United States v. Oberman

213 F. Supp. 238, 1963 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 8057
CourtDistrict Court, W.D. North Carolina
DecidedJanuary 24, 1963
DocketCr. No. 1609
StatusPublished

This text of 213 F. Supp. 238 (United States v. Oberman) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, W.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. Oberman, 213 F. Supp. 238, 1963 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 8057 (W.D.N.C. 1963).

Opinion

WARLICK, District Judge.

This is a criminal action in which the defendant is charged with having violated Title 18 U.S.C.A. § 1010, under a bill of indictment which charges that the defendant for the purpose of obtaining Federal Housing Administration (hereinafter referred to as FHA) insured loans, uttered and published as true FHA Title I Credit documents knowing at the time that said documents were false and fraudulent in that the entire proceeds of the loans were not to be used for the purposes as stated in the loan documents. The bill of indictment contains four counts involving transactions with William Sherron Fink and wife, June Fink; Robert L. Farmer and wife, Veva C. Farmer; Horace R. Seabolt and wife, Elecia R. Seabolt; and Bruce Clanton and wife, Betty Clanton. The indictment was returned in November, 1961, by the Grand Jury at Asheville. Trial of the case began on October 2, 1962, in the Charlotte Division. The defendant, through his counsel, entered a plea of not guilty and executed proper waiver of his right to trial by jury, leaving the- determination of his guilt or innocence to the Court as is provided in Rule 23(a). Prior to the commencement of the trial the witnesses were segregated, on motion of defendant, until the completion of their respective testimony.

At the conclusion of the evidence the defendant, through his counsel, entered a request that the Court find the facts specially, as is set forth in Rule 23(c) of the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure. Pursuant to such request the following general and special findings of fact are made.

GENERAL FINDINGS OF FACT:

The Court finds the defendant, Albert Oberman, guilty as charged in Counts 1, 2, 3 and 4 of the bill of indictment found in Case No. 1609.

SPECIAL FINDINGS OF FACT: COUNT ONE

1.

That approximately two days prior to December 18, 1959, an individual came to the home of William S. Fink and June Fink on List Avenue in Concord, North Carolina and talked with William Fink relative to installing aluminum siding on the Fink residence; that at that time William Fink advised that he was financially unable to have this done; that at that time Fink was advised that the man would return and bring his boss with him.

2.

That on or about December 17, 1959, the man referred to in Finding of Fact No. 1 returned to the Fink residence in company with the defendant, Albert Oberman; that the defendant, Albert Oberman, at that time falsely identified himself as A1 Lawrence, all for obvious reasons as will subsequently appear.

3.

That the defendant talked with William Fink and wife about putting aluminum siding on their house; that Fink and his wife advised Oberman that they were unable to afford this; that at that time Oberman advised that he could fix that and inquired what the trouble was; that he was advised that the Finks owed other bills, whereupon Oberman advised that he would give the Finks money enough to pay off their bills if they would have the siding put on their home; that Oberman informed them that he would see to the preparation of the necessary papers; that a Title I Credit Application for Property Improvement Loan was thereupon filled out by the defendant and signed by William Fink and wife, June Fink (Government Exhibit No. 8) ; that the total amount of the loan signed for by the Finks was $3,300.00; that the defendant advised the Finks that he would be able to give them $750.00 in cash in [240]*240addition to fulfilling the siding contract; that the defendant left the Fink residence with the executed loan documents, well knowing at that time that they were false in that the entire loan proceeds were not to be used by the Finks for home improvements and well knowing and intending that the loan documents would be submitted to the FHA for insurance.

4.

That the loan documents were presented to the First Union National Bank of North Carolina, Charlotte, North Carolina, for the purpose of obtaining an FHA Improvement Loan; that based upon statements appearing in said Credit Application and attached documents, including the executed promissory note (Government Exhibit No. 9), the bank issued its check in the amount of $3,-300.00 payable to Mr. or Mrs. W. S. Fink for loan proceeds; that thereafter the check was taken by the defendant to Mr. Fink at his home and at such time Fink endorsed the check and returned it to the defendant; that the amount of the check was subsequently deducted from the bank’s account; that on the day following the endorsement of the check by Fink, defendant returned to the Fink residence and gave Mr. Fink $750.00 in cash; that the Finks used the $750.00 to pay off a debt owed by them to a finance company, even though the defendant advised Fink to pay off his car indebtedness.

5.

That the First Union National Bank of North Carolina, Charlotte, North Carolina, after issuing its check for the loan to the Finks made up a Title I Loan Report stating the amount of the loan, the type of home improvement covered by the loan, and forwarded this report to the FHA; that thereafter the bank received from the FHA authorities a bill for insurance premiums for insuring said loan; that the bank paid the premium and the loan was insured by the FHA; Thereafter the Fink note was in default and the bank forwarded the note to the FHA and at such time the FHA paid the bank for the note under their insurance.

6.

That at all times during the transaction between the defendant, Albert Ober-man, and the Finks, the defendant, under the name of Al Oberman, was carried on the FHA Precautionary List and had been on such list since June 30, 1953. The Precautionary List is a list of dealers or individuals that is published by the FHA naming those individuals or companies, and the purpose of it is to advise lending institutions that for some time in the past this individual or contractor has had some dealings in FHA Title I’ that were not according to the regulations. The list is intended to put lending institutions on notice as to who they are dealing with and the FHA will not approve loan transactions submitted by these individuals; that the name of A1 Lawrence as used by defendant did not appear on said Precautionary List at the time of the Fink transaction but was made a part of the Precautionary List subsequent to the transaction as of July 29, 1960. That the defendant, in using the assumed name or alias, A1 Lawrence, well knew that he was blacklisted, so to speak, and that by so doing he perpetrated a vicious and determined fraud on the United States of America.

COUNT TWO

That on or about December 17, 1959, an individual named Oscar Gilbert came to the home of Robert L. Farmer and wife, Veva Farmer at 1106 Grove Street, Kannapolis, North Carolina; that at that time Gilbert discussed with Mr. and Mrs. Farmer the matter of putting aluminum siding on their house, and wanted to bring his boss by to talk further about it; that Robert L. Farmer advised Gilbert that he could not afford to put aluminum siding on the house, but agreed that Gilbert could bring his boss by anyway.

[241]*2412.

That on or about December 18, 1959, Oscar Gilbert returned to the home of Robert L. Farmer in company with the defendant, Albert Oberman; that at that time Oscar Gilbert introduced the defendant as A1 Lawrence.

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Bluebook (online)
213 F. Supp. 238, 1963 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 8057, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/united-states-v-oberman-ncwd-1963.