Professional Documents
Culture Documents
United States v. Pezzullo, 1st Cir. (1993)
United States v. Pezzullo, 1st Cir. (1993)
Defendant, Appellant.
_____________________
APPEALS FROM THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
FOR THE DISTRICT OF MASSACHUSETTS
[Hon. William G. Young, U.S. District Judge]
___________________
____________________
Before
Selya, Circuit Judge,
_____________
Friedman,* Senior Circuit Judge,
____________________
and Cyr, Circuit Judge.
_____________
____________________
____________________
September 16, 1993
____________________
_____________________
*Of the Federal Circuit, sitting by designation.
consolidated appeals
the three
defendant
challenge
commit
their
convictions of
wire
fraud
grounds.
and conspiracy
The
to
fraud involved an
price, immediately
fictitious
basis
resold at a much
buyer, and
for obtaining
transaction.
the higher
a mortgage
higher price to
resale price
loan that
a straw or
is used
as the
finances the
entire
We affirm.
I.
A jury in the
th
and
Court for
(1988),
and
all
three
defendants
The
district
imprisonment,
Pezzullo to 24
supervised
followed by
five
years
Cassiere
of
and
three years of
Dolber
count
to
39
to 46
months
of
371
months
release,
by three years
supervised release.
-33
one
supervised
release,
of 18 U.S.C.
violation of 18 U.S.C.
court sentenced
followed by
of
of that
of
imprisonment,
Each defendant
The
substantive
defendants
were
convicted
scheme to
defraud
six
crimes
involved their
mortgage
were
closed
on
the
of
Pezzullo
in
a two-person
thre
participation
a
in
series
of
day,
often
the
second
firm
the
same
which
lenders through
for
that
handled all
the
relied on by
was a
loan applications
DeNunzio
Glenn
and
referred them
Monteiro, controlled
he and his
Rate
Line.
to lenders.
fee
Thomas
Monteiro
for a
of
and resold the property on the same day to straw buyers at a much
higher price.
Mortgage
loan
and that
balance
funds received
to DeNunzio
lending
corporation then
then went
from the
paid for
and Monteiro,
The
channeled through
Rate Line.
DeNunzio
indictment
present
and
case.
and
they both
Monteiro
pleaded
testified for
guilty
to
anothe
the government
in the
played in the
scheme,
example of
the
operation of
the scheme
was a
Half Corporation
close
follows:
On April
the
purchase
of
12, 1991,
property at
Half &
104
Menlo
Street
for $102,900.
Moments later Half & Half closed the sale of the property to Fred
Strangis,
one of
the dummy
purchasers,
for $228,000.
Dolber
Based on this
Street,
Rate
Line
gave
Strangis
mortgage
loan
in
turn, sold
Corporation.
Strangis'
Neither Half
mortgage
to CenTrust
of
Rate
Mortgage
a down
payment to
the double
closing.
Instead,
Monteiro provided
cashier's check for the twenty percent down payment ($45,600) the
lender required the purchaser to make.
Cassiere
and
Pezzullo
recorded
both
deeds
an
They paid
they paid
the
assisted
in each of the
by
Pezzullo,
double closings.
was
the
closin
to the final
buyer.
The
closing
-55
to anything unusual.
of
The lending
appraiser in thirteen
institutions relied
notified any
on her appraisals
of the flips.
to determine
the
of the
The six
generally made
sale price
lenders made
loans of
or fair
the lesser
market value of
mortgage loans
the
totalling more
involved
the thirteen
in
the
land
appraisals Dolber
flips
were
for
made of
an
th
amount
identical
$231,000.
(The
from $42,000 to
$132,000.)
three other
Two of the
appraisals
In
"look[]
to
inferences
reviewing the
the
evidence
drawn from
as
it, in
record
a
in such
whole,
the light
challenge,
including
reasonable
most favorable
to the
beyond a reasonable
doubt."
United
______
States v. Plummer, 964 F.2d 1251, 1254 (1st Cir.), cert. denied,
__________________
____________
113 S. Ct. 350 (1992).
resolve
all credibility
evidence
may be
issues in
entirely
favor of
the verdict.
circumstantial and
need not
The
exclude
among
reasonable interpretations
of the
evidence."
omitted).
Thus
viewed, the
record
supports
the
convictions.
