United States v. Washburn

• Decision Date: 21 May 2012
• Docket Number: No. 11–CR–100–LRR.,11–CR–100–LRR.
• Citation: 862 F.Supp.2d 871
• Parties: UNITED STATES of America, Plaintiff, v. Donald K. WASHBURN, Defendant.
• Court: U.S. District Court — Northern District of Iowa

862 F.Supp.2d 871

UNITED STATES of America, Plaintiff,

v.Donald K. WASHBURN, Defendant.

No. 11–CR–100–LRR.

United States District Court,

N.D. Iowa,

Cedar Rapids Division.

May 21, 2012.

Matthew J. Cole, U.S. Attorney's Office, Cedar Rapids, IA, for Plaintiff.

Jill M. Johnston, Federal Public Defender's Office, Cedar Rapids, IA, for Defendant.

ORDER

LINDA R. READE, Chief Judge.

+-------------------+
                ¦TABLE OF CONTENTS  ¦
                +-------------------+
                

+----------------------------------------------------------------------------+
                ¦      ¦                                                              ¦      ¦
                +------+--------------------------------------------------------------+------¦
                ¦I.    ¦INTRODUCTION                                                  ¦874   ¦
                +------+--------------------------------------------------------------+------¦
                ¦      ¦                                                              ¦      ¦
                +------+--------------------------------------------------------------+------¦
                ¦II.   ¦RELEVANT PROCEDURAL BACKGROUND                                ¦874   ¦
                +------+--------------------------------------------------------------+------¦
                ¦      ¦                                                              ¦      ¦
                +------+--------------------------------------------------------------+------¦
                ¦III.  ¦RELEVANT FACTUAL BACKGROUND                                   ¦875   ¦
                +----------------------------------------------------------------------------+
                

+----------------------------------------------------------------------------+
                ¦  ¦A.  ¦Schemes to Defraud                                          ¦875    ¦
                +----------------------------------------------------------------------------+
                

+----------------------------------------------------------------------------+
                ¦  ¦    ¦1.  ¦Dibocca scheme                                          ¦875   ¦
                +--+----+----+--------------------------------------------------------+------¦
                ¦  ¦    ¦2.  ¦Mining scheme                                           ¦878   ¦
                +----------------------------------------------------------------------------+
                

+---------------------------------------------------------------------------+
                ¦  ¦    ¦   ¦a.  ¦Beverly Mine                                       ¦878   ¦
                +--+----+---+----+---------------------------------------------------+------¦
                ¦  ¦    ¦   ¦b.  ¦Cumberland Mine                                    ¦881   ¦
                +--+----+---+----+---------------------------------------------------+------¦
                ¦  ¦    ¦   ¦c.  ¦Black Feet Mine                                    ¦882   ¦
                +--+----+---+----+---------------------------------------------------+------¦
                ¦  ¦    ¦   ¦d.  ¦Willow Creek Placer Mine                           ¦883   ¦
                +---------------------------------------------------------------------------+
                

+----------------------------------------------------------------------------+
                ¦  ¦B.  ¦Monthly Supervision Reports                                 ¦883    ¦
                +----------------------------------------------------------------------------+
                

+----------------------------------------------------------------------------+
                ¦     ¦                                                               ¦      ¦
                +-----+---------------------------------------------------------------+------¦
                ¦IV.  ¦MOTION FOR JUDGMENT OF ACQUITTAL                               ¦884   ¦
                +----------------------------------------------------------------------------+
                

+----------------------------------------------------------------------------+
                ¦  ¦A.  ¦Legal Standard                                              ¦884    ¦
                +--+----+------------------------------------------------------------+-------¦
                ¦  ¦B.  ¦Analysis                                                    ¦884    ¦
                +----------------------------------------------------------------------------+
                

+----------------------------------------------------------------------------+
                ¦  ¦    ¦1.  ¦Dibocca scheme: Counts 1 through 8                      ¦884   ¦
                +----------------------------------------------------------------------------+
                

+---------------------------------------------------------------------------+
                ¦  ¦    ¦   ¦a.  ¦Count 1                                            ¦884   ¦
                +--+----+---+----+---------------------------------------------------+------¦
                ¦  ¦    ¦   ¦b.  ¦Count 2                                            ¦885   ¦
                +--+----+---+----+---------------------------------------------------+------¦
                ¦  ¦    ¦   ¦c.  ¦Counts 3, 7 and 8                                  ¦886   ¦
                +--+----+---+----+---------------------------------------------------+------¦
                ¦  ¦    ¦   ¦d.  ¦Counts 4, 5 and 6                                  ¦887   ¦
                +---------------------------------------------------------------------------+
                

