· Web viewIt is your duty to decide from the evidence whether the defendants are guilty or not...
Transcript of · Web viewIt is your duty to decide from the evidence whether the defendants are guilty or not...
IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE DISTRICT OF NEBRASKA
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA,
Plaintiff,
v.
8:11CR180
FINAL JURY INSTRUCTIONS
BILLY J. NESIBA and CAROL NESIBA,
Defendants.
INSTRUCTION NO. 1
DUTY
It is your duty to decide from the evidence whether the defendants are guilty or
not guilty of the crimes charged. From the evidence, you will decide what the facts are.
You are entitled to consider the evidence in the light of your own observations and
experiences in life. You may use reason and common sense to draw deductions or
conclusions from facts established by the evidence. You will then apply those facts to
the law which I give you in these and other instructions. In that way, you will reach your
verdict. You are the sole judges of the facts, but you must follow the law stated in my
instructions whether you agree or disagree with the law stated in the instructions.
In deciding what the facts are, you may have to decide what testimony you
believe and what testimony you do not believe. You may believe all of a witness’s
testimony, or you may believe part of a witness’s testimony, or you may decide that you
do not believe any of a witness’s testimony.
In deciding what testimony to believe, you may consider a witness’s intelligence,
the witness’s opportunity to have seen or heard the things involved in the witness’s
testimony, a witness’s memory, the motive a witness has for testifying a certain way, a
witness’s manner while testifying, whether a witness has said something different at an
earlier time, the general reasonableness of a witness’s testimony and the extent to
which the witness’s testimony is consistent with other evidence that you believe.
Do not allow sympathy or prejudice to influence you. The law requires that your
verdict be just, that is, unaffected by anything except the evidence, your common
sense, and the law stated in my instructions.
Anything that I may say or do during the trial must not be taken by you as an
indication of what I think of the evidence or what I think your verdict should be.
Finally, please remember that only the defendants, and not anyone else, are on
trial here, and the defendants are on trial only for the crime or crimes charged, and not
for anything else.
INSTRUCTION NO. 2
PRESUMPTION OF INNOCENCE
The law presumes that the defendants are innocent. The defendants have no
burden to prove that they are innocent. Hence, even though the defendants stand
charged, the trial begins with no evidence against them.
INSTRUCTION NO. 3
CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHT NOT TO TESTIFY
Because a defendant is not required to prove his or her innocence, a defendant’s
decision to exercise his or her constitutional right not to testify cannot be considered by
you or discussed among jurors in arriving at your verdict.
INSTRUCTION NO. 4
BURDEN OF PROOF
The government carries the burden to prove beyond a reasonable doubt each
essential element of the crimes charged against the defendants. A reasonable doubt is
a doubt based upon reason and common sense, and not the mere possibility of
innocence. A reasonable doubt is the kind of doubt that would make a reasonable
person hesitate to act. Proof beyond a reasonable doubt, therefore, must be proof of
such a convincing character that a reasonable person would not hesitate to rely and act
upon it. However, proof beyond a reasonable doubt does not mean proof beyond all
possible doubt.
INSTRUCTION NO. 5
EVIDENCE; LIMITATIONS
You should understand that an indictment is simply an accusation. It is not
evidence of anything. The defendants have pled not guilty. The defendants are
presumed to be innocent unless proved guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
The word “evidence” includes: the testimony of witnesses; documents and other
things received as exhibits; any facts that have been stipulated, that is, formally agreed
to by the parties; and any facts that have been judicially noticed, that is, facts which I
say you must accept as true.
The following things are n ot evidence:
1. Statements, arguments, questions and comments by lawyers are not
evidence.
2. Objections are not evidence.
Lawyers have a right to object when they believe something is improper under
the rules of evidence. You should not be influenced by the lawyer’s objection or by my
ruling on the objection. If I sustain an objection to a question, ignore the question. If I
overrule the objection, treat the answer like any other answer. Do not attempt to draw
any inference in favor of either side as the result of the objection.
3. Testimony that I strike from the record or tell you to disregard is not evidence.
You must not consider such information when reaching your verdict.
4. Anything you see or hear about this case outside the courtroom is not
evidence. You must disregard such information when reaching your verdict.
5. A particular item of evidence is sometimes received for a limited purpose. I
will tell you when that situation arises and will instruct you on the purpose for which the
evidence can and cannot be used.
