United States v. Tenney

60 M.J. 838, 2005 CCA LEXIS 1, 2005 WL 39982
CourtNavy-Marine Corps Court of Criminal Appeals
DecidedJanuary 7, 2005
DocketNMCCA 200200727
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 60 M.J. 838 (United States v. Tenney) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Navy-Marine Corps Court of Criminal Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
United States v. Tenney, 60 M.J. 838, 2005 CCA LEXIS 1, 2005 WL 39982 (N.M. 2005).

Opinion

CARVER, Senior Judge:

A military judge, sitting as a general court-martial, convicted the appellant, pursuant to his pleas, of attempted desertion terminated by apprehension, making a false official statement, five specifications of forgery, wrongful impersonation of an officer with intent to defraud, and bank fraud under 18 United States Code § 1344, in violation of Articles 85, 107, 123, and 134, Uniform Code of Military Justice, 10 U.S.C. §§ 885, 907, 923, and 934.

Upon motion by the appellant prior to sentencing, the military judge merged the five specifications of forgery with the offense of bank fraud and merged the offense of making a false official statement with the offense of wrongful impersonation of an officer with intent to defraud. The appellant was sentenced to a dismissal, confinement for 9 years, and total forfeiture of pay and allowances. Pursuant to a pretrial agreement, the convening authority approved the sentence as adjudged, but suspended all confinement over 96 months.

The appellant claims that (1) the federal offense of bank fraud is preempted by the military offense of fraud against the United States or by the military offense of attempted larceny; (2) the military judge erred in ruling on the maximum confinement for bank fraud; (3) attempted desertion and wrongful impersonation of an officer with intent to defraud were an unreasonable multiplication of the charge of bank fraud; and (4) the appellant was subjected to illegal pretrial punishment.

After carefully considering the record of trial, the appellant’s assignments of error, the Government’s response, and oral argument on the first two assignments of error,1 we conclude that the findings and sentence are correct in law and fact and that no error materially prejudicial to the substantial rights of the appellant was committed. Arts. 59(a) and 66(c), UCMJ, 10 U.S.C. §§ 859(a) and 866(c).

Facts

While deployed with the 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) overseas, the appellant decided to obtain funds by defrauding the Los Angeles, California, branch of the Federal Reserve Bank (FRB) of San Francisco, California. In furtherance of that goal, he conducted research and obtained information from the MEU disbursing officer about the procedures used to request and procure [840]*840large sums of currency for Marine deployments.

Upon his return to Camp Pendleton, the appellant put his scheme into operation. His plan was to divert approximately $2,749,000.00 in cash for an upcoming 11th MEU deployment into his own hands by tricking all parties into believing that he was the proper representative to receive funds on behalf of the MEU. While the 11th MEU was conducting training prior to deployment, the appellant made several telephone calls and submitted false or forged facsimiles and other documents to the FRB, claiming to be First Lieutenant (IstLt) S, the disbursing officer for the 11th MEU. On one of the documents, he forged the name of the commander, Colonel P, on a document which authorized IstLt S to obtain funds for the military operation. He also made telephone calls and submitted false or forged documents to Brink’s in San Diego, California, claiming to be IstLt S. The telephone calls and false or forged documents were designed to mislead the proper authorities into delivering cash in a Brink’s armored car to the appellant at Camp Pendleton.

Ordinarily, deployment funds were delivered directly to a naval ship at the pier. Since the delivery would be made to a location aboard Camp Pendleton, a Brink’s employee called the 11th MEU office to discuss and confirm the change in delivery location and to advise that the change would result in a different delivery fee. The real IstLt S answered the telephone and denied that he had requested that the cash be delivered to Camp Pendleton. The Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) were notified.

After a preliminary investigation, NCIS and FBI investigators were convinced that someone was attempting to defraud the FRB, but they did not know the identity of the perpetrator. Under the direction of the FBI, Brink’s contacted the appellant to arrange a meeting in San Diego, ostensibly to go over the final details of the delivery. The appellant arrived for the meeting in a Marine Corps camouflage utility uniform with the nametape of IstLt S on the jacket. While there, he made numerous false statements and misrepresentations that he was IstLt S. He also forged IstLt S’s name on two documents. The meeting was secretly filmed and audio taped. During the meeting, the FBI also placed a transponder on the appellant’s car in order to track it.

After the meeting with Brink’s, the appellant drove to San Clemente, California, to change clothing. He also made reservations for two one-way airline tickets to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, departing the next day. He drove to a bank to withdraw $3500.00 from his personal account, then drove to a WalMart store to purchase luggage. The FBI was tracking his movements. In the WalMart parking lot, the appellant became suspicious when he saw someone, who was later identified as an FBI agent, taking his photograph. The appellant then picked up his Brazilian girl friend and took her to her residence in Laguna Hills, California. The appellant told her that plan “A” did not work and that he had to leave the country. He stayed overnight at his girl friend’s house. The appellant was on leave. The next morning, his girl friend refused to drive him to the airport. The appellant drove himself to John Wayne Airport for connecting flights to Rio de Janeiro. Just before arriving at the airport, FBI agents arrested the appellant. The appellant intended to leave the country and never return to the Marine Corps.

Bank Fraud

Preemption Doctrine

In his first assignment of error, the appellant contends that his conviction under the federal bank fraud statute is preempted either by the military offense of fraud against the United States or by the military offense of attempted larceny. He argues that we must disapprove the finding of guilty to bank fraud and that we may only approve a finding of guilty either to Article 132 or to Article 80, UCMJ. We disagree and decline to grant relief.

The preemption doctrine prohibits application of Article 134 to conduct covered by Articles 80 through 132. For example, larceny is covered in Article 121, and if an element of that offense is lacking—for example, intent—there can be no larceny or [841]*841larceny-type offense, either under Article 121 or, because of preemption, under Article 134. Article 134 cannot be used to create a new kind of larceny offense, one without the required intent, where Congress has already set the minimum requirements for such an offense in Article 121.

Manual for Courts-Martial, United States (2000 ed.), Part TV, ¶ 60c(5)(a). The appellant was convicted of federal bank fraud in violation of 18 U.S.C.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
60 M.J. 838, 2005 CCA LEXIS 1, 2005 WL 39982, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/united-states-v-tenney-nmcca-2005.