FILED
United States Court of Appeals
Tenth Circuit
June 29, 2010
PUBLISH Elisabeth A. Shumaker
Clerk of Court
UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS
TENTH CIRCUIT
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA,
Plaintiff-Appellant,
v. No. 09-6246
CRISS L. MCGINTY,
Defendant-Appellee.
APPEAL FROM THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
FOR THE WESTERN DISTRICT OF OKLAHOMA
(D.C. No. 5:09-CR-00148-R-1)
Scott E. Williams, Assistant United States Attorney (Sanford C. Coats, United
States Attorney, with him on the briefs), Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, for Plaintiff-
Appellant.
Thomas S. Bala, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, for Defendant-Appellee.
Before BRISCOE, Chief Judge, HAWKINS *, and MURPHY, Circuit Judges.
BRISCOE, Chief Judge.
In this case we address the mandatory nature of the criminal forfeiture
*
The Honorable Michael D. Hawkins, Senior Circuit Judge, United States
Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, sitting by designation.
statute, 18 U.S.C. § 982(a)(2); the distinction between forfeiture and restitution;
and the government’s ability to obtain at sentencing a money judgment
representing the full amount of a defendant’s unlawful proceeds from an offense.
Pursuant to a plea agreement, Criss L. McGinty was convicted of one count
of misapplication of bank funds in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 656. At sentencing,
the district court ordered forfeiture of McGinty’s house and the proceeds from the
sale of his boat and boat motor. The house, boat, and motor were subject to
criminal forfeiture under 18 U.S.C. § 982(a)(2) as proceeds of his unlawful
activity. The government appeals the district court’s order of forfeiture imposed
at sentencing, arguing that it is entitled to a money judgment representing the full
amount of McGinty’s unlawful proceeds. Exercising jurisdiction pursuant to 28
U.S.C. § 1291 and 18 U.S.C. § 3742(b)(1), we reverse and remand.
I
From 2006 until 2009, McGinty was employed as the executive vice
president of Glencoe State Bank in Glencoe, Oklahoma. During that time,
McGinty transferred over $500,000 from a customer’s account, Dove
Construction, LLC, to his own personal account. He then used the money in his
personal account to pay for construction on his house and other personal
expenses. While transferring funds from the Dove Construction account, that
account was often overdrawn, and as vice president, McGinty approved the
overdrafts. When the FDIC began an examination of the bank, he provided
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falsified documents and bank statements to the FDIC examiners.
McGinty was subsequently indicted on one count of misapplication of bank
funds in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 656, two counts of knowingly making false
statements to the FDIC in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1007, and one count of
obstructing a bank examination in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1517. The indictment
also sought the criminal forfeiture of McGinty’s property pursuant to 18 U.S.C.
§ 982(a)(2).
On July 2, 2009, McGinty and the government entered into a plea
agreement. The agreement provided that McGinty would plead guilty to count
one of the indictment, misapplication of bank funds in violation of 18 U.S.C. §
656, and the government would dismiss the remaining counts of the indictment.
The plea agreement further provided as follows:
The defendant agrees to forfeit to the United States voluntarily
and immediately all of his right, title, and interest to any and all
proceeds of the offense pursuant to 18 U.S.C. § 982(a)(2)(A) that are
in the possession and control of the defendant or nominees. The
defendant agrees that those proceeds include $536,995.00, which
represents a portion of the money obtained as a result of the offense
charged in Count One. The defendant further agrees to the entry of a
money judgment in this amount at sentencing.
Appellant’s App. at 15–16. McGinty also agreed that his house, boat, and boat
motor were subject to forfeiture because they were purchased with money
obtained from his misapplication of bank funds. The agreement further provided
“that the net funds generated by any forfeiture of the [house, boat, and boat
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motor] will be credited to the $536,995.00 money judgment.” Id. at 17.