6. Finally, you may have heard the phrases “direct evidence” and “circumstantial
evidence.” You should not be concerned with those phrases, since the law makes no
distinction between the weight to be given to direct or to circumstantial evidence. You
should give all the evidence the weight and value which you believe that the evidence is
entitled to receive.
INSTRUCTION NO. 6
BENCH CONFERENCES AND RECESSES
During this trial it may become necessary for me to talk with the lawyers outside
your hearing, either by having a bench conference while you are present in the
courtroom, or by calling a recess. Please understand that while you are waiting, we are
working. The purpose of the conference is to decide how certain evidence is to be
treated under the rules of evidence or to decide a particular procedure to be followed in
the case. We will do what we can to minimize the number and length of these
conferences.
INSTRUCTION NO. 7
NOTE-TAKING
If you wish, you may take notes to help you remember what witnesses said.
Notes may be helpful to you because at the end of the trial, you must make your
decision based on what you recall of the evidence. You will not have a written transcript
to consult, and it may not be practical for the court reporter to read back lengthy
testimony. Therefore, pay close attention to the testimony that is given.
If you do take notes, please keep your notes to yourself until you and the other
jurors go to the jury room to decide the case. Do not let note-taking distract you to the
point that you miss hearing other testimony from the witness.
During the trial, documents and other physical items may be received in
evidence. You will not be supplied with a list of exhibits that are received in evidence.
Therefore, you may wish to make notes about the exhibits, especially their description
and number, so that you can locate and refer to exhibits while you are deliberating.
When we take our recess each day for the lunch-time break and when we take
our recess each night, please take your notes to the jury room and leave your notes
there. The courtroom deputy will take custody of your notes and secure them.
No one will read your notes but you. Your notes will be destroyed after the trial is
over.
INSTRUCTION NO. 8
CONDUCT OF THE JURY
To insure fairness, you, as jurors, must obey the following rules:
1. Do not talk among yourselves about this case or about anyone involved with
this case until the end of the case when you go to the jury room to decide on your
verdict.
2. Do not talk with anyone else about this case or about anyone involved with it
until the trial has ended and you have been discharged as jurors.
3. During the course of this trial and when you are outside the courtroom, do not
listen to or allow anyone to tell you anything about this case. Do not allow anyone to
talk to you about anyone involved with this case until the trial has ended and I have
accepted your verdict. If anyone tries to talk to you about this case during the trial,
please promptly report the matter to me.
4. During the trial do not talk with or speak to any of the parties, lawyers, or
witnesses involved in this case. Do not even pass the time of day with any of them. You
must not only do justice in this case, but you must also give the appearance of doing
justice. For instance, if a person from one side of the lawsuit sees you talking to a
person from the other side, even if it is on a matter unconnected with this trial or simply
to pass the time of day, such contact might arouse unwarranted suspicion about your
fairness. If a lawyer, party, or witness does not speak to you when you pass in the hall,
ride the elevator, or encounter each other elsewhere while this trial is taking place,
remember that court rules prohibit those persons from talking or visiting with you as
well.
5. You must decide this case on the basis of evidence presented in the
courtroom. Therefore, do not read any news stories or articles about the case or about
anyone involved with this case. Do not listen to any radio or television reports about the
case or about anyone involved with it. Until the trial is over, avoid reading any
newspapers and avoid listening to any TV or radio newscasts. There may be news
reports of this case, and if there are, you might find yourself inadvertently reading or
listening to something before you realize what you are doing.
6. Do not do any research or make any investigation on your own concerning
this case. Do not use or refer to any dictionary, reference, or law book, or the Internet,
concerning any aspect of this case, including any evidence introduced. Do not visit the
scene of any incident mentioned in this case.
7. Do not form any opinion regarding any fact or issue in the case until you have
received the entire evidence, have heard arguments of counsel, have been instructed
as to the law of the case, and have retired to the jury room. Do not make up your mind
during the trial about what the verdict should be. Keep an open mind until after you
have gone to the jury room to decide the case and have discussed the evidence with
the other jurors.
8. Do not be influenced by sympathy or prejudice. Do not indulge in any
speculation, guess, or conjecture. Do not make any inferences unless they are
supported by the evidence.
INSTRUCTION NO. 9
OUTSIDE COMMUNICATIONS AND RESEARCH
You, as jurors, must decide this case based solely on the evidence presented
here within the four walls of this courtroom because the parties must have an
opportunity to respond to any information you consider in deciding this case. This
means that during the trial you must not conduct any independent research about this
case, the matters in the case, and the individuals or corporations involved in the case.
