Topic
Every decision we've filed under Fraud.
The Third Circuit affirmed Rohan Lyttle's criminal conviction for operating an advance-fee lottery scam targeting elderly victims through wire and mail fraud. The court rejected Lyttle's challenges regarding the sufficiency of evidence, a managerial sentencing enhancement, and the admission of YouTube videos as proof of knowledge.
The Sixth Circuit affirmed Vijaya Shetty's conviction for conspiracy to commit wire fraud, finding no plain error in the district court's acceptance of his guilty plea. The court held that Shetty failed to demonstrate that his plea was not knowing, intelligent, or voluntary despite his claims of misunderstanding and duress.
The Eleventh Circuit affirmed the convictions and sentences of Andrea Mitchell and Lester Best, rejecting challenges to the sufficiency of evidence for aggravated identity theft and wire fraud. The court further upheld a four-level sentencing enhancement for Best, finding he acted as an organizer or leader of the fraudulent scheme.
The Third Circuit dismissed a petition for a writ of mandamus filed by Jobadiah Weeks because the District Court subsequently ruled on the underlying motions. The appellate court found that the lower court's actions resolved the specific relief sought, eliminating the live controversy required for judicial intervention.
The Third Circuit affirmed Lekesha Hill's sixty-three-month sentence and restitution order, finding no error in the District Court's application of sentencing enhancements. The court held that the lower court correctly applied a two-level obstruction of justice enhancement and a sophisticated-means enhancement based on the facts of the case.
The Tenth Circuit affirmed Nelly Idowu's conviction and sentence, rejecting her claim that the district court misapplied sentencing guidelines for money laundering. The court held that because Idowu failed to object to the guideline calculation at sentencing, she could only succeed by showing plain error, which she could not establish.
The Eleventh Circuit held that a federal district court retains ancillary jurisdiction to enforce unsatisfied restitution obligations in a criminal case even after a defendant completes her probationary sentence. The court affirmed the lower court's order requiring the defendant to resume payments, rejecting arguments that the case closure or probation expiration divested the court of authority.
The Third Circuit affirmed the dismissal of Jason Todd's pro se complaint alleging constitutional violations and statutory claims arising from an assault incident. The court held that the amended complaint failed to state a plausible claim for relief under federal screening standards.
The Third Circuit affirmed Omoyoma Okoro's fraud convictions, rejecting his claims regarding the denial of remote testimony from a co-conspirator and the sufficiency of the evidence. The court held that the defense failed to comply with the District Court's specific conditions for remote testimony and found the jury verdict supported by substantial evidence.
The Seventh Circuit reversed a district court's denial of a motion to enforce a criminal restitution judgment against a third-party employer, finding that material questions of fact exist regarding the nature of a severance payment. The court held that an evidentiary hearing is necessary to determine if the employer's calculation of stock options and offsetting debts constituted a prohibited transfer of assets.