United States v. Wiant ( 2003 )

5(&200(1'(' )25 )8//7(;7 38%/,&$7,21 3XUVXDQW WR 6L[WK &LUFXLW 5XOH  (/(&7521,& &,7$7,21  )(' $SS 3 WK &LU )LOH 1DPH DS 81,7('67$7(6&28572)$33($/6 )257+(6,;7+&,5&8,7 BBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBB 81,7(' 67$7(6 2) $0(5,&$ ; 3ODLQWLII$SSHOOHH    1R Y  !  '$1,(/ 6 :,$17  'HIHQGDQW$SSHOODQW  1 $SSHDOIURPWKH8QLWHG6WDWHV'LVWULFW&RXUW IRUWKH6RXWKHUQ'LVWULFWRI2KLRDW&ROXPEXV 1Rn(GPXQG$6DUJXVsU'LVWULFWsXGJH $UJXHG2FWREHU 'HFLGHGDQG)LOHGsDQXDU\ %HIRUH.(,7+.(11(' GHIHQGDQWjV@VFKHPHl8QLWHG6WDWHVY%HQQHWW)G DPRXQWWKHH[SHQGLWXUHGHPRQVWUDWHGWKDW:LDQWjVRIIHQVH G&LUILQDQFLDOLQVWLWXWLRQDIIHFWHGZKHUHLWSDLG mDIIHFWHGl D ILQDQFLDO LQVWLWXWLRQ  ,Q UHYLHZLQJ WKH GLVWULFW PLOOLRQWRVHWWOHDUHVXOWLQJODZVXLWFHUWGHQLHG FRXUWjVDSSOLFDWLRQRIWKHJXLGHOLQHWRWKHIDFWVRIWKLVFDVH 868QLWHG6WDWHVY6FKLQQHOO)GWK ZHDSSO\DGHIHUHQWLDOVWDQGDUGRIUHYLHZ%XIRUGY8QLWHG &LU  ILQDQFLDO LQVWLWXWLRQ DIIHFWHG ZKHUH LW LV 6WDWHV868QLWHG6WDWHVY(QQHQJD mUHDOLVWLFDOO\H[SRVHGWRVXEVWDQWLDOSRWHQWLDOOLDELOLW\lDVD )GWK&LU*LYLQJGXHGHIHUHQFHWRWKH UHVXOWRIWKHGHIHQGDQWjVFRQGXFW GLVWULFWFRXUWWKHUHLVQREDVLVIRUUHYHUVLQJLWVGHWHUPLQDWLRQ WKDW:LDQWjVRIIHQVHDIIHFWHG)LIWK7KLUG%DQN:HWKHUHIRUH :LDQWjVDUJXPHQWLVWKDWDVDPDWWHURIODZWKHUHVKRXOG DIILUP WKH DSSOLFDWLRQ RI WKLV HQKDQFHPHQW WR :LDQWjV EHVRPHWKUHVKROGUHTXLUHPHQWIRUZKDWLWPHDQVWRmDIIHFWl VHQWHQFH DILQDQFLDOLQVWLWXWLRQIRUWKHSXUSRVHVRI†)E% DQG WKDW LQ WKLV FDVH )LIWK 7KLUG %DQN ZDV VR PLQLPDOO\ ,,,2EMHFWLRQVWRWKH3UHVHQWHQFH5HSRUW DIIHFWHG WKDW WKH DSSOLFDWLRQ RI D SRLQW HQKDQFHPHQW LV LQFRQVLVWHQWZLWKWKHSXUSRVHRIWKHJXLGHOLQH7KLVDUJXPHQW :LDQW DUJXHV WKDW KH ZDV VHQWHQFHG EDVHG RQ XQUHOLDEOH LVZLWKRXWPHULWm7RDIIHFWlPHDQVmWRDFWXSRQLQIOXHQFH HYLGHQFH WKDW KLV DFWLRQV FDXVHG D WHPSRUDU\ UHGXFWLRQ LQ FKDQJHHQODUJHRUDEULGJHRIWHQXVHGLQWKHVHQVHRIDFWLQJ )UDQNOLQ&RXQW\2KLRjVFKDULWDEOHGRQDWLRQVWRWKH$PHULFDQ LQMXULRXVO\ XSRQ SHUVRQV RU WKLQJVl  %/$&.j6 /$: &DQFHU6RFLHW\+HVSHFXODWHVWKDWDOWKRXJKWKHPDWWHUZDV ',&7,21$5<  WKHG1RZKHUHGRHVWKHWHUPLPSO\ QRWUHOLHGXSRQWRVHWWKHVHQWHQFLQJUDQJHDQGLVQRZKHUH DQ\GHPLQLPLVOLPLWDWLRQRQWKHFRQWUDU\WKHEUHDGWKRIWKH VSHFLILFDOO\PHQWLRQHGDVDIDFWRULQVHQWHQFLQJWKHFRXUWPD\ GHILQLWLRQ LQGLFDWHV WKDW WKH JXLGHOLQH LV LQWHQGHG WR KDYH FRQVLGHUHG LW DV D IDFWRU LQ VHWWLQJ :LDQWjV VHQWHQFH HQFRPSDVVHYHQPLQLPDOLPSDFWV7KHVHULRXVQHVVRIWKH ZLWKLQWKHJXLGHOLQHUDQJH SRLQWHQKDQFHPHQWRIFRXUVHUHIOHFWVWKHRWKHUNH\OLPLWDWLRQ RI WKLV SURYLVLRQ o WKDW WKH GHIHQGDQW GHULYH PRUH WKDQ LQJURVVUHFHLSWVIURPWKHRIIHQVH6HH8QLWHG  7KH QHDUO\  PLOOLRQ VWROHQ E\ :LDQW ZDV DFWXDOO\ WUDQVIHUUHG WR KLV $XVWULDQ EDQN DFFRXQW DOWKRXJK WKH IUDXG ZDV H[SRVHG LQ WLPH DQG WKH PRQH\ ZDV UHFRYHUHG  7KH SUHVHQWHQFH UHSRUW DVVHUWHG WKDW )LUVW 7KLUG %DQN SDLG   LQ OHJDO IHHV $W WKH HYLGHQWLDU\ KHDULQJ :LDQW REMHFWHG WR WKLV IDFW DQG 7KH VHQWHQFLQJ MXGJH GLG WDNH QRWH RI WKH IDFW WKDW :LDQW mFDXVHG D WKH JRYHUQPHQW RIIHUHG QR EDVLV IRU LWV WUXWK 7KH GLVWULFW FRXUW FKRVH WR YHU\ UHDO EXW ODUJHO\ LQFDOFXODEOH ORVV WR WKH LQFRPH DV ZHOO DV WKH SXEOLF DYRLG WKLV GLVSXWH E\ QRW FUHGLWLQJ WKDW ILJXUH DQG GLG QRW UHO\ RQ LW LQ VWDQGLQJ RI WKH $PHULFDQ &DQFHU 6RFLHW\l s$ DW  +RZHYHU WKHUH DSSO\LQJ WKH HQKDQFHPHQW ZDV RYHUZKHOPLQJ HYLGHQFH RI WKLV IDFW LQGHSHQGHQW RI ZKHWKHU :LDQWjV