In other words, you should not consult dictionaries or reference materials, search the
Internet, Web sites, blogs, chat rooms, social networking Web sites including Facebook,
My Space, LinkedIn or YouTube, or use your cell phones, iPhones, text messaging,
Twitter or any other electronic tools or devices to obtain information about this case or
to help you decide the case.
Until you retire to deliberate, you may not discuss this case with anyone, even
your fellow jurors. After you retire to deliberate, you may begin discussing the case with
your fellow jurors, but you cannot discuss the case with anyone else until you have
returned a verdict and the case is at an end. I hope that for all of you this case is
interesting and noteworthy. However, until you have returned a verdict and the case is
at an end, you must not talk to anyone or communicate with anyone about the case by
any means, electronic or otherwise. This includes communications with your family and
friends. Such communication would compromise your fairness as jurors and may
require your removal from the case and a retrial of this matter at considerable expense
to the parties.
INSTRUCTION NO. 10
OUTLINE OF TRIAL
The trial will proceed in the following manner:
The government, through the Assistant United States Attorney, will make an
opening statement. The defendants may, but do not have to, make opening
statements. An opening statement is not evidence but is simply a summary of what the
attorney expects the evidence to be.
The government will then present its evidence, and the defendants may cross-
examine witnesses who have testified in the government’s case. After the government
has presented its case, the defendants may, but do not have to, present evidence,
testify, or call witnesses. If a defendant calls witnesses, government counsel may
cross-examine those witnesses.
After presentation of evidence is completed, the attorneys will make their closing
arguments to summarize and interpret the evidence for you. As with opening
statements, closing arguments are not evidence. I will instruct you further on the law.
After that you will retire to deliberate on your verdict.
When you reach your verdict, we will return to the courtroom where your
foreperson will deliver the verdict to me. After the verdict is announced, one of the
lawyers may ask that the jury be polled, that is, that you each be asked individually
whether the verdict is your true verdict.
Once you have delivered your verdict, you will be discharged and will be free to
leave.
INSTRUCTION NO. 11
NATURE OF THE CASE; NATURE OF INDICTMENT
This is a criminal case brought by the United States of America against the
defendants, Billy J. Nesiba and Carol Nesiba, Case No. 8:11CR180. The parties to this
criminal lawsuit are the government, represented by Assistant United States Attorneys
Russell X. Mayer and Michael P. Norris; the defendant Billy J. Nesiba, represented by
counsel Shannon P. O’Connor; and the defendant Carol Nesiba, represented by
counsel Matthew F. Heffron. The charges against the defendants are set forth in an
indictment. You must understand that the indictment is simply an accusation. The
indictment is not evidence. In order to help you follow the evidence in this case, I will
now summarize the crimes charged in the indictment which the government must prove
beyond a reasonable doubt with respect to each defendant.
Generally, Count I of the indictment charges that the defendants conspired to
commit bank fraud and to make false statements to banks in connection with loans, in
violation of 18 U.S.C. §§ 371 and 1349. Counts II, III, and IV of the indictment charge
that the defendants knowingly and intentionally executed, and attempted to execute, a
scheme to defraud three federally-insured financial institutions to obtain monies, funds,
or credits by means material falsehoods, fraudulent pretenses and fraudulent
representations, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1344. Counts V to X of the indictment
charge that the defendants made false statements to banks for the purpose of
influencing the banks’ actions with respect to loans by failing to report or under-reporting
the extent of their liabilities at other banks on six separate occasions between
November of 2004 and May of 2007, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1014. The indictment
also charges that the defendants aided and abetted the commission of these crimes, in
violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2. Essentially, the defendants are charged with either
misrepresenting or omitting material facts on personal financial statements in order to
get loans from three banks: the Bank of Doniphan, Doniphan, Nebraska; the Heritage
Bank, Doniphan, Nebraska; and TierOne Bank, Hastings, Nebraska.
The defendants have pled not guilty to the charges of the indictment. Because
they have pled not guilty, the law requires you to presume them to be innocent. This
presumption of innocence may be overcome only if the government proves, beyond a
reasonable doubt, each element of the crimes charged against each of the defendants.