A.
prove wire
show: 1)
fraud,
the
communications in
must
prove
that
the
"defendant
-77
scheme to defraud.
by DeNunzio's and
to
existenc
Dolber
repay the
Pezzullo
also do
communications to
not challenge
the
use of
interstate wire
demonstrated at trial
fax machines
Dolber, however,
claim that
they wer
participants in it.
jury reasonably
Pezzullo and
Dolber knowingly
trial that
participated in
the scheme
with intent to defraud, and also aided and abetted the fraud.
1.
Pezzullo
________
Pezzullo
almost all
participated
in
all the
double closings
at the office of
buyers,
and
Marlissa
Pina,
would
explain
one
of
the
-88
controlled
corporate
purchasers,
corroborated
Strangis'
testimony.
Because
mortgages
to
the
lending
individuals who
live
institutions
in the
give
property
highe
they buy,
the property.
Strangis
purchaser of four
properties,
however,
and
at
closings on
February 6,
December
12,
1990,
Other
straw
multiple owner-occupancy
within one month and
final
documents at the
purchasers
similarly
signed
closings: Peter
such forms;
Pina
Jeanette
signed two.
Pezzullo
witnessed the
the second
amount of the
for
that
Cassiere or Pezzullo
the closing.
corporations making
Instead,
amount
brin
to
Settlement Statements
the
closing.
that Cassiere
filled out at
the
HUD-1
the closings
The
only
corporations that
function
DeNunzio and
Pezzullo,
of
the
officers
th
to sign
as its
corporate address.
neither Cassiere
of
nor Pezzullo
At the
double
then purchased,
officers what
were buying
the
second
handled
half of
the
the
distribution of
flip.
The
proceeds
After
the original
returned
the
down
distributed the
them
mortgage.
to divide.
Pezzullo prepared
from the
payments
to
first
Monteiro
the
Cassiere and
following the
owner
were "the
the proceed
the amount
half of
and
the
DeNunzio,
flip,
and
funds received
he
signed a
HUD-1
bough
At each closing, in
form and
statement
-1010
certifying
that he had
received a copy
of the HUD-1
form, yet
of
attorney
the lending
is expected
to
fill
in
testified
all
blank
that the
spaces
closing
in
of
forms at the
were
completely blank.
in Marlissa
loan
Some
blank document.
Had the
same law firm
day
informed that th
and with such wide price disparities, they would have either
Because
prices,
the
"would
of the
lending institution
be making a
loan on a
would
between the
have
two sale
believed that
piece of property,
it
foregoing
evidence,
together
with
additiona
evidence
jury's
in the
record
conclusion that
we have
not
discussed, justified
Pezzullo both
committed wire
the
fraud and
Dolber
______
Although Dolber
she had
a vital role in
forms, which
she
submitted to
Rate
closings
Her appraisal
Line, supported
the
high
-1111
heavily on
noted, every
appraisal
the accuracy of
she submitted
The
Dolber's appraisals.
on the
thirteen land
flips for properties was identical to the second sale prices, or,
in three instances, slightly higher.
DeNunzio testified
that he wanted
to use Dolber
the appraiser because he knew from talking to her that "she would
bring
in
property values
non-arm's
comparable
length
sales
used
as high
as
possible," and
that she
transactions,
were not
DeNunzio
true
sale
meant
"that
with a
the
wanting
borrower and
she
used
a wanting seller."
often
were
previous
Instead, the
comparable sales
flips
Rate
that
Line
had
Dolber had
mixture of similar
medium
well
maintained
properties and
single
family
homes.
The
been completed
and upgraded
the area.
. .
No adverse
valu
response
description
to
the
of the
question
"Is
neighborhood
the
appraiser's
complete and
overall
accurate?,"
the
-1212
review appraiser
in the midst
of a high crime
"This area is
There are
This is
which to live."
Monteiro accompanied
appraised properties.
the second
Dolber in
viewing some
of th
value was
Dolber "appraised
at the
Thus, in her
the
property
repair," the
cabinets
the third
need
coul
conditions of the
of
"cosmetic
and minor
wrote
roof
the "[k]itchen
property's functional
the final
by the owner."
utility as "average."
purchaser and
Dolber's appraisal,
and it was not occupied at the time of her inspection or any time
since.
It had a lot of broken windows . .
. . The porch was broken off, a couple
of the gutters were gone.