+----------------------------------------------------------------------------+
                ¦  ¦    ¦2.  ¦Mining scheme: Counts 10 through 30                     ¦887   ¦
                +----------------------------------------------------------------------------+
                

+---------------------------------------------------------------------------+
                ¦  ¦    ¦   ¦a.  ¦Counts 10, 11 and 29                               ¦888   ¦
                +--+----+---+----+---------------------------------------------------+------¦
                ¦  ¦    ¦   ¦b.  ¦Counts 12 through 21 and Count 30                  ¦889   ¦
                +--+----+---+----+---------------------------------------------------+------¦
                ¦  ¦    ¦   ¦c.  ¦Counts 22 through 28                               ¦890   ¦
                +---------------------------------------------------------------------------+
                

+----------------------------------------------------------------------------+
                ¦  ¦    ¦3.  ¦Unlawful monetary transactions: Counts 32 through 36    ¦890   ¦
                +--+----+----+--------------------------------------------------------+------¦
                ¦  ¦    ¦4.  ¦False statements to the USPO: Counts 37 through 49      ¦890   ¦
                +----------------------------------------------------------------------------+
                

+----------------------------------------------------------------------------+
                ¦  ¦C.  ¦Summary                                                     ¦892    ¦
                +----------------------------------------------------------------------------+
                

+----------------------------------------------------------------------------+
                ¦    ¦                                                               ¦       ¦
                +----+---------------------------------------------------------------+-------¦
                ¦V.  ¦MOTION FOR NEW TRIAL                                           ¦892    ¦
                +----------------------------------------------------------------------------+
                

+----------------------------------------------------------------------------+
                ¦  ¦A.  ¦Legal Standard                                              ¦892    ¦
                +--+----+------------------------------------------------------------+-------¦
                ¦  ¦B.  ¦Analysis                                                    ¦893    ¦
                +----------------------------------------------------------------------------+
                

+----------------------------------------------------------------------------+
                ¦  ¦    ¦1.  ¦Weight of the evidence                                  ¦893   ¦
                +--+----+----+--------------------------------------------------------+------¦
                ¦  ¦    ¦2.  ¦Good–faith jury instruction                           ¦894   ¦
                +--+----+----+--------------------------------------------------------+------¦
                ¦  ¦    ¦3.  ¦“Lulling” definition                                ¦895   ¦
                +--+----+----+--------------------------------------------------------+------¦
                ¦  ¦    ¦4.  ¦Voluntary absence                                       ¦896   ¦
                +--+----+----+--------------------------------------------------------+------¦
                ¦  ¦    ¦5.  ¦Admission of factual stipulation                        ¦897   ¦
                +----------------------------------------------------------------------------+
                

+----------------------------------------------------------------------------+
                ¦  ¦C.  ¦Summary                                                     ¦898    ¦
                +----------------------------------------------------------------------------+
                

+----------------------------------------------------------------------------+
                ¦     ¦                                                               ¦      ¦
                +-----+---------------------------------------------------------------+------¦
                ¦VI.  ¦CONCLUSION                                                     ¦898   ¦
                +----------------------------------------------------------------------------+
                

I. INTRODUCTION

The matter before the court is Defendant Donald K. Washburn's “Combined Motion for Judgment of Acquittal and Motion for New Trial” (“Motion”) (docket no. 140).

II. RELEVANT PROCEDURAL BACKGROUND

On September 28, 2011, the government filed a forty-nine count Second Superseding Indictment (docket no. 47) against Defendant. Counts 1 through 31 of the Indictment charged Defendant with wire fraud in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1343. Counts 32 through 36 charged Defendant with engaging, causing to engage and attempting to engage in monetary transactions in criminally derived property in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1957. Finally, Counts 37 through 49 charged Defendant with making false and fraudulent material statements, representations and omissions to the United States Probation Office (“USPO”) in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1001(a). The Indictment also contained forfeiture allegations.

On February 13, 2012, a jury trial on Counts 1 through 49 of the Second Superseding Indictment commenced. On February 16, 2012, at the close of the government's evidence, Defendant moved for a judgment of acquittal. The court granted Defendant's motion as to Count 31. That same day, at the close of all of the evidence, Defendant again moved for a judgment of acquittal on the remaining forty-eight counts, which the court denied. On February 17, 2012, the day the court was to begin reading the final jury instructions, Defendant failed to appear. Defense counsel informed the court that he received a call...