INSTRUCTION NO. 12
CONSIDER EACH COUNT AND EACH DEFENDANT SEPARATELY
Keep in mind that you must give separate consideration to the evidence about
each individual defendant and each charge of the indictment. Each defendant and each
count should be considered separately, and you must return a separate verdict for each
defendant and each count.
The fact that you find one defendant guilty or not guilty of one of the offenses
charged should not control your verdict as to any other offense charged against that
defendant or against any other defendant.
INSTRUCTION NO. 13
COUNT I: CONSPIRACY
ELEMENTS OF OFFENSE
To obtain a conviction on a charge of conspiracy to commit or attempt to commit
the crime of bank fraud or of making false statements to a bank, as charged in Count I
of the indictment, the government must prove the following elements beyond a
reasonable doubt, with respect to each defendant:
1. Beginning on or about November 16, 2004, and continuing to on or about
May 15, 2007, two or more persons reached an agreement or came to an agreement or
understanding to commit bank fraud or make false statements to banks in connection
with loans.
Bank fraud is knowingly executing or attempting to execute a scheme to defraud
to obtain money, funds, or credits owned by or under the custody and control of a
financial institution by means of material falsehoods, fraudulent pretenses or false or
fraudulent representations and doing so with intent to defraud.
Making a false statement to a bank is knowingly making or causing to be made a
false statement for the purpose of influencing the action of the bank.
2. The defendant voluntarily and intentionally joined in the agreement or
understanding, either at the time it was first reached or at some later time while it was
still in effect;
3. At the time the defendant joined in the agreement or understanding, he or
she knew the purpose of the agreement or understanding; and
4. While the agreement or understanding was in effect, a person or persons
who had joined in the agreement knowingly did one or more of the following acts for the
purpose of carrying out or carrying forward the agreement or understanding:
(a) On or about November 16, 2004, the defendants prepared or caused
to be prepared or submitted or caused to be submitted to Heritage Bank a Personal
Financial Statement which underreported approximately $120,000 of loan debt owed to
the Bank of Doniphan.
(b) On or about April II, 2005, the defendants prepared or caused to be
prepared or submitted or caused to be submitted to the Bank of Doniphan, an Individual
Financial Statement and Agreement which omitted approximately $150,000 of loan debt
owed to Heritage Bank.
(c) On or about February 1, 2006, the defendants prepared or caused to
be prepared or submitted or caused to be submitted to Heritage Bank, a Personal
Financial Statement which underreported approximately $240,000 of loan debt owed to
the Bank of Doniphan.
(d) On or about June 6, 2006, the defendants prepared or caused to be
prepared or submitted or caused to be submitted to TierOne Bank, an Individual
Financial Statement and Agreement which underreported approximately $256,000 of
loan debt owed to the Bank of Doniphan and Heritage Bank.
(e) On or about April 23, 2007, the defendants prepared or caused to be
prepared or submitted or caused to be submitted to the Bank of Doniphan, a Personal
Financial Statement which omitted approximately $165,000 of loan debt owed to
Heritage Bank, and underreported approximately $115,000 of loan debt owed to
TierOne Bank.
(f) On or about May 3, 2007, the defendants prepared or caused to be
prepared or submitted or caused to be submitted to Heritage Bank, a Personal Financial
Statement which omitted approximately $115,000 of loan debt owed to TierOne Bank,
and underreported approximately $297,000 of loan debt owed to the Bank of Doniphan.
If you find the government has proved all of these elements beyond a reasonable
doubt, then you must find the defendant(s) guilty of the crime charged in Count I of the
indictment. If you find the government has not proved all of these elements beyond a
reasonable doubt, you must find the defendant(s) not guilty of this crime.
INSTRUCTION NO. 14
CONSPIRACY: “AGREEMENT” EXPLAINED
The government must prove that a defendant reached an agreement or
understanding with at least one other person. It makes no difference whether that
person is a defendant or named in the indictment. You do not have to find that all of the
persons charged were members of the conspiracy.
The “agreement or understanding” need not be an express or formal agreement
or be in writing or cover all the details of how it is to be carried out. Nor is it necessary
that the members have directly stated between themselves the details or purpose of the
scheme.
You should understand that merely being present at the scene of an event, or
merely acting in the same way as others or merely associating with others, does not
prove that a person has joined in an agreement or understanding. A person who has no
knowledge of a conspiracy but who happens to act in a way which advances some
purpose of one, does not thereby become a member.