The inside
had had no plumbing. Most of the wiring
was gone; whatever was still there was
hanging out of the ceiling. . . . [I]f
-1313
In her appraisal
that
"[a]ll
three units
testified that
appraisal.
Dolber
described
average to
and electrical
at
this time."
property
as
wrot
Monteiro
time of the
having
"been
"all mechanical
bad condition.
in the
being
are rented
maintained in
final
building, it
had been
the building. .
the inside."
. .
stripped out.
There
[T]here
The
building was
was a lot of
structural damage on
and DeNunzio
premises
during her
DeNunzio.
testified that
appraisal, and
Furthermore,
Dolber
Dolber never
entered the
Dolber admitted as
wrote that
the
much to
property
was
divided into three units, but Pires testified that there were six
units.
cosmetic
and
that
it
"appear[e]d
to
be
in average
condition."
removed
exterior
from within
the house
and that
both the
in poor condition.
interior and
Dolber reported
-1414
that
property
was
Strangis
it
unoccupied
had been
at
the time
of
appraisal.
George
only one
of the
other two
floor . . . had
"[t]he heating
and
made
occupancy
of
that only
one
of
the
similar
other
misstatements
properties
she
units was
then
th
appraised.
Street were
Frank Andrews
regarding
rented.
testified
Dolber
maintained in average
units are
rented
the
at this time."
time of
electricity, the
plumbing had
Ethyl
antifreeze to
glycol or
testified that at
"filled with
stop the
some type
pipes from
repeatedly
purchaser, and
appraised
each time
multiple
properties
of
bursting,"
Dolber
for
the
same
particular property
would be owner-occupied.
that Fred
Strangis would
up, had no
certified
Griffin would
-1515
occupy two, Andrews would occupy two, and Peter Pina would occupy
three.
The
the
subject
properties in
sales."
In
property
with
recent
the neighborhood,
her
sale
prices
appraisals, Dolber
relied
of
similar
as "comparable
on data
from
the
publication County Comps, which listed the sale prices for closed
____________
sales,
Thus,
for
data
source.
The County Comps she relied on, however, showed
____________
tha
each of the properties she used as comparable sales had been sold
twice
within
short
period
for
vastly
different
comparable sales.
County Comps
____________
prices.
relied on
showed one
in
connection
with
her
propose
scheme
was
participate
in it.
on
operating
and
her
willingness
to
the property and proposed that her nephew, Adam Belanger, and
serve as
After DeNunzio
qualify for a
told Dolber
Dolber had a
that the
bad
Belangers
enough
money, Dolber told DeNunzio that she would give Karen a job,
and
the
salary Karen
needed to earn
to qualify for
loan.
Dolber
form
for
Karen
Dolber's
numbers
sent DeNunzio
from
Whitinsville
father owned,
should have
which
verification
Water
was "blank
been filled in
of employmen
Company,
where the
on the form."
company
employment
Dolber told
DeNunzio to fill in the blanks, but when he told her he could not
do that, she undertook to do so.
stub
for
Karen
Belanger.
Both
Samuel
Carpinetti,
Belanger
it
market value.
did not
argues
that
establish
She cites no
the
the
government's proof
faile
appraised properties'
fair
know of
To the contrary,
itself an element
Furthermore,
the value of
the
properties.
Again, citing no case law to support her
Dolber
to speculate
contention
as to what
-1717
government
governed
Violation by the
defendant of a code of
as
presented
an innocent
lenders.
for
rejecting
version
victim
of
the
facts
of DeNunzio's
whic
scheme
to
claim, and
concluding
an ample
that
she
conspiracy, the
prove
that
defendant
is
member
of
beyond a reasonable
and 3) one
U.S. 49,
852 (1st
Cir.
U.S. 1074
(1991).
To
prove that
intended
substantive
to
agree
offense."
and
a defendant "belonged
to and
that
he
intended
to
commit
the
as
its
defendants'
existence
words
and
can
plausibly
actions
and
need not
be
the
be express
inferred
from
interdependence
the
of
-1818
activities and
F.2d
(1990)
persons involved."
230, 241-42
(1st Cir.
(citations omitted).
conspiracy
circumstances,
furthered the
may
such
include
as acts
of participation
"inferences
committed
conspiracy's purposes."
U.S. 849
by
from
surrounding
the defendant
Gomez-Pabon,
___________
in the
that
911 F.2d at
853.
the
Dolber do
not deny
the substantive
offenses discussed
verdict of
establishes the
suffice
to
conspiracy.
conspiracy.
existence of
show
that there
the jury
the conspiracy or
Id.