In September 2009, the government filed a motion for a preliminary order
of forfeiture. The government requested a personal money judgment against
McGinty for $536,995, and forfeiture of McGinty’s house and a cashier’s check
in the amount of $8,500, representing the proceeds from the sale of the boat and
boat motor. McGinty filed a response to the government’s motion and requested
that the forfeiture judgment should be reduced because he repaid $320,000 to the
bank. Relatedly, in his sentencing memorandum, McGinty argued that the loss
amount of $645,459.55 set forth in the presentence report should also be reduced
by the $320,000 amount he had repaid to the bank. McGinty represented to the
district court that forfeiture was in the court’s discretion, and he requested that
the district court reduce the forfeiture judgment amount to the amount of loss,
which he calculated to be $325,459.55.
At the sentencing hearing on October 7, 2009, the district court concluded
that for purposes of calculating McGinty’s offense level under the Sentencing
Guidelines, the loss amount should be calculated at $325,459.55, after taking into
consideration the $320,000 that McGinty had already repaid to the bank. 1 The
district court then heard argument regarding whether it was required to order both
restitution and forfeiture. The government requested both, and the district court
1
The government has not appealed the sentence or the district court’s
calculation of the loss amount under the Sentencing Guidelines.
4
asked: “Why wouldn’t that be a double recovery?” Appellant’s App. at 118. The
government argued that both restitution and forfeiture were mandatory under the
respective statutes, and that ordering both would not result in a double recovery
because the restitution would go to the bank, and the forfeiture would go to the
United States. McGinty responded that ordering both restitution and the
forfeiture of $325,459.55 would be a “double dip.” Id. at 119. The district court
asked “Do I have – do I have any alternative in regard to forfeiture? I think it’s
unfair, the double recovery.” Id. at 120. Again, McGinty suggested that the
forfeiture amount was “totally in [the district court’s] discretion,” and the
government responded that the court was required to order both restitution and
forfeiture. Id. The district court then asked: “What would the government
prefer? I mean, you’ve got a check for $325,000. Do you prefer that or do you
prefer the forfeiture? I’m not going to order both of them.” Id. at 121. Finally,
the district court concluded:
Well, what I’m going to do, then, is I’m going to order the payment to
the victim of the $325,000 and I’ll order forfeiture of the home and the
boat and that will be the limit of my order of restitution. I think that’s
the only reasonable thing to do under the circumstances, the fair thing
to do.
Id. at 123. The district court then sentenced McGinty to eighteen months’
imprisonment.
On October 9, 2009, the government filed a motion to correct the sentence
pursuant to Federal Rule of Criminal Procedure 35(a), arguing that the district
5
court clearly erred in its forfeiture ruling by failing to include a money judgment
in the amount of $325,459.55. The district court entered an order on October 21,
2009, denying the government’s motion to correct McGinty’s sentence. 2 This
timely appeal followed.
II
The government contends that it is entitled to the forfeiture of the proceeds
of McGinty’s misapplication of bank funds, and the district court erred in refusing
to order a money judgment representing those proceeds. We agree.
As an initial matter, the parties dispute our standard of review. According
to the government, our review is de novo because this appeal presents issues of
statutory interpretation. McGinty contends that because criminal forfeiture is
imposed at sentencing, our review is for an abuse of discretion, following United
States v. Booker, 543 U.S. 220 (2005). We agree with the government. Although
criminal forfeiture may be imposed at sentencing, the case at bar involves
statutory interpretation, which we review de novo. See United States v. Nacchio,
2
The version of Rule 35(a) which was effective in October 2009 allowed a
district court to correct a sentence within seven days after sentencing. Although
we have previously held that this time limit is jurisdictional, see United States v.
Green, 405 F.3d 1180, 1186 (10th Cir. 2005), the Supreme Court may have called
that holding into doubt, see Eberhart v. United States, 546 U.S. 12, 18–20 (2005)
(per curiam); see also United States v. Sterling, 225 F. App’x 748, 751 (10th Cir.