But a person may join in an agreement or understanding, as required by this
element, without knowing all the details of the agreement or understanding, and without
knowing who all the other members are. Further, it is not necessary that a person
agree to play any particular part in carrying out the agreement or understanding. A
person may become a member of a conspiracy even if that person agrees to play only a
minor part in the conspiracy, as long as that person has an understanding of the
unlawful nature of the plan and voluntarily and intentionally joins in it.
You must decide, after considering all of the evidence, whether the conspiracy
alleged in Count I of the indictment existed. If you find that the alleged conspiracy did
exist, you must also decide, with respect to each defendant, whether that defendant
voluntarily and intentionally joined the conspiracy, either at the time it was first formed or
at some later time while it was still in effect. In making that decision, you must consider
only evidence of that defendant’s own actions and statements. You may not consider
actions and pretrial statements of others, except to the extent that pretrial statements of
others describe something that had been said or done by that defendant.
INSTRUCTION NO. 15
CONSPIRACY: “OVERT ACT” EXPLAINED
It is not necessary that the act done in furtherance of the conspiracy be in itself
unlawful. It may be perfectly innocent in itself.
It is not necessary that the defendant have personally committed the act, known
about it, or witnessed it. It makes no difference which of the conspirators did the act.
This is because a conspiracy is a kind of “partnership” so that under the law each
member is an agent or partner of every other member and each member is bound by or
responsible for the acts of every other member done to further their scheme.
It is not necessary that the government prove, beyond a reasonable doubt, that
more than one act was done in furtherance of the conspiracy. It is sufficient if the
government proves, beyond a reasonable doubt, one such act; but in that event, in
order to return a verdict of guilty, you must unanimously agree upon which act was
done.
INSTRUCTION NO. 16
CONSPIRACY: SUCCESS IMMATERIAL
It is not necessary for the government to prove that the conspirators actually
succeeded in accomplishing their unlawful plan.
INSTRUCTION NO. 17
COUNTS II, III and IV: BANK FRAUD
ELEMENTS
To obtain a conviction on a charge of bank fraud, as charged in Counts II, III and
IV of the indictment, the government must prove the following elements beyond a
reasonable doubt, with respect to each defendant and to each count:
1. The defendant knowingly executed or attempted to execute a scheme to
defraud to obtain money, funds, or credits owned by or under the custody and control of
a financial institution by means of material falsehoods, fraudulent pretenses or false or
fraudulent representations;
2. The defendant did so with intent to defraud; and
3. The financial institution was insured by the United States Government
Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation.
The phrase “scheme to defraud” includes any plan or course of action intended
to deceive or cheat another out of money, property or property rights by employing
material falsehoods or concealing or omitting material facts. It also means the obtaining
of money or property from a financial institution by means of material false
representations or promises.
A statement or representation is “false” when it is untrue when made or it
effectively conceals or omits a material fact. A fact or representation is “material” if it
has a natural tendency to influence, or is capable of influencing, the decision of the
institution in deciding whether to engage or not to engage in a particular transaction.
However, whether a fact or representation is “material” does not depend on whether the
institution was actually deceived.
If you find the government has proved all of these elements beyond a reasonable
doubt, then you must find the defendant(s) guilty of the crime charged in Counts II, III
and IV of the indictment. If you find the government has not proved all of these
elements beyond a reasonable doubt, you must find the defendant(s) not guilty of this
crime.
INSTRUCTION NO. 18
COUNT V: MAKING A FALSE STATEMENT TO A FINANCIAL INSTITUTION—
ELEMENTS
To obtain a conviction on a charge of making a false statement to a financial
institution as charged in Count V of the Indictment, the government must prove the
following elements beyond a reasonable doubt, with respect to each defendant:
1. That the defendant knowingly made and caused to be made a false
statement, to-wit: the defendant under-reported to Heritage Bank the extent of his/her
loan debt liability to the Bank of Doniphan.
2. That the defendant made and caused to be made a false statement for the
purpose of influencing the action of Heritage Bank on a personal financial statement in
support of obtaining loan credit from Heritage Bank; and
3. That Heritage Bank was insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance
Corporation at the time the statement was made.
If you find the government has proved all of these elements beyond a reasonable
doubt with respect to each defendant, then you must find that defendant guilty of the
crime charged in Count V of the indictment. If you find the government has not proved
all of these elements beyond a reasonable doubt, you must find the defendant not guilty
of this crime.
