712, promulgated July 2, 1940, pursuant to 50 U.S. C.App. § 701 (1946 Ed.). There was no conspiracy count. After a trial of over a month the jury found Levitón and Blumenfeld guilty on all twenty-one counts, while it acquitted Markowitz on counts twelve to twenty-one and found him guilty on counts one to ten, the eleventh count having been dismissed as to him during the trial. Both Levitón and Blumenfeld received sentences of imprisonment and fines on each of the first eleven' counts, Levitón three years to run concurrently and $1,000 fine on each, Blumenfeld a year and a day concurrently, with $500 fine on each. On the other counts they received suspended sentences, with probation of two years and a year and a day respectively after termination of their previous sentences. Markowitz received concurrent sentences of a year and a day on each of the first nine counts, with suspended sentence and probation for two years on the tenth count. On this appeal all the defendants challenge the adequacy of the indictment and the sufficiency of the evidence, and they also assign several errors in the conduct of the trial.

The case as presented by the prosecution — the defendants offering no evidence— was as follows: During the period covered by the indictment — October 11, 1947, to March 12, 1948 — private export to Italy of, among other things, wheat and lard was prohibited by the presidential proclamation cited. This restriction, however, did not apply to foreign relief agencies which were authorized to ship wheat (by merely placing the general license symbol “RLS” on their export declarations) and lard (by including a special license number on declarations). At this time Blumenfeld was a merchandise exporter for a private relief agency, Levitón the Traffic Manager for the Barr Shipping Company (the freight forwarding firm 'handling all New York shipments to Italy for American Relief for Italy, a private relief agency), and Markowitz a visa clerk in the Customs House whose function it was to examine and approve export declarations. "

Apparently after a direct, but unsuccessful, attempt through one Saxon to interest Rizzotti, Traffic Manager of American Relief, in his plan to evade the restrictions on private export, Blumenfeld contacted Markowitz and the following scheme was devised. Blumenfeld would make the purchases of the commodities to be exported. Levitón, who administered all regular American Relief shipments generally for Barr, acted as freight forwarder, preparing the necessary documents for, transocean shipment, including the shippers’ declarations. On these declarations he described the shipments as for the account of American Relief for Italy, care of Societa Soveglianza, Genoa, inserted the name not of the Barr Shipping Company, but of the person from whom Blumenfeld had purchased the commodities as exporter, and inscribed each with the general or special license designations described above. These false declarations were then approved by Markowitz as visa clerk for the Bureau of Customs, since steamship companies would not ship without an export declaration thus cleared. Some ten shipments of varying quantities of wheat or lard were thus effected. On the eleventh attempt, however, another visa clerk in the Customs Bureau received the declaration in question and in this way the scheme was uncovered. Counts one to eleven of the indictment cover the eleven false declara[851]*851tions, counts twelve to twenty-one the ten shipments which were completed.

Defendants’ attack on indictment counts one to eleven is that the false statements and representations made in the export declarations were not made “in a matter within the jurisdiction of the Bureau of Customs, United. States Treasury.” This contention is based on the ground that the control of exports was lodged with the Department of Commerce by Act of July 2, 1940, as amended, 50 U.S.C.App. § 701 (1946 Ed.), and that the main purpose of these declarations was an informational one for the benefit of the Office of International Trade and the Bureau of the Census. But this assumes too narrow a view of the term “jurisdiction” in 18 U.S.C. § 80 (1946 Ed.). Congress was here concerned with such false statements as might impede the “exercise of federal authority.” Terry v. United States, 8 Cir., 131 F.2d 40, 44. The clearance of export shipments was specifically conditioned on presentation of a shipper’s declaration to the Collector of Customs. 15 U.S.C.A. § 174, 15 CFR, 1947 Supp. §§ 30.30, 30.31. Hence submission of such declaration to the Bureau, whether or not accepted or acted upon in the prescribed manner, brings it within the jurisdiction of that Bureau. See United States v. Bowman, 260 U.S. 94, 43 S.Ct. 39, 67 L.Ed. 149; United States v. Gilliland, 312 U.S. 86, 93, 61 S.Ct. 518, 85 L.Ed. 598.

Markowitz also raises the question of the validity of the indictment counts one to ten in the light of the proof as to his part in the scheme. As with the other two defendants, his indictment followed the language of the statute in alleging that he made or caused to be made false statements in the export declarations in question. Viewed strictly, the proof established only that he aided in and made possible the use of the declarations, knowing their fraudulent character. Nonetheless, there is no fatal variance between the crimes alleged and the acts proven. The making of . false statements in the jurisdiction of a governmental department necessarily includes and requires that such statement be presented with an intention that it be acted upon. United States v. J. Greenbaum & Sons, 2 Cir., 123 F.2d 770. Markowitz’ role in the presentation was too crucial for us to say that he played no part in the making of false statements as proscribed by the statute. We have pointed out that indictments under this provision “are to be upheld when they acquaint the defendant with the offense of which he stands charged, so that he can prepare his defense.” United States v. Goldsmith, 2 Cir., 108 F.2d 917, 920, 921, certiorari denied Goldsmith v. United States, 309 U.S. 678, 60 S.Ct. 715, 84 L.Ed. 1022; United States v. Achtner, 2 Cir., 144 F.2d 49, 51; United States v. Sherman Auto Corp., 2 Cir., 162 F.2d 564, 565. Especially after jury verdict, as here, the test becomes one of real prejudice. Grey v. United States, 7 Cir., 172 F. 101. There is no intimation that such occurred and we accordingly hold the indictment also valid as to Markowitz.

We turn next to defendants’ contentions as to the insufficiency of proof. The evidence of Leviton’s part in the making of the false declarations was so clear that there can be no question as to him; indeed he makes no serious challenge on this issue.

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Bluebook (online)
193 F.2d 848, 1951 U.S. App. LEXIS 2946, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/united-states-v-leviton-ca2-1951.