2007) (“Eberhart v. United States calls into doubt the jurisdictional nature of Rule
35(a)’s time limits.”). We need not decide whether the time limit is jurisdictional
because the timing of the filing of the district court’s order is immaterial to our
analysis.
6
573 F.3d 1062, 1087 (10th Cir. 2009); United States v. Jones, 502 F.3d 388, 391
(6th Cir. 2007) (“This court reviews the district court’s interpretation of the
federal forfeiture laws de novo.”).
We begin with the plain language of the statute. United States v. Manning,
526 F.3d 611, 614 (10th Cir. 2008). The criminal forfeiture statute at issue
provides:
The court, in imposing a sentence on a person convicted of a violation
of, or a conspiracy to violate—
(A) section . . . 656 . . . of this title, affecting a financial
institution . . .
shall order that the person forfeit to the United States any property
constituting, or derived from, proceeds the person obtained directly or
indirectly, as the result of such violation.
18 U.S.C. § 982(a)(2).
In interpreting another forfeiture statute with nearly identical language, the
Supreme Court has explained: “Congress could not have chosen stronger words to
express its intent that forfeiture be mandatory in cases where the statute applied,
or broader words to define the scope of what was to be forfeited.” United States
v. Monsanto, 491 U.S. 600, 607 (1989) (interpreting 21 U.S.C. § 853); see also
United States v. Bieri, 68 F.3d 232, 235 (8th Cir. 1995) (“[T]he mandatory
language of [§ 853(a)] does not leave forfeiture to trial court discretion.”).
Similarly, the plain language of 18 U.S.C. § 982(a)(2) indicates the mandatory
nature and scope of criminal forfeiture.
7
Section 982(a)(2) directs that the district court “shall order” forfeiture of
“any property constituting, or derived from” the unlawful proceeds. These words
express Congress’s intent that criminal forfeiture is both mandatory and broad.
“The Supreme Court and this circuit have made clear that when a statute uses the
word ‘shall,’ Congress has imposed a mandatory duty upon the subject of the
command.” Forest Guardians v. Babbitt, 174 F.3d 1178, 1187 (10th Cir. 1999)
(citing Monsanto, 491 U.S. at 607). “The word ‘shall’ does not convey
discretion. It is not a leeway word, but a word of command.” United States v.
Fleet, 498 F.3d 1225, 1229 (11th Cir. 2007) (quotation omitted) (interpreting 21
U.S.C. § 853(p)). Further, “‘any’ . . . is a powerful and broad word. It does not
mean some or all but a few, but instead means all.” Id. Thus, criminal forfeiture
is not a matter within the district court’s discretion. Instead, the district court
must order forfeiture of any and all proceeds of the offense and any property
derived from those proceeds. 18 U.S.C. § 982(a)(2).
Although the criminal forfeiture statute does not explicitly refer to money
judgments, our sister circuits have uniformly recognized that money judgments
representing the unlawful proceeds are appropriate. See United States v. Padron,
527 F.3d 1156, 1162 (11th Cir. 2008); United States v. Day, 524 F.3d 1361,
1377–78 (D.C. Cir. 2008); United States v. Vampire Nation; 451 F.3d 189,
201–03 (3d Cir. 2006); United States v. Casey, 444 F.3d 1071, 1076–77 (9th Cir.
2006); United States v. Hall, 434 F.3d 42, 59 (1st Cir. 2006); United States v.
8
Baker, 227 F.3d 955, 970 (7th Cir. 2000). According to the First Circuit,
[t]here are two primary reasons for permitting money judgments as part
of criminal forfeiture orders. First, criminal forfeiture is a sanction
against the individual defendant rather than a judgment against the
property itself. Because the sanction follows the defendant as a part of
the penalty, the government need not prove that the defendant actually
has the forfeited proceeds in his possession at the time of conviction.
Second, permitting a money judgment, as part of a forfeiture order,
prevents a [defendant] from ridding himself of his ill-gotten gains to
avoid the forfeiture sanction.