INSTRUCTION NO. 19
COUNT VI: MAKING A FALSE STATEMENT TO A FINANCIAL INSTITUTION—
ELEMENTS
To obtain a conviction on a charge of making a false statement to a financial
institution, as charged in Count VI of the Indictment, the government must prove the
following elements beyond a reasonable doubt, with respect to each defendant:
1. That the defendant knowingly made and caused to be made a false
statement, to-wit: the defendant under reported to the Bank of Doniphan the extent of
his/her loan debt liability to Heritage Bank.
2. That the defendant made the false statement for the purpose of
influencing the action of the Bank of Doniphan on an Individual Statement and
Agreement in support of obtaining loan credit from the Bank of Doniphan; and
3. That the Bank of Doniphan was insured by the FDIC at the time the
statement was made.
If you find the government has proved all of these elements beyond a reasonable
doubt with respect to each defendant, then you must find that defendant guilty of the
crime charged in Count VI of the indictment. If you find the government has not proved
all of these elements beyond a reasonable doubt, you must find that defendant
not guilty of this crime.
INSTRUCTION NO. 20
COUNT VII: MAKING A FALSE STATEMENT TO A FINANCIAL INSTITUTION—
ELEMENTS
To obtain a conviction on making a false statement to a financial institution, as
charged in Count VII of the indictment, the government must prove the following
elements beyond a reasonable doubt, with respect to each defendant:
1. That the defendant knowingly made and caused to be made a false
statement, to-wit: the defendant underreported to Heritage Bank the extent of his/her
loan debt liability to the Bank of Doniphan;
2. The defendant made the false statement for the purpose of influencing the
action of Heritage Bank on a personal financial statement in support of obtaining loan
credit from Heritage Bank; and
3. That Heritage Bank was insured by the FDIC at the time the statement
was made.
If you find the government has proved all of these elements beyond a reasonable
doubt with respect to each defendant, then you must find that defendant guilty of the
crime charged in Count VII of the indictment. If you find the government has not proved
all of these elements beyond a reasonable doubt, you must find that defendant
not guilty of this crime.
INSTRUCTION NO. 21
COUNT VIII: MAKING A FALSE STATEMENT TO A FINANCIAL INSTITUTION—
ELEMENTS
To obtain a conviction on a charge of making a false statement to a financial
institution, as charged in Count VIII of the indictment, the government must prove the
following elements beyond a reasonable doubt, with respect to each defendant:
1. That the defendant knowingly made and caused to be made a false
statement, to-wit: the defendant underreported to TierOne Bank the extent of his or her
loan debt liability to Heritage Bank and the Bank of Doniphan;
2. The defendant made the false statement for the purpose of influencing the
action of TierOne Bank on an Individual Financial Statement and Agreement in support
of obtaining loan credit from TierOne Bank; and
3. That TierOne Bank was insured by the FDIC at the time the statement
was made.
If you find the government has proved all of these elements beyond a reasonable
doubt with respect to each defendant, then you must find that defendant guilty of the
crime charged in Count VIII of the indictment. If you find the government has not
proved all of these elements beyond a reasonable doubt, you must find that defendant
not guilty of this crime.
INSTRUCTION NO. 22
COUNT IX: MAKING A FALSE STATEMENT TO A FINANCIAL INSTITUTION—
ELEMENTS
To obtain a conviction on a charge of making a false statement to a financial
institution, as charged in Count IX of the Indictment, the government must prove the
following elements beyond a reasonable doubt, with respect to each defendant:
1. That the defendant knowingly made and caused to be made a false
statement, to-wit: the defendant underreported to the Bank of Doniphan the extent of
his/her loan debt liability to Heritage Bank and TierOne Bank;
2. The defendant made the false statement for the purpose of influencing the
action of the Bank of Doniphan on a Personal Financial Statement in support of
obtaining loan credit from the Bank of Doniphan; and
3. That the Bank of Doniphan was insured by the FDIC at the time the
statement was made.
If you find the government has proved all of these elements beyond a reasonable
doubt with respect to each defendant, then you must find that defendant guilty of the
crime charged in Count IX of the indictment. If you find the government has not proved
all of these elements beyond a reasonable doubt, you must find that defendant
not guilty of this crime.
