Dickson v. United States
| Decision Date | 29 April 1950 |
| Docket Number | 4033.,No. 4032,4032 |
| Citation | 182 F.2d 131 |
| Parties | DICKSON v. UNITED STATES. STEWART v. UNITED STATES. |
| Court | U.S. Court of Appeals — Tenth Circuit |
Thomas J. Morrissey, Denver, Colo. (F. E. Dickerson, Anthony F. Zarlengo, and William F. Dwyer, Denver, Colo., were with him on the brief), for appellants.
Joseph N. Lilly, Assistant United States Attorney, Denver, Colo. (Max M. Bulkeley, United States Attorney, Denver, Colo., was with him on the brief), for appellee.
Before BRATTON, HUXMAN, and PICKETT, Circuit Judges.
Appellants, Hobart Dickson, and William Herbert Stewart, were charged by indictment with violating 18 U.S.C. 76, now 18 U.S.C.A. § 912. Dickson was charged with falsely pretending to be an officer and employee of the United States in violation of the above Section, and Stewart was charged with aiding and abetting him in such violation.
The indictment charged that intending to defraud the United States of America, Edwin F. Welz and Marie Welz, appellant, Hobart Dickson, alias Jack Weaver, alias Richard Michael O'Malley, did falsely assume and pretend to be an officer and employee acting under the authority of the United States, to wit: A Federal officer interested in income tax, and did then and there take upon himself to act as such Federal officer. Stewart was charged in the indictment with aiding and abetting in the commission of said offense.
The jury found both appellants guilty as charged. Judgment was entered upon the verdict. Motions for a new trial and in arrest of judgment were overruled and this appeal followed. Nine assignments of error with various subdivisions are urged for reversal.
Two elements must exist to constitute an offense under the Statute. There must be the false representation of being an officer with intent to defraud, and some overt act in keeping with the false pretense.1 It is clear from the record, and, in fact, seems to be conceded that there was no intent to defraud the United States or Mrs. Welz. The false representation, if made, and the overt act in furtherance thereof was directed against Welz.
Edwin F. Welz and Mrs. Edwin F. Welz are husband and wife. She testified that on the day of the occurrence she and her husband were eating lunch when a car, occupied by two persons, who admittedly were the appellants, drove up to their place; that they heard a knock on the door and Welz left the table and went to the door; that she heard a conversation between him and other parties; that she went to the door and saw a man talking to Welz; that this man, the appellant, Hobart Dickson, gave his name as Jack Weaver; that when she stated that that did not mean anything to her he put his hand in his coat pocket and pulled out a badge, and said, "Does this mean anything to you, I am a Federal officer"; that Welz wanted to say something to her but that Dickson did not permit him to speak, but told Welz to get his hat and coat, whereupon, she inquired where they were going, to which Dickson replied that he was going to take Mr. Welz down town concerning an income tax deficiency. "Of course, he knows more about it." She further testified that when she wanted to go along Dickson would not permit her to do so, saying, "We don't want you."
Welz, although called as a witness, did not, on direct examination, testify to any of the circumstances or happenings prior to the time he got into the car with the two appellants. He was not asked and did not testify to the conversation he had with appellants prior to the time Mrs. Welz came to the door, nor did he testify that he heard the statements made by Dickson to Mrs. Welz as testified to by her. He was merely asked and testified that on the day of the occurrence he rode in an automobile with appellants from his place in the mountains to the American National Bank in Denver; that Dickson got out with him and went into the bank; that he drew out $2500.00 and gave it to Dickson for the purpose of furnishing a cash bond.
The testimony of Mr. and Mrs. Welz, as outlined above, was the only testimony offered by the Government to sustain the charge that appellant, Dickson, represented himself to Welz as being a Federal officer with the intent to defraud.
If, in the conversation with Welz at his door, Dickson represented himself to be a Federal officer and stated that Welz was wanted for income tax irregularities, he was guilty of the offense charged. The explanation Dickson gave to Mrs. Welz in the presence of Welz, as testified to by her, if believed by the jury, would support a conclusion that Dickson represented to Welz that he was a Federal officer and that he was there to check his Federal income tax matters.
Appellants concede that they were neither Federal nor State officers, and that their purpose was to defraud Welz. They, however, contend that they were guilty of a State offense and not a Federal offense. Dickson testified that he represented to Welz that he was a State officer and that Welz was wanted in connection with a State offense. Appellants' contention that the undisputed evidence established that a State offense was committed and that no Federal offense was involved is not well taken. The testimony of Mrs. Welz and that of Dickson raised a jury issue and the court correctly overruled the motions for judgment of acquittal and in arrest of judgment. What has been said also disposes of the contentions that the verdict is unsupported by substantial evidence or is contrary to the weight of the evidence.
Appellants predicate error on the court's refusal to give a requested instruction. They requested the court to instruct, in substance, that if the jury found that appellants represented themselves to be city detectives or police officers and did not represent themselves to be employees or officers of the United States, then the jury should find them not guilty. The court so instructed the jury, although not in the precise words requested by appellants. In its instructions, the court stated that...
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