___
Pezzullo and
not
the objectives of
no doubt
government did
Evidence relating to
in Part II.A,
Moreover,
also supports
once the
a conspiracy, lesser
defendant's
was
connection
with
evidence
evidence may
the
overall
1984).
As shown
purchasers did
and Cassiere
individuals
certified
had them
repeatedly
would
be
sign.
attended
-1919
on the
closings
the prices
secon
She also
owner-occupied.
significant differences in
She
saw that
on
the same
properties
they
aware
of
the
sales in
the
was
of the two
land flips.
At
Howard Street.
with Pezzullo
in learning
inference
could
have
been
drawn
that
Dolbe
second flips.
misstated the
properties.
straws in an
further
She repeatedly
Dolber's
use of
her nephew
and his
wife as
Peters,
of First
Union
Mortgage
Corporation
apparent increase
one day
Tradesmen,
which he
listing
of
He asked Dolber
in the value
noted from
of the
his review
property values
and
property
of Banker
closing
and
dates.
subsequent conversation,
had checked
out the
DeNunzio told
situation, that
Dolbe
known about
it because
-2020
the appraisal.
written
letter
provided an
her:
it out.
explanation similar
the low
first sale
The
to the
price was
due to
given
the
property was purchased from foreclosure, and thus did not reflect
the true
market value.
wanted
to
do
so.
He
a bar but
met
her
refused to tell
there
car.
photographs of
the properties
Monteiro,
four of
and
the pictures
the pictures.
had
that she
their
needed
in her records,
they
aske
since
She explained
which the
He agreed to provide
United
her with
The evidence
defraud the
required
lending
The
institutions.
of
that is
the plan
States v. Rivera-Santiago,
___________________________
government is
show 'the
connections
872
F.2d
essential
with it.'"
1073,
not
required is to
and their
conspiracy
1079
United
______
(1st
Cir.)
-2121
the beginning
trial, before
The
any
of th
court explained
would be submitted
to the
review them;
and
that
the court
could not be
the
question if
the question
legal difference at
asked
a jury
all."
witnesses
eleven
questions
that
trial, the
the
jurors
court
had
submitted.
The defendants did not object to the court
the
question asked.
is
followin
egregious errors . .
proceedings."
. that seriously
reputation of judicial
1992), decided after the trial in the present case, we upheld the
actions
and wire
fraud prosecution,
in
which the
court asked
We held that
a criminal case
committed
1005.
is not prejudicial
to the sound
We noted
is a matter
court."
Id. at
__
so concluded.
Id.
__
We
explained
questions during a
perils.
that
"[a]llowing
criminal trial
is a
should be
given wide
Although we stated
to
pos
procedure fraught
with
jurors
latitude to
manage trials."
Id.
__
the propriety
of the
practice on
Sutton,
______
Sutton
safeguards."
held
Id.
___
that
at 1006.
case in
confusion existed,
for
nor
four
reasons,
Second, "[b]ecause
any additional
[Sutton] was
______
which a greater-than-average
the positive
procedural safeguards,
th
reversible error.
requested
value of
Id.
___
"neither objected
factually complex
jury
we
case-by-case basis
Id.
___
such as
risk of
allowing juror-
requiring that
that the
Fourth,
"the questions
bland in character."
questions.
in number
and
The first
applicable
here:
questioning,
adopted
three reasons
the
the
case
procedural
unquestionably are
defendants
was
did
not
object
factually complex,
safeguards
nearly
equall
and
identical
to
the
to
the
court
those
in
Sutton.
______
Sutton involved seven jury
______
during
a 2
questions
whether
1/2 day
asked
this
during a
The
present case
24-day trial.
significantly
seriously undermined
plain error.
trial.
larger
involves eleven
The issue,
number
of
thus, is
questions
so
as to constitute
"bland in character,"
were relativel
to clarify and
explain
__
testimony already
Pires
given.
For
juror wanted
Paul
the exhibits.
Rullo to explain
Another
example, one
she referred
asked in
this case,
they have
F.2d
145
(8th
Cir.
1990),
court
that any
Other
v. Lewin,
_________
and to the
numbers
Although the
In United States
_____________
the
court,
over
The
-2424
juror
questions
during
three-week
trial.