INSTRUCTION NO. 23
COUNT X: MAKING A FALSE STATEMENT TO A FINANCIAL INSTITUTION—
ELEMENTS
To obtain a conviction on a charge making a false statement to a financial
institution, as charged in Count X of the indictment, the government must prove the
following elements beyond a reasonable doubt, with respect to each defendant:
1. That the defendant knowingly made and caused to be made a false
statement, to-wit: the defendant underreported to Heritage Bank the extent of his or her
loan liability to the Bank of Doniphan and TierOne Bank;
2. The defendant made the false statement for the purpose of influencing the
action of Heritage Bank on a Personal Financial Statement in support of extending loan
credit from Heritage Bank; and
3. That Heritage Bank was insured by the FDIC at the time the statement
was made.
If you find the government has proved all of these elements beyond a reasonable
doubt with respect to that defendant, then you must find that defendant guilty of the
crime charged in Count X of the indictment. If you find the government has not proved
all of these elements beyond a reasonable doubt, you must find that defendant
not guilty of this crime.
INSTRUCTION NO. 24
AIDING AND ABETTING
A person may also be found guilty of bank fraud or making a false statement to a
bank even if he or she personally did not do every act constituting the offense charged,
if he or she aided and abetted the commission of bank fraud or making a false
statement to a bank.
In order to have aided and abetted the commission of a crime, a person must
have:
1. Known the crime of bank fraud or of making a false statement to a bank
was being committed or was going to be committed; and
2. Knowingly acted in some way for the purpose of causing, encouraging, or
aiding the commission of the crime of bank fraud or making a false
statement to a bank; and
3. Acted with intent to defraud.
For you to find the defendant(s) guilty of bank fraud or making a false statement
to a financial institution by reason of aiding and abetting, the government must prove
beyond a reasonable doubt, with respect to each defendant, that all of the elements of
bank fraud, as instructed in Instruction No. 17, or all of the elements of making a false
statement to a financial institution, as instructed in Instruction Nos. 18-23, were
committed by some person or persons and that the defendant aided and abetted the
commission of that crime; otherwise, you must find that defendant not guilty of this
crime.
You should understand that merely being present at the scene of an event, or
merely acting in the same way as others, or merely associating with others, does not
prove that a person has become an aider and abettor. A person who has no knowledge
that a crime is being committed or about to be committed, but who happens to act in a
way which advances some offense, does not thereby become an aider and abettor.
INSTRUCTION NO. 25
FALSE STATEMENT OR REPRESENTATION
A false statement or representation, as used in these instructions, includes both
oral or written statements.
With respect to the crime of making a false statement to a bank, as instructed in
Instruction No. 17 through Instruction No. 23, proof that a bank was influenced by or
actually relied on the false statement is not necessary.
INSTRUCTION NO. 26
GAMBLING EVIDENCE
You have heard evidence of defendants’ alleged gambling at casinos. You are
not to consider that evidence as proof of the character of the defendant(s) in order to
show that on a particular occasion the defendant(s) acted in conformity with that
character. Evidence of gambling can be considered only with respect to the issues of
defendants’ motive, opportunity, intent, preparation, plan, knowledge, absence of
mistake, or lack of accident.
INSTRUCTION NO. 27
INTRODUCTION
Members of the jury, the instructions I gave you at the beginning of the trial and
during the trial remain in effect. I now give you some additional instructions. You must
continue to follow the instructions I gave you earlier as well as those I give you now. Do
not single out some instructions and ignore others. I urge you to review the instructions
I gave you at the beginning of the trial before you begin to deliberate. You should take
your instructions and notes to the jury room with you.
INSTRUCTION NO. 28
GOOD FAITH
One of the issues in this case is whether the defendant(s) acted in good faith.
Good faith is a complete defense to a charge of bank fraud if it is inconsistent with intent
to defraud which is an element of the charge.
Evidence that the defendant(s) acted in good faith may be considered by you,
together with all the other evidence, in determining whether or not he or she acted with
intent to defraud.
INSTRUCTION NO. 29
REASONABLE DOUBT
The law presumes a defendant to be innocent of a crime. Thus a defendant,
although accused, begins the trial with a “clean slate”—with no evidence against him.
And the law permits nothing but legal evidence presented before the jury to be
considered in support of any charge against the accused. So the presumption of
innocence alone is sufficient to acquit a defendant, unless the jurors are satisfied
beyond a reasonable doubt of the defendant’s guilt after careful and impartial
consideration of all the evidence in the case. It is not required that the government
prove guilt beyond all possible doubt.
