United States v. Michael E. Stewart

33 F.3d 764, 1994 U.S. App. LEXIS 23068, 1994 WL 460593
CourtCourt of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit
DecidedAugust 24, 1994
Docket94-1024
StatusPublished
Cited by47 cases

This text of 33 F.3d 764 (United States v. Michael E. Stewart) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals for the Seventh 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. Michael E. Stewart, 33 F.3d 764, 1994 U.S. App. LEXIS 23068, 1994 WL 460593 (7th Cir. 1994).

Opinion

ALARCON, Senior Circuit Judge.

Michael E. Stewart pleaded guilty to two counts of mail fraud in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1341 and was sentenced to a twenty-one month prison term. The Government appeals from the order imposing sentence. The Government contends that the district court clearly erred in finding (1) that Stewart had not abused a position of private trust in a manner that significantly facilitated the commission and concealment of the offense within the meaning of section 3B1.3 of the United States Sentencing Guidelines, U.S.S.G. § 3B1.3; and (2) that the elderly persons who were induced to part with their money in response to Stewart’s false representations were not vulnerable victims within the meaning of section 3A1.1, U.S.S.G. § 3A1.1. We hold that the district court clearly erred in finding (1) that Stewart’s position as a licensed insurance agent did not significantly facilitate the commission or concealment of his fraudulent scheme; and (2) that the funeral directors were the sole victims of Stewart’s crime. We vacate the order imposing sentence and remand for a de novo sentencing hearing.

I.

Stewart was president and the operator of Pre-Need Services, Inc., an insurance firm specializing in the sale of annuities to the elderly. Stewart induced 316 elderly persons to forward 1.1 million dollars for the purpose *766 of purchasing annuities to compensate designated funeral directors for performing funeral services. Instead, Stewart converted the money for his own use. Thus, as a direct result of Stewart’s fraudulent representations, the funeral directors, who had contractually obligated themselves to perform funeral and burial services, received no compensation for these services.

Stewart accomplished his fraudulent scheme by organizing funeral directors to act as his agents to sell annuities to elderly persons to pay for their funeral expenses. The record shows that the elderly pawns of Stewart’s scheme had been advised by state officials that they could purchase “a pre-need funeral” as one means of reducing their financial estates in order to qualify for Medicaid funds for nursing home expenses. The funeral directors represented that the annuity would be used to pay the price of the funeral services selected by the elderly person. The elderly were informed that the cost of the annuity would be less than the actual price of the requested funeral services. The funeral directors also advised the elderly persons that the interest earned on the annuity would be sufficient to compensate the funeral director for these services at the actual cost. Any excess amount would be transmitted to a designated beneficiary.

Stewart provided the funeral directors with forms to be filled out by his prospective clients. In the “Pre-Need Services E-Z Form” (E-Z Form), Stewart requested the client to provide personal and health information. 1 The E-Z Form also required that the “funeral price” and the “amount sent” be filled in and that both the client and the funeral director sign it.

The second form is entitled “Declaration of Irrevocable Trust” form (Trust form). 2 By signing this form, the client designated the State and Savings Bank, Monticello Indiana, as the trustee, and agreed that the funeral director who sold the annuity would perform the funeral services. The trustee was directed to use the proceeds of the policy to pay in full the “contract amount” of the funeral costs, and to deliver any excess funds to the beneficiary designated by the settlor.

The client, with the assistance of the funeral director, was required to fill out the Trust form except for the annuity policy number and the name of the insurance company. After the client signed Stewart’s forms and furnished the cost of the annuity, the two agreements and the money were forwarded to Stewart.

Initially, Stewart purchased annuities for approximately thirty-eight of his elderly clients in a face amount substantially less than that which his agents had represented would be provided to cover the actual cost of burial services. Stewart converted the remaining money for his personal use. Thereafter, Stewart converted all of the money entrusted to him for the purchase of 278 annuities.

To avoid detection, Stewart used a pyramid scheme. From the funds received from new clients, Stewart sent money to the funeral directors to provide funeral services for those persons who died before his fraudulent conduct was discovered. Stewart also mailed a letter to each elderly client acknowledging the “receipt of the Funeral Trust papers that [the elderly client] arranged through [the named] Funeral Home.” 3 Stewart’s letter also confirmed that the “papers” were “being processed,” and that the client had placed his or her confidence in “very capable hands” because the named funeral home was “well and favorably known for their ever present concern for the families they serve.”

Stewart concealed from the funeral directors the fact that he had converted his elderly clients’ funds by sending statements to them that falsely represented that the policies had been purchased. Stewart’s obvious intent in sending these statements was to lull the funeral director into the belief that he or she would be compensated for the burial expenses by the proceeds from the annuities.

*767 The pyramid scheme collapsed when the cost of the funeral expenses exceeded the funds provided by the elderly victims of Stewart’s scheme. A complaint to a prosecutor in White County, Indiana commenced the investigation that resulted in Stewart’s mail fraud conviction.

II.

In the presentence report, the probation officer recommended that Stewart receive a total offense level of sixteen points. The Probation Department also added eleven points to the six point base offense level for mail fraud because the amount of loss was 1.1 million dollars. U.S.S.G. § 2Fl.l(b)(l)(L). Two additional points were added because the offense involved more than minimal planning. U.S.S.G. § 2Fl.l(b)(2)(A). Three points were subtracted for acceptance of responsibility.

The Government objected to the presen-tence report because it did not recommend application of two enhancement provisions that would increase Stewart’s offense level by four points. The Government argued that a two-level enhancement was required because Stewart abused a position of private trust pursuant to U.S.S.G. § 3B1.3, and that an additional two-level enhancement was warranted pursuant to U.S.S.G. § 3A1.1 because Stewart’s clients 'were unusually vulnerable due to their age and susceptibility to his fraudulent scheme.

At the sentencing hearing, the parties stipulated that the funeral homes were contractually obligated to provide funeral services to the customers. The parties also stipulated that the only direct contact Stewart had with his clients was the letter that he sent confirming the alleged purchase of the annuity. Finally, the parties stipulated that Stewart was a licensed insurance broker and that this licensure was necessary to enable Stewart to purchase annuities for his clients.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
33 F.3d 764, 1994 U.S. App. LEXIS 23068, 1994 WL 460593, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/united-states-v-michael-e-stewart-ca7-1994.