United States v. Victor Teicher & Co., LP

785 F. Supp. 1137, 1992 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 2663, 1992 WL 35541
CourtDistrict Court, S.D. New York
DecidedFebruary 25, 1992
Docket88 Cr. 796 (CSH)
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 785 F. Supp. 1137 (United States v. Victor Teicher & Co., LP) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, S.D. New York primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
United States v. Victor Teicher & Co., LP, 785 F. Supp. 1137, 1992 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 2663, 1992 WL 35541 (S.D.N.Y. 1992).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM OPINION AND ORDER

HAIGHT, District Judge:

This case is before the Court on defendants’ post-trial motions for judgments of acquittal pursuant to Fed.R.Crim.P. 29(c), or, alternatively, for a new trial pursuant to Fed.R.Crim.P. 33.

On November 11, 1988 the defendants, as well as D. Ronald Yagoda and Marcus Schloss & Co. Inc., were charged in a 31— count indictment charging, inter alia, conspiracy, securities fraud, mail fraud and penury. Yagoda and Marcus Schloss were severed out and tried separately in May 1989. See United States v. Marcus Schloss & Co., Inc., 710 F.Supp. 944, 945 (S.D.N.Y.1989). The indictment was redacted to eliminate these defendants.

Defendants were tried before this Court and a jury from January 19, 1990 through April 6, 1990.

Defendants first made Rule 29 motions for dismissal of all counts at the close of the government’s case and Counts 13, 14, 15, 16 and 19 were dismissed, although the other counts were allowed to stand. See United States v. Victor Teicher & Co., L.P., et al., 88 Grim. 796 (CSH), Memorandum Opinion and Order, 1990 WL 29697 (S.D.N.Y. March 9, 1990) (“3/9/90 slip op.”). The indictment given to the jury in *1139 this case was further redacted to reflect the dismissals of these counts.

Count 1 of the indictment charged that from July 1, 1985 to on or about April 30, 1986 defendants Victor Teicher & Co., L.P., Victor Teicher (“the Teicher defendants”) and Ross S. Frankel conspired, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 371, to commit securities fraud in violation of 15 U.S.C. §§ 78j(b) and 78ff and 17 C.F.R. § 240.10b-5; fraud in connection with a tender offer in violation of 15 U.S.C. §§ 78n(e) and 78ff and 17 C.F.R. § 240.14e-3(a); and mail fraud in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1341. Counts 2 through 10 charged the Teicher defendants with securities fraud with respect to certain securities in violation of 15 U.S.C. §§ 78j(b) and 78ff, 17 C.F.R. § 240.10b-5 and 18 U.S.C. § 2. Count 8 charged defendant Frankel with securities fraud with respect to one of those securities, American Brands, Inc. Counts 11 and 12 charged the Teicher defendants with fraud with respect to the tender offer by Dominion Textile Company, Ltd. for Avondale Mills in violation of 15 U.S.C. §§ 78n(e) and 78ff, 17 C.F.R. § 240.14e-3(a) and 18 U.S.C. § 2. Counts 13 and 14 charged Victor Teicher with mail fraud in violation of 18 U.S.C. §§ 1341 and 2. Count 15 charged Frankel with mail fraud in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1341. Count 16 charged Frankel with four specifications of perjury before the Securities and Exchange Commission (“S.E.C.”) in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1621. Counts 17 and 18 charged Frankel with obstruction of justice in violation of 18 U.S.C. §§ 1505 and 2.

On March 23, 1990, at the conclusion of all the evidence in the case, defendants again moved for judgments of acquittal under Rule 29. The Court reserved decision on the defendants’ motions. Transcript of Trial January 19, 1990 — April 6, 1990 (“Tr.”) at 6730.

On April 6, 1990 the jury returned verdicts of guilty against Victor Teicher & Co., L.P. and Victor Teicher on Counts 1-12, against Victor Teicher on Counts 13 and 14 and verdicts of guilty against Frankel on Counts 1, 8 and 15-18.

On May 2, 1990 the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit issued its decision in United States v. Chestman, 903 F.2d 75 (1990), rev’d in part and aff'd in part, 947 F.2d 551 (2d Cir.1991), petitions for cert. filed (U.S, Jan. 1 and 2, 1992) (“Chestman I”), reversing Rule 10b-5, Rule 14e-3, mail fraud and perjury convictions obtained after a jury charge substantially similar to the charge in the case at bar. On May 14 and 21, 1990 the Teicher defendants and Frankel, respectively, filed post-trial motions for judgments of acquittal under Rule 29 or, in the alternative, for a new trial under Rule 33.

On August 24, 1990 the Second Circuit granted rehearing en banc of Chestman I and this Court deferred decision on the pending post-trial motions until the Second Circuit’s en banc ruling.

On October 7, 1991 the Second Circuit issued its en banc decision. United States v. Chestman, 947 F.2d 551 (2d Cir.1991), petitions for cert. filed (U.S. Jan. 1 and 2, 1992) (“Chestman II”). Chestman II reversed in part and affirmed in part the panel’s decision.. Based on the en banc decision in Chestman II the defendants have filed briefs and letter-briefs supplementing the post-trial motions. Defendants’ motions are now fully briefed and ripe for decision.

For the reasons set forth below, defendants’ motions are denied.

BACKGROUND

To the extent that defendants challenge the sufficiency of the evidence against them, the standard of review is clear.

The evidence at trial, viewed in the light most favorable to the government, see United States v. Simmons,

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Bluebook (online)
785 F. Supp. 1137, 1992 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 2663, 1992 WL 35541, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/united-states-v-victor-teicher-co-lp-nysd-1992.