DeBenedetto v. Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co., 754 F.2d 512 (4th Cir.
_________________________________________
1985).
The
question.
Fifth
Circuit approved
the
asking of
one
juror
(5th Cir.),
of
the
each
of these
questions
cases the
on
the
court
trial,
not
focused on
the
number
th
of
approved the
clarification of
despite the
carefully
large number
each of
the
In
Sutton,
______
we
of questions,
questions
In
the court
propounded by
the
754
noted
that
did not
"juror-inspire
In
Id.
___
In the
the
defendan
questions]; and
questions
he has
were] improper or
not argued
harmful."
on appeal
Id.
__
that th[ese
-2525
defendants
argue, however,
improperly interfered
with their
("we are
fully
the
direct and
committed to
asking th
ability to conduct
that by
principle that
Id.
__
at 1005
trial
judges
(The court
"must see that the issues are not obscured and that the testimony
is not misunderstood.").
and
similarly
sidebars
may
be
disruptive
of
counsel's
of the trial.
of the jurors'
We
questions so interfered
with
we uphold
the district
court's asking th
should
be
not become
district court
reserved for
the
As we there indicated,
exceptional
routine, even
should inform
in
the
situations,
and
complex cases.
counsel at the
The
earliest possible
time of its intention to use this technique and allow counsel the
opportunity to object.
their questions to
at
times the rules of evidence will dictate that the court not ask a
question, and that the jurors should draw no implication from the
court's failure to
pose a juror-proposed
question to the
jury.
The jurors should reduce their questions to writing and pass them
to the court.
sidebar
conference to
Finally, in its
give counsel
the opportunity
to object.
a prophylactic
______
IV. Evidentiary Rulings
The
"trial
court's
rulings
on
relevance
an
abuse of
1984).
A.
the
court's
admission
of
seve
exception
to
quotations,
compilations,
Federal
Rule
the
hearsay
of
Evidence
rule,
the
803(17)
allows,
admission
of
as
"[m]arket
or other published
Real estate
County Comps.
_____________
publishes
monthly
listing
operating
-2727
manager
of
sales were
and appraisers
County Comps
_____________
testified
that
the reports
admitted
were
authentic.
her source of
data for
Dolber
comparable
first
argues
that
"although
blush appear
straightforward
to
deal with
facts,
this
not the
evidence shows
the
County
Comp
compilations
evidence
of
required
the data
for admission
in County Comps.
____________
of the
publication.
But
The
a "published compilation[],
Standards
_________
Cassiere argues
higher
that the
government held
he is an
him to
attorney, based on
A.
Yes.
Q.
And
those
responsibilities
duties
and
are set forth in
such things as
are they not?
Cassiere objected
a canon of
and, after
ethics,
a sidebar
of
A.
I am.
Q.
A.
I am.
Q.
A.
I was.
Q.
conference
the criminal
the criminal
Q.
A.
Q.
A.
Yes.
Q,
A.
Yes.
-2929
Q.
as an
certain
A.
Q.
Those
obligations
included,
included a
responsibility to act truthfully?
A.
Uh-huh.
Q.
And honestly?
A.
Correct.
Q.
A.
The
court
then
sustained
an
by
objection
and
th
the jury
to
understand how
knowing.
clients, the
others
he believed
in the scheme
lending institutions,
to
was intentional
scope of cross-examination,
433, 437
Cassiere and
wa
F.2d
discretion in
the court's
exclusion of
thre
land deeds "that the defendant said supported his view of why the
real
estate
values
in
question were
-3030
reasonable."
Cassiere
testified that he relied on the prior deeds for sales in 1986 and
1987 in making his title examination for properties that were the
subject
relied
of the
on
indictment.
those
deeds,
Cassiere
which
listed
testified
past
that he
sale
also
prices,
as
court excluded
[because] they're
these deeds
"on the
[sic] conveyance
is too
ground
remote in
time given, and I take judicial notice at the side bar of the . .