Hall, 434 F.3d at 59 (internal citations and quotations omitted). We agree with
the reasoning of our sister circuits and conclude that in personam money
judgments are appropriate under criminal forfeiture.
The government is entitled to a money judgment against McGinty for the
money he obtained from his criminal activity. See United States v. Candelaria-
Silva, 166 F.3d 19, 42 (1st Cir. 1999) (“[T]he government is entitled to an in
personam judgment against the defendant for the amount of money the defendant
obtained as proceeds of the offense.”); see also Vampire Nation, 451 F.3d at
201–02 (“Given that § 853 does not contain any language limiting the amount of
money available in a forfeiture order to the value of the assets a defendant
possesses at the time the order is issued, we think it clear that an in personam
forfeiture judgment may be entered for the full amount of the criminal
proceeds.”). Accordingly, the district court erred in refusing to enter a money
judgment against McGinty. See Casey, 444 F.3d at 1077 (“Because we hold that
the government is entitled to a money judgment in criminal forfeiture cases, even
9
when a defendant has no assets, the district court erred by refusing to enter the
requested money judgment against [the defendant].”).
The district court suggested that ordering restitution and forfeiture in the
same amount would be unfair as a double recovery. Specifically, the district
court stated: “I’m going to order the payment to the victim of the $325,000 and
I’ll order forfeiture of the home and the boat and that will be the limit of my order
of restitution. I think that’s the only reasonable thing to do under the
circumstances, the fair thing to do.” Appellant’s App. at 123. The district court
erred in concluding that it could equitably reduce the forfeiture amount owed by
McGinty in light of the amount he was also required to pay to the bank in
restitution.
Criminal forfeiture and restitution are separate remedies with different
purposes. “Criminal forfeiture is an in personam action in which the forfeiture of
and the vesting of title in the United States in the defendant’s tainted property is
imposed as a punishment against the defendant.” United States v. Jarvis, 499
F.3d 1196, 1203 (10th Cir. 2007). Restitution is not punitive, but is instead
designed to compensate victims. United States v. Nichols, 169 F.3d 1255,
1279–80 (10th Cir. 1999); see also United States v. Webber, 536 F.3d 584,
602–03 (7th Cir. 2008) (“Forfeiture and restitution are distinct remedies.
Restitution is remedial in nature, and its goal is to restore the victim’s loss.
Forfeiture, in contrast, is punitive; it seeks to disgorge any profits that the
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offender realized from his illegal activity.” (internal citation omitted)). Because
restitution and forfeiture are distinct remedies, ordering both in the same or
similar amounts does not generally amount to a double recovery. See United
States v. Leahy, 464 F.3d 773, 793 n.8 (7th Cir. 2006) (“While we recognize to
the untrained eye, this might appear to be a ‘double dip,’ restitution and forfeiture
serve different goals, and we have approved of [ordering both restitution and
forfeiture] in the past.”); see also United States v. Taylor, 582 F.3d 558, 566–67
(5th Cir. 2009) (discussing the distinction between forfeiture and restitution). 3
Moreover, restitution and forfeiture will not necessarily be in the same amount
because “restitution is calculated based on the victim’s loss, while forfeiture is
based on the offender’s gain.” Webber, 536 F.3d at 603. 4
[P]aying restitution plus forfeiture at worst forces the offender to
disgorge a total amount equal to twice the value of the proceeds of the
crime. Given the many tangible and intangible costs of criminal
activity, this is in no way disproportionate to the harm inflicted upon
government and society by the offense. Payment of restitution in no
way alters the status of the property as ill-gotten gains. Restitution
operates to make the victim of the crime whole, not to confer legal
3
We note that this case does not present the issue of whether an order of
restitution could arguably be reduced to prevent double recovery when both
forfeiture and restitution are ordered to be paid to the same government agency.
