United States v. Robert J. Bevans

496 F.2d 494, 1974 U.S. App. LEXIS 8873
CourtCourt of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit
DecidedMay 2, 1974
Docket73-1803
StatusPublished
Cited by10 cases

This text of 496 F.2d 494 (United States v. Robert J. Bevans) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals for the Eighth 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. Robert J. Bevans, 496 F.2d 494, 1974 U.S. App. LEXIS 8873 (8th Cir. 1974).

Opinion

VOGEL, Senior Circuit Judge.

Robert J. Bevans appeals from his judgment of conviction, based on jury verdicts, of misapplying bank funds and of making false entries in the books of a bank in violation of 18 U.S.C. §§ 656 and 1005. Bevans was convicted on three counts of an eleven-count indictment and was sentenced to the maximum term under each count, the sentences to run concurrently and pursuant to the provisions of 18 U.S.C. § 4208(bj.

A fairly detailed statement of the pertinent evidence appears necessary. In 1965 the appellant became associated with the Bank of Lincoln County as its executive vice-president and cashier. Approximately one year later Mr. Quincy Kinsler, a local contractor, and the appellant jointly purchased a plot of land suitable for housing development. Thereafter lots from the development were sold to area contractors for the construction of homes. Within the next year Bevans purchased Kinsler’s interest in the subdivision and continued the sale of lots to area contractors. One of the builders who purchased lots from the appellant and financed them through the bank was the Bass Construction Company, which was owned and operated by Mr. Burton Bass, Jr. Construction money was borrowed from the bank and placed in an escrow account which was controlled and disbursed by Mr. Bevans.

In August 1971 Harry Benear became associated with Bass Construction Company. Benear took over the internal operations of the company and found that its books and records were in such a state of disarray that he was unable to balance the checkbook. In December 1971 Bevans informed Bass, Jr., and Be-near the extent to which they had overdrawn the checking account of Bass Construction, “ * * * forty-some thousand dollars in the red.” In March 1972 Bass, Jr., decided either to sell the company or to shut down. Benear became the purchaser with funds loaned to him by the Bank of Lincoln County through Mr. Bevans.

Thereafter, Benear met with Bevans regularly to give him status reports on the condition of the company. During the early summer of 1972 a debit balance existed in the checking account of Bass Construction. Bevans advised Be-near to write checks on the company account in payment of some debts, and told him to delay payment of others. On June 30, 1972, the bank was holding a considerable number of Bass Company cheeks. 1 Bevans purchased a 92-acre farm owned by the Bass Construction Company and deposited his cash payment directly into the Bass Company checking account. The trial testimony indicated that this was done in order to cover the then accumulated checks. The checks drawn on insufficient funds then being held by the bank were immediately paid from the proceeds of this purchase. The opening and closing amount in the account of Bass Construction Company on June 30 indicates that the total deposit was needed to cover the checks then being held. 2

In July 1972 Bevans again began holding Bass Construction Company checks as they were received at the bank. The first check was received by the bank on July 13, 1972, and the last on August 1, 1972. During this time period the bank accumulated a total of $51,222.29 of Bass Company checks drawn on insufficient funds. Counts VI and VII of the indictment relate to entries made in the *497 books of the bank during this time period.

In May of 1972 Mr. Emil Hoechst purchased the bank. On June 15 at the board of directors meeting he proposed an audit which Bevans opposed. On July 26 Hoechst was elected president of the bank and on the 27th he ordered an audit. On July 31 and August 1 Bass, Sr., Bass, Jr., and Benear each executed $18,000 unsecured notes payable to the bank at the insistence of Bevans. The proceeds of these loans were credited to the general account of Bass Construction and disbused to cover the accumulated overdraft checks. Count II of the indictment charged that this transaction resulted in the misapplication of bank funds. Hoechst became aware of these unsecured loans and in mid-August Bevans was relieved of his duties at the bank.

The appellant was convicted on three counts of the indictment and on this appeal he challenges the sufficiency of the evidence on all three counts. He also contends that the charge to the jury with respect to Count II — relating to the misapplication of bank funds — was erroneous.

We first turn to the appellant’s contentions that the evidence was insufficient. The conviction on Count II resulted from the replacement of the checks held by the bank with the proceeds of the unsecured notes executed by Bass, Sr., Bass, Jr., and Benear on July 31 and August 1 of 1972. The appellant argues that the evidence is insufficient in three respects: (1) there is no evidence of loss to the bank; (2) there is no evidence that the defendant misapplied the $54,000 to his own use and benefit; and (3) there is no evidence that the defendant acted with the intent to injure and defraud the bank. From our review of the evidence, we are convinced that the government made a submissible case. In reviewing the sufficiency questions, we bear in mind the principle that:

In resolving the question whether a submissible case was made, we view the evidence in the light most favorable to the Government, * * * and accord to the Government the benefit of all inferences that may reasonably be drawn from the proven facts. Whiteside v. United States, 346 F.2d 500, 502 (8th Cir. 1965), cert. denied, 384 U.S. 1023, 86 S.Ct. 1946, 16 L.Ed. 2d 1025 (1966).

The jury heard evidence from which it could logically infer that the money was lost to the bank. Bass, Jr., testified that Mr. Bevans told him that he, Bass, Jr., would not be responsible for the note which he signed on July 31. He also indicated in his testimony that the note had not been paid at the time of trial. Mr. John Smith, the present executive officer of the bank, testified that the three $18,000 notes had been charged off in full. Mr. Smith testified that at the time the notes were charged off against the bank’s reserve for bad debts it became a loss to the bank. We also note that as a result of these actions the bank was deprived of the use of the money in question. We think this ample evidence to allow the jury to find that the bank lost $54,000 as a result of the appellant’s conduct.

We likewise find sufficient evidence to refute the appellant’s other two contentions relating to Count II of the indictment. He contends that there is no evidence that he misapplied the monies to his own use and benefit. From the facts presented at trial, we have no doubt that the jury could reasonably conclude that the appellant made the loans so that the individuals involved could complete and sell the houses and thereafter repay their debts to him. This benefit is a sufficient conversion to his own use. United States v. Rickert, 459 F.2d 352, 355 (5th Cir. 1972). Appellant also submits that the evidence is insufficient to show that he acted with the intent to injure and defraud the bank.

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Bluebook (online)
496 F.2d 494, 1974 U.S. App. LEXIS 8873, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/united-states-v-robert-j-bevans-ca8-1974.