. marked decline
and material to
testify
the
The court
allowed Cassiere
to
Since
those at issue in the case, and since the evidence was cumulative
to Cassiere's testimony, the
its discretion
Federal Rule
challenges
of Evidence
404(b) of
the
court's
evidence concerning
court
erred
in admitting
admission
under
that
unde
a real
Dolber argues
rule
evidence
Indictment
__________
-3131
Cassiere
entered
into
negotiations
with
Hyberni
Savings bank to buy 23 Newark Street, which the bank recently had
foreclosed.
agreement with
the property to
the property,
whether they
told DeNunzio
was upset
office along
with
Rego at
that he was
Monteiro told
that Felicio
and Rego
Joe Cassiere
[and] were
structuring th
DeNunzio
"were sitting in
making jokes
the
about
processing a
and
Pezzullo decided
that they
would no
make enough
deal
was off.
agreement with
appraise
Cassiere
later
so they told
negotiated a
second
purchase
DeNunzio asked
Dolber to
valued at $157,000.
The same
sought to buy
property on Water
Stree
using her nephew and his wife as straw buyers due to her own poor
credit
rating.
2.
Following
inquiries
by
the
lending
institutions
After an
and
because the
while
Once
according
DeNunzio was
by
accident,
finished with
each
conversation
he turned
the
recorder off
when
and
recording
and back
with whom
on again to
the conversation
this information,
had
he clicked
statement of
taken place.
Dolber back
After
in through
Karen
Company,
they
verification
necessary.
that
Belanger
could
fill
not work
in
at
the
told
DeNunzio
Whitinsville
appropriate
tha
Water
employment
Prior to
did
Dolber
3.
of the
conversation,
the
reviewing the
Rule 404(b), we
government
adequately
court's admissio
must determine
demonstrated
the
so,
tape's
authenticity.
Title
18
of
the
United
States
Code,
2511(2)(d) provides:
-3333
sectio
2511(2)(d) (1988).
A
defendant seeking
to
suppress a
tape
recordin
Supp. 899,
1986),
aff'd, 813 F.2d 477 (1st Cir. 1987), either "(1) that the primary
_____
motivation, or
motivation
(2) that
a determinative
for intercepting
the
factor in the
conversation was
evidentiary
actor's
to commit
Id. at 904.
___
hearing,
the
district
cour
evidence that Mr. DeNunzio made the recording of Ms. Dolber for a
if anything
conversation
participant."
in
blackmail
factual
finding
and
order
to
made the
prevent
tape recording
future
of the
distortions
by
tape to
evidence
Mr. DeNunzio
its
clearly erroneous.
Dolber or
reflecting
evaluation
as
the
part of
conspiracy.
court's familiarity
of witness
credibility,
This
with
the
is
not
-3434
tha
Dolber challenges
DeNunzio's
suspect.
testimony
as
that
conclusion
inconsistent,
Credibility determinations
because she
incredible,
and
and Dolber does not show that the finding was clearly erroneous.
(b)
"is one
of inclusion
which allows
th
United
______
States v. Fields, 871 F.2d 188, 196 (1st Cir.), cert. denied, 493
________________
____________
U.S. 955 (1989).
whether
showing
mistake."
1993).
evidence
a two-pronged inquiry.
the
intent,
"The trial
evidence has
preparation,
some
judge first
'special' probative
knowledge
or
absence
of
the judge
against the
balances the
danger
of unfair
probative value
of the
prejudice, pursuant
to
-3535
Fed.R.Evid.
403."
Rule
403 provides
that:
Although
relevant, evidence
may be
excluded if its probative
value is
substantially outweighed by the danger
of unfair prejudice, confusion of the
issues, or misleading the jury, or by
considerations of undue delay, waste of
time,
or
needless presentation
of
cumulative evidence.
Fed.R.Evid. 403.
On
appeal, we
review the
______
Knowledge
case.
The
and intent
Water Street
mortgage
transaction was
loan.
served only
involved in
The
issues
probative of
in which she
were critical
Dolber's
Unlike
the other
as an appraiser,
an actual attempt
evidence
in thi
showed
in this
to obtain
Dolber's
submitting
Newark
Street transaction
in
a different
Here,
Cassiere
masterminded
themselves.
the
flip
role from
and
and
This evidence
that
Pezzullo,
intended
reflected Pezzullo'
and
to
not
buy
other land
Rate
the
Line,
property
in the
The
tap
concerning how to
-3636
All of this
pron
'special' probative
second prong
test, "[w]
'exceptional
quotations
Zeuli,
_____
circumstances.'"
and citations
725
F.2d
Id.
__
omitted);
813,
816
admissibility is committed
(1st
at
see also
________
Cir.
1173
(internal
United States v.
