United States v. Mancuso

799 F. Supp. 567
CourtDistrict Court, E.D. North Carolina
DecidedOctober 5, 1992
Docket2:92-cr-00001
StatusPublished
Cited by5 cases

This text of 799 F. Supp. 567 (United States v. Mancuso) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, E.D. North Carolina primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
United States v. Mancuso, 799 F. Supp. 567 (E.D.N.C. 1992).

Opinion

ORDER

JAMES C. FOX, Chief Judge.

This matter is before the court on Defendant’s Schmidt’s Motion to Dismiss on grounds of multiplicity, 1 Motion to Dismiss on grounds of insufficiency of the indictment, and Motion to Sever, and Defendants Louis and Susan Mancuso’s Motion to Dismiss on grounds of multiplicity. The court heard oral arguments in this matter on April 10, 1992 in Raleigh, North Carolina. After a brief summary of the lengthy indictment at issue here, the court will respond to each of the Motions in turn.

STATEMENT OF THE CASE

On January 29, 1992, the defendants, Louis T. Mancuso, Susan L. Mancuso, Robert S. Schmidt, R. Phillip Hartman, and Hartman Rack Products, Inc., were charged in a twenty-three count indictment with violations of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 371, 1344, 1014 and 2.

Louis Mancuso and Susan Mancuso are charged with seventeen separate counts of bank fraud in Counts 2 through 11, Counts 15 through 18 and Counts 20 through 22. Schmidt is charged with the Mancusos in the four bank fraud counts charged in Counts 15 through 18 and in the three counts charged in Counts 20 through 22. Schmidt is not charged in Counts 2 through 11. Counts 2 through 11 each allege a separate violation of Sections 1344(1) and (2) and Section 2 (aiding and abetting). Count 2 alleges that from August 28, 1990, through February 11, 1991, the Mancusos (and Hartman and Hartman Rack) engaged in a scheme and artifice to defraud First Federal Savings and Loan Association of Raleigh (hereinafter FFSLAR) and to obtain the moneys, funds and other property of FFSLAR by means of False pretenses and representations. Count 2 alleges that, for the purpose of executing the scheme and artifice, the Mancusos knowingly and wilfully diverted and caused to be diverted from FFSLAR moneys and funds due from Hartman Rack under Job Contract No. 3922. Count 2 alleges that all proceeds checks due from Hartman Rack under this job contract had been assigned to FFSLAR and describes by check number and amount *569 the particular funds thereunder alleged to have been fraudulently diverted from FFSLAR.

Counts 3 through 11 incorporate by reference the allegations contained in Count 2 and identify by date, check number and amount the particular funds alleged similarly to have been fraudulently diverted from FFSLAR by virtue of nine additional checks.

Counts 15 through 18 each allege a separate violation of Sections 1344(1) and (2) and Section 2 (aiding and abetting). Count 15 alleges that from October 16, 1990, through February 15, 1991, Schmidt (Senior Subcontract Administrator for Harnischfeger Engineers) and the Mancusos engaged in a scheme and artifice to defraud FFSLAR and to obtain the moneys, funds and other property of FFSLAR by means of false pretenses and representations. Count 15 alleges that, for the purpose of executing the scheme and artifice, Schmidt and the Mancusos knowingly and wilfully diverted and caused to be diverted from FFSLAR moneys and funds due from Harnischfeger under Purchase Order No. 053707. Count 15 alleges that all proceeds checks due from Harnischfeger under this job contract had been assigned to FFSLAR and describes by check number and amount the particular funds alleged to have been fraudulently diverted from FFSLAR.

Counts 16 through 18 incorporate by reference the allegations contained in Count 15 and identify by date, check number and amount the particular funds alleged similarly to have been fraudulently diverted from FFSLAR by virtue of three additional checks.

Counts 20 through 22 also allege separate violations of Sections 1344(1) and (2) and Section 2. Count 20 alleges that from October 22, 1990, through March 12, 1991, Schmidt and the Mancusos engaged in a scheme and artifice to defraud FFSLAR and to obtain the moneys, funds and other property of FFSLAR by means of false pretenses and representations. Count 20 alleges that, for the purpose of executing the scheme and artifice, Schmidt and the Mancusos knowingly and wilfully diverted and caused to be diverted from FFSLAR moneys and funds due from Harnischfeger under Purchase Order No. 0128003-00. Count 20 alleges that all proceeds checks due from Harnischfeger under this job contract had been assigned to FFSLAR and describes by check number and amount the particular funds alleged to have been fraudulently diverted from FFSLAR.

Counts 21 and 22 incorporate by reference the allegations contained in Count 20 and then identify by date, check number and amount the particular funds alleged similarly to have been fraudulently diverted from FFSLAR by virtue of two additional checks.

Count 23 charges Louis Mancuso with making a false representation to FFSLAR in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1014.

DISCUSSION

Motion to Dismiss on grounds of multiplicity

In their motions to dismiss on grounds of multiplicity, the Defendants argue that the indictment is multiplicitous because it charges, as separate violations of Section 1344, stages or acts which were committed in furtherance of what Defendants characterize as one scheme. In determining whether certain counts here are multiplicitous the issue is whether congress intended to authorize cumulative punishment for the same or similar conduct. United States v. Teplin, 775 F.2d 1261, 1265 (4th Cir.1985). Although the mail and wire fraud statutes, 18 U.S.C. §§ 1341 and 1343, expressly punish separate acts in execution of a scheme to defraud, the bank fraud statute punishes “[wjhoever knowingly executes ... a scheme or artifice to defraud.” 18 U.S.C. § 1344(a)(1) (emphasis added). Black’s defines “execute” as “[t]o complete; to make; to sign; to perform; to do; to follow out.” Black’s Law Dictionary 567 (6th ed. 1991). The fact that each act in execution of a scheme is a punishable offense under the mail or wire fraud statutes does not allow reading the bank fraud statute to likewise punish each act in execution of a scheme or artifice to defraud. United States v. Lemons, 941 F.2d *570 309, 318 (5th Cir.1991). In short, the mail and wire fraud statutes punish each act in furtherance, or execution, of the scheme; but the bank fraud statute imposes punishment only for each execution of the scheme. Id. at 318 (emphasis added). The relevant case law, summarized below, indicates that the definition of execution is somewhat obscure, and that the issue in each case is what constitutes an execution of the scheme. Id. at 317 n. 5.

Only a few decisions have discussed multiplicity in the context of Section 1344. In United States v. Poliak, 823 F.2d 371

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