The test is one of reasonable doubt. A reasonable doubt is a doubt based upon
reason and common sense—the kind of doubt that would make a reasonable person
hesitate to act in the most important of his or her affairs. Proof beyond a reasonable
doubt must, therefore, be proof of such a convincing character that a reasonable person
would not hesitate to rely and act upon it in the most important of his or her own affairs.
A defendant is never to be convicted on mere suspicion or conjecture. The
burden is always on the prosecution to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. This
burden never shifts to the defendant, for the law never imposes upon a defendant in a
criminal case the burden or duty of calling any witnesses or producing any evidence.
So, if the jury, after careful and impartial consideration of all the evidence in the
case, has a reasonable doubt that a defendant is guilty of a charge, it must acquit. If
the jury views the evidence in the case as reasonably permitting either of two
conclusions—one that the defendant is guilty and the other that the defendant is not
guilty—the jury must, of course, adopt the conclusion that the defendant is not guilty.
INSTRUCTION NO. 30
REASONABLE INFERENCES
While you should consider only the evidence in the case, you are permitted to
draw reasonable inferences from the testimony and exhibits that you feel are justified in
the light of common experience. In other words, you may make deductions and reach
conclusions which reason and common sense lead you to draw from the facts which
have been established by the testimony and evidence in the case.
INSTRUCTION NO. 31
CREDIBILITY OF WITNESSES
In deciding what the facts are, you may have to decide what testimony you
believe and what testimony you do not believe. You may believe all of what a witness
said, or only part of it, or none of it.
In deciding what testimony to believe, consider the witness’s intelligence, the
opportunity the witness had to have seen or heard the things testified about, the
witness’s memory, any motives that witness may have for testifying a certain way, the
manner of the witness while testifying, whether that witness said something different at
an earlier time, the general reasonableness of the testimony, and the extent to which
the testimony is consistent with any evidence that you believe.
In deciding whether or not to believe a witness, keep in mind that people
sometimes hear or see things differently and sometimes forget things. Therefore, you
need to consider whether a contradiction is an innocent misrecollection or lapse of
memory or an intentional falsehood, and that may depend on whether it has to do with
an important fact or only a small detail.
INSTRUCTION NO. 32
NOTES
Some of you may have taken notes during the trial; others of you may have
chosen not to take notes. If you did take notes, remember that those notes are not
themselves evidence, but are instead merely memory aids. You must reach a verdict
based upon your independent recollection of the evidence presented during the trial, not
upon your notes or another juror's notes. Notes are not entitled to any greater weight
than the recollection or impression of each juror as to what the testimony may have
been.
INSTRUCTION NO. 33
ELECTION OF FOREPERSON; DUTY TO DELIBERATE
In conducting your deliberations and returning your verdict, there are certain
rules you must follow. I shall list those rules for you now.
First, when you go to the jury room, you must select one of your members as
your foreperson. That person will preside over your discussions and speak for you here
in court.
Second, it is your duty, as jurors, to discuss this case with one another in the jury
room. You should try to reach agreement because a verdict—whether guilty or not
guilty— must be unanimous. Each of you must make your own conscientious decision,
but only after you have considered all the evidence, discussed it fully with your fellow
jurors, and listened to the views of your fellow jurors. Do not be afraid to change your
opinions if the discussion persuades you that you should. But do not come to a
decision simply because other jurors think it is right, or simply to reach a verdict.
Third, if a defendant is found guilty, the sentence to be imposed is my
responsibility. You may not consider punishment in any way in deciding whether the
government has proved its case beyond a reasonable doubt.
Fourth, if you need to communicate with me during your deliberations, you may
send a note to me through the U.S. Marshal or the courtroom deputy, signed by one or
more jurors. I will respond as soon as possible either in writing or orally in open court.
Remember that you should not tell anyone—including me—how your votes stand
numerically.
Fifth, your verdict must be based solely on the evidence and on the law which I
have given to you in my instructions. The verdict, whether guilty or not guilty, must be
unanimous. Nothing I have said or done is intended to suggest what your verdict
should be—that is entirely for you to decide.
Finally, the verdict form is simply the written notice of the decision that you reach
in this case. You will take the verdict form to the jury room, and when each of you has
agreed on a verdict for the defendant, your foreperson will fill in the form, sign and date
it, and advise the marshal or courtroom deputy that you are ready to return to the
courtroom.