_________________
1984)
("the
test
court").
of
The
evidence of the two land transactions and the tape recording were
probative as to
crimes
charged, and
indicating an
there were
abuse of the
no
critical elements of
the
"exceptional circumstances"
court's discretion in
admitting the
evidence.
V. The Jury Instructions
A.
jury
defendants challenge
instructions.
We review
evidence
and
two
of the
for abuse of
discretion.
We must
United
______
cert. denied,
____________
determine
trial court'
whether
in the case to
they
"'fairly
the jury.'"
and
Id.
___
(quoting
1195
1029 (1985)).
The
-3737
trial
court has
"considerable latitude"
in charging
the jury.
Id.
___
1.
Failure-to-Disclose Instruction
_______________________________
Cassiere
and
Pezzullo
argue
that
the
allowed the
court'
jury
professional status or
-3838
U.S.
1069
transform[s] a
there
is a
(1983).
However,
one
of
United States
_____________
that
recognizable scheme
intent to
defraud."
admits
Id.
___
as much
circumstances
such
This is
when
he
in which
writes in
his
a violation
as the canons of
fraud.
brief:
of a
Cassiere
"There may
be
non-criminal standard
be probative on
ostensible client
piece
of property."
assisted by his
and
was
record is unclear
the bank
writing the
"[h]is
mortgage for
fiduciary
duty
toward them,
which
Cassiere
attorney
also admitted
Cir. 1987),
we
material
fiduciary
information
that
arises
relationship
"Concealment of
to
"the affirmative
out
his
of
or
duty
government
her
As
Pezzullo had a
trial.
held
each
Cassiere,
attorneys representing
to
at
(1s
disclose
official's
employer."
Id.
___
a violation of the
F.2d 920,
926
Id.
___
(quoting United
______
(2d Cir.
1981), cert.
_____
as
their
"eyes and
ears,"
and
In its written
"expect[ed]
instructions to
our
procedures
relying on your
in
these closing
judgment and
transactions,
experience as a
we
closing agent
are
to
are
with us
in doubt
of a
situation,
please confer
prior to
closing."
The
court's
failure-to-disclose
as it applied to Cassiere
instructio
and Pezzullo
challenge
the
court's
blindness instruction:
Now, the element of knowledge that
I just mentioned for Counts 1 through
15,
that may
be satisfied
by an
inference, drawn from proof, that the
particular person accused deliberately
closed his or her eyes to what would
willfu
his or her own mind does not believe -strike that, does not disbelieve the
fact where there's a high probability
that
the
fact
that's
being
misrepresented actually exists and where
the person in his or her own mind
doesn't disbelieve that fact.
Stated another
way, a person's
knowledge may be inferred from a willful
blindness to the existence of the fact.
It's entirely up to you whether you find
any deliberate closing of the eyes, any
inference
to
be
drawn from
such
evidence.
Remember, though, evidence
showing negligence or mistake is not
enough to support a finding of willful
blindness.
The ultimate
fact of
criminal intent may be established by
circumstantial
evidence if
you are
satisfied that it is proven beyond a
reasonable doubt.
Caution
is
necessary
be
led
to employ
in
giving
willfu
negligence
standard
and convict
defendant on the
[an
illegal
act]
Littlefield, 840
___________
taking
F.2d 143,
States v. White,
________________
denied,
______
was
794
place.'"
148 n.3
F.2d 367,
(1988).
United States v.
__________________
371
(8th Cir.
A court
defendant claims
1986)),
properly gives
a lack
United
______
cert.
_____
such an
of knowledge,
the
taken
as
whole,
cannot
defendants did
Furthermore,
be
misunderstood
Id. at 147.
___
not deny
the existence
the instruction
as
made it clear
of
th
unaware of
to the
jurors
-4141
that
it was
for them
to determine
whether the
defendants had
The
three times used the word "may" and explained that "[i]t's
___ __________
that permitted but did not require the jury to
draw an inference
of willful blindness).
Although the
was that
scheme,
government's main
contention at
presented evidence
from which
tria
in the
the jury
could have concluded that if they did not know what was going on,
it was
only because
they chose
to turn a
blind eye.
"Guilty
finding
"negligence or
of
willful
mistake
have
explained
mistake
is not
consider
"any
not
enough to
[anything]
of canons of
instruction
constitute
is
blindness,
negligence is enough."
1005 (1990).
alteration
that
enough."
