United States v. Loughrin

710 F.3d 1111, 2013 WL 856577, 2013 U.S. App. LEXIS 4777
CourtCourt of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit
DecidedMarch 8, 2013
Docket11-4158
StatusPublished
Cited by28 cases

This text of 710 F.3d 1111 (United States v. Loughrin) 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. Loughrin, 710 F.3d 1111, 2013 WL 856577, 2013 U.S. App. LEXIS 4777 (10th Cir. 2013).

Opinion

TYMKOVICH, Circuit Judge.

Kevin Loughrin was convicted of bank fraud and other charges arising from a check and identity theft scheme. He now appeals his conviction on two grounds: (1) the district court’s jury instructions on the bank fraud counts, 18 U.S.C. § 1344(2), were erroneous because they did not contain a requirement that Loughrin intended to defraud a bank; and (2) the delay between his indictment and trial violated his rights under the Speedy Trial Act.

We conclude the district court did not err in applying the requisite elements for bank fraud under § 1344(2) and that the subsection does not require proof that the defendant intended to defraud a bank. We also agree that Loughrin was tried within seventy days as required by the Speedy Trial Act.

Exercising our jurisdiction under 28 U.S.C. § 1291, we reject both of Loughrin’s grounds for appeal and AFFIRM.

I. Background

Kevin Loughrin’s charges arose from a scheme to steal checks from people’s mail. After stealing the checks, he would alter them to make purchases at a local Target store. He would then return those purchases to Target for cash. The scheme came to an end when Loughrin and a codefendant, Theresa Thongsarn, were indicted on six counts of bank fraud, two counts of aggravated identity theft, and one count of possession of stolen mail.

*1115 Prior to trial, Loughrin filed a motion for dismissal based on violations of the Speedy Trial Act, which the district court denied. At trial Loughrin proposed that the jury instruction for bank fraud, 18 U.S.C. § 1344(2), specifically require the jury to find that he had an intent to defraud a financial institution in order to convict. The court, stating that the statute and Tenth Circuit law did not require such a finding, rejected Loughrin’s proposed instructions. Loughrin was convicted on all six bank fraud counts, as well as on counts for stolen mail and aggravated identity theft. The court sentenced Loughrin to thirty-six months’ imprisonment.

II. Analysis

Loughrin contends the district court erred in two ways: (1) the jury instructions on the bank fraud counts, 18 U.S.C. § 1344(2), failed to include a requirement that he intended to defraud a bank or financial institution; and (2) his rights under the Speedy Trial Act were violated due to unexcused delay between his indictment and trial. We disagree with both arguments.

A. Jury Instructions

Loughrin first argues the district court erred in refusing to instruct the jury that a conviction under § 1344(2) requires proof that he intended to defraud the banks on which the checks had been drawn. If the district court erred, Loughrin contends, there was insufficient evidence to sustain a conviction under § 1344(2). We review “a district court’s refusal to give a requested instruction for abuse of discretion.” United States v. Crockett, 435 F.3d 1305, 1314 (10th Cir.2006). But we review the jury instructions de novo to determine “whether, as a whole, they accurately state the governing law.” Id.

The Bank Fraud statute prohibits two types of conduct: “knowingly executing], or attempting] to execute, a scheme or artifice — (1) to defraud a financial institution; or (2) to obtain any of the moneys, funds, credits, assets, securities, or other property owned by, or under the custody or control of a financial institution, by means of false or fraudulent pretenses, representations, or promises.” 18 U.S.C. § 1344. Though “largely overlapping, a scheme to defraud, and a scheme to obtain money by means of false or fraudulent pretenses, representations, or promises, are separate offenses.” United States v. Swanson, 360 F.3d 1155, 1162 (10th Cir.2004) (quoting United States v. Cronic, 900 F.2d 1511, 1513 (10th Cir.1990)).

The two provisions have similar elements, differing only by the type of scheme each one targets. Our case law requires the government to prove: “(1) that the defendant knowingly executed or attempted to execute a scheme (i) to defraud [§ 1344(1) ] or (ii) to obtain property by means of false or fraudulent pretenses, representations or promises [§ 1344(2)]; (2) that defendant did so with the intent to defraud; and (3) that the financial institution was then insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation.” United States v. Rackley, 986 F.2d 1357, 1360-61 (10th Cir.1993) (emphasis in original).

The differences in the prohibited conduct for each offense extend to the type of proof the government needs to offer. To establish that a bank was defrauded under § 1344(1), the government need not prove that the bank “suffered any monetary loss, only that the bank was put at potential risk by the scheme to defraud.” United States v. Young, 952 F.2d 1252, 1257 (10th Cir.1991). Yet a conviction under § 1344(2) requires no proof that a bank was “at risk” because there is no explicit requirement that a particular bank *1116 be defrauded. United States v. Sapp, 53 F.3d 1100, 1103 (10th Cir.1995). As we explained in Sapp, the reason for this difference stems from the plain language of the statute: “[C]lause (1) focuses on the conduct as it affects the financial institution, while clause (2) emphasizes the conduct of the defendant.” Id. Indeed, the latter “extends to any knowingly false representation” by the defendant. Id. at 1102 (quotation omitted).

Loughrin contends that a conviction under subsection § 1344(2), like one under § 1344(1), requires proof that he intended to defraud a bank. He argues that our decision in Rackley “suggests that the scheme to defraud and the false pretenses must equally be directed at a financial institution.” Aplt. Br. at 18. But Rackley’s omission of “financial institution” from its listing of the elements of § 1344(1) does not change the fact that the text of § 1344(1) itself requires that the scheme be to “defraud a financial institution.” 18 U.S.C. § 1344 (emphasis added).

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

United States v. Flynn
Tenth Circuit, 2025
United States v. Cervantes
Tenth Circuit, 2025
United States v. Keith
61 F.4th 839 (Tenth Circuit, 2023)
United States v. Suggs
378 F. Supp. 3d 962 (D. Colorado, 2019)
United States v. Jimmie White
920 F.3d 1109 (Sixth Circuit, 2019)
United States v. Kevin Reese
917 F.3d 177 (Third Circuit, 2019)
United States v. Ray
899 F.3d 852 (Tenth Circuit, 2018)
United States v. Joseph
705 F. App'x 711 (Tenth Circuit, 2017)
United States v. Madkins
866 F.3d 1136 (Tenth Circuit, 2017)
United States v. Williams
865 F.3d 1302 (Tenth Circuit, 2017)
United States v. Love
Second Circuit, 2016
United States v. Holley
813 F.3d 117 (Second Circuit, 2016)
United States v. Zar (Derek)
790 F.3d 1036 (Tenth Circuit, 2015)
United States v. Hicks
779 F.3d 1163 (Tenth Circuit, 2015)
United States v. Melvin Taplet, Jr.
776 F.3d 875 (D.C. Circuit, 2015)
United States v. Margheim
770 F.3d 1312 (Tenth Circuit, 2014)
United States v. Watson
766 F.3d 1219 (Tenth Circuit, 2014)
United States v. Banks
761 F.3d 1163 (Tenth Circuit, 2014)
United States v. Adetokunbo Adepoju
756 F.3d 250 (Fourth Circuit, 2014)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
710 F.3d 1111, 2013 WL 856577, 2013 U.S. App. LEXIS 4777, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/united-states-v-loughrin-ca10-2013.