It
showing
also told
the jury
-4242
jury could
of the
than
"evidence
deliberate closing
eyes."
negligence
The
or
that it could
As
with the
failure-to-disclose
alone,
would not
infer
knowledge
instruction, breach
prove willful
if
it
of
fiduciary
duty,
the jury
could
blindness, but
concluded
that
eyes to facts
the
defendants
duty-
argues that
failure
government
instruction,
what
to
disclose
material
cannot have
it both
however,
related to
occurred.
hand, instructed
The
the willful
blindnes
ways."
and
that
The willful
the defendant's
failure-to-disclose charge,
charge
"[t]he
blindness
knowledge of
on the
other
Dolber
argues that
to prove
prohibits
admission
her knowledge of
the
government
of th
the scheme
the
was
she remained
proceeding
on
alternate
court'
doubt.
1987),
the
doubt.
jury on the
meaning of reasonable
instruction which
further
uses the
definition adequately
burden of proof.
can be buried
reasonable
to
apprises the
doubt without
jury of
the proper
essence, we concluded
position
words reasonable
that the
determine
doubt.
whether,
if
so
in the
how,
to
In
best
define
have
do
emphasized
reasonable
in
the
past,
and
so
again
require definition."),
here,
that
cert. denied,
____________
There
is
no
suggestion
reference
court's charge
there be any
reasonable doubt of
then the
person or
the
as an aside" in the
that
charges."
In
persons so
charged must
have the
the court
on the
mentioned
its discretion in
refusin
concurring opinion i
reasonable doubt'
striking
is
an error
of constitutional
dimension,
F.2d at 151,
issue
the defendants
en banc.
_______
however,
this
In view
panel
to reconsider
this court's
sees
no
settled
occasion
to
the
precedent,
suggest
such
710 F.2d
24, 28
(2
jury
the information
Piccianana,
__________
district
788
given by
F.2d
a client."
39 (1st
court properly
Cir.
refused the
In
United States v.
_________________
1986),
we
held that
defendant's request
the
for a
inference."
Id. at 46.
__
aiding
and abetting
argued
that
government had
Lucid,
Picciandra
Maniego
_______
an attorney, was
in evading
instruction was
suggested that
Lucid was
convicted of
income
required
taxes.
He
because
the
culpable in not
going
and
Pezzullo
did not
request
Manieg
______
They apparently
-4545
interpret
the
Maniego
_______
instruction
as
required
whenever
the
The Maniego
_______
lawyer is to be
the present
Pezzullo were
not
case, the
that they
defrauded their
clients
charges against
failed
standard of conduct
client."
and
held to a higher
to check
Cassier
further
on
by failing
to disclose
the land
court
commit plain
different
issue
cannot be
from
Maniego,
_______
faulted,
it
and certainly
failed to
give
did
not
Maniego
_______
any event,
sought
to
because of
introduced
hold
the record
Cassiere
their status
evidence
does
or
not show
Pezzullo
as attorneys.
of
Cassiere's
that
to
higher
Rather,
and
th
the
Pezzullo's
institutions and
the fiduciary duty they owed to those lenders because those facts
were central to
understanding their
832 F.2d
roles in the
676,
scheme.
683 (1st
Cir.
See
___
1987)
-4646
attempt to create
held
to a
higher standard
of care"
be
comments during
"were directed
scheme"), cert. denied, 485 U.S. 907 (1988); Picciandra, 788 F.2d
____________
__________
at 46.
As
not a crime
a crime."
in discharging your
That may
be malpractice,
"was a minor
participant in any
levels.
district court
Dolber contends
that
the
improperly
determination of
rol
Collazo, 960 F.2d 256, 261 (1st Cir.), cert. denied sub nom. Diaz
_______
_____________________ ____
v. United States,
________________
downward
deference
113 S. Ct.
adjustment
is
220 (1992).
highly
Since a ruling
fact specific,
we
give
on a
great
the
sentencing
hearing,
the
district
cour
the evidence seems fairly clear that she knew what she was
doing
key to
She
seems
the
successful
in making their
operation of
this
the straw
relatively
Thus,
buyers who
minor cogs
Dolber
participants."
was
in
not
U.S.S.G.
were Dolber's
the scheme
"less
to
culpable
3B1.2, comment.
co-defendants were
defraud the
than
(n.3).
most
lenders.
other
The court's
-4848