E.g., United States v. Ruff, 420 F.3d 772, 775–76 (8th Cir. 2005) (remanding to
determine whether the “victim” law enforcement agency “received any forfeiture
funds” and directing the district court to “modify the restitution order to prevent
double recovery”).
4
The government has conceded that the forfeiture amount should be
reduced to the loss amount of $325,459.55. We offer no opinion on the propriety
of using the loss amount to calculate the proper amount of forfeiture.
11
ownership on the offender of the stolen property.
Taylor, 582 F.3d at 566 (quoting United States v. Emerson, 128 F.3d 557, 567
(7th Cir. 1997), alterations omitted). Thus, ordering forfeiture in addition to
restitution is not an unfair double recovery.
In this case, both forfeiture and restitution were mandatory. See 18 U.S.C.
§§ 982(a)(2), 3663A(a)(1) (“[T]he court shall order, in addition to . . . any other
penalty authorized by law, that the defendant make restitution to the victim of the
offense . . . .”); see also Taylor, 582 F.3d at 566 (holding that by ordering both
restitution and forfeiture, “[t]he district court properly adhered to the mandatory
language found within the statutory schemes”). Nothing in the statutory scheme
permitted the district court to reduce the mandated criminal forfeiture order
because the defendant also had to satisfy his obligation to pay restitution. See
United States v. Hoffman-Vaile, 568 F.3d 1335, 1344–45 (11th Cir. 2009)
(rejecting the argument that forfeiture under § 982(a)(7) should be reduced based
on restitution); cf. United States v. Alalade, 204 F.3d 536, 540 (4th Cir. 2000)
(“[T]he plain language of the [Mandatory Victims Restitution Act of 1996] did
not grant the district court discretion to reduce the amount of restitution required
to be ordered by an amount equal to the value of the property seized from [the
defendant] and retained by the government in administrative forfeiture.”).
McGinty contends that even if forfeiture in general is mandatory, the
district court did not err in refusing to enter a forfeiture money judgment. In
12
particular, McGinty argues that Federal Rule of Criminal Procedure 32.2(b) 5
prohibits the district court from entering both a money judgment and an order
forfeiting specific property. Under Rule 32.2(b), “[i]f the court finds that
property is subject to forfeiture, it must promptly enter a preliminary order of
forfeiture setting forth the amount of any money judgment or directing the
forfeiture of specific property without regard to any third party’s interest in all or
part of it.” Fed. R. Crim. P. 32.2(b)(2). According to McGinty, the word “or”
precludes the district court from entering both a money judgment and forfeiture of
specific property. We are not persuaded by this argument.
In context, the nature of a particular forfeiture order will depend on the
relevant forfeiture statute as well as the facts of a given case. The applicable
statute provides that McGinty must forfeit “any property constituting, or derived
from, proceeds” that he obtained from his misapplication of bank funds. 18
U.S.C. § 982(a)(2). Thus, under this statute, hybrid orders may be appropriate
where the government is entitled to both proceeds and specific assets derived
from those proceeds. Moreover, such hybrid orders are fairly common and have
been upheld by other courts. See Hall, 434 F.3d at 60 n.8 (rejecting the argument
that “even if the court could enter a money judgment, it could not enter both a
5
The Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure were amended, effective
December 1, 2009. Our citations are to the version of the rules in effect at the
time of the proceedings before the district court.
13
money judgment and a forfeiture of specific assets as part of the same order” and
noting that “there are several cases in which such hybrid orders have been
entered”).
The government requests that we direct the district court to enter a
forfeiture money judgment in the amount of $325,459.55. Although we agree that
the government is entitled to a money judgment, we do not address the proper
amount of the requisite forfeiture order. The district court made no findings
regarding the amount of the proceeds of McGinty’s misapplication of bank funds
or what property was derived from those proceeds. The district court is in the
best position to make these factual determinations by conducting any necessary
factfinding and considering the effect of the plea agreement, as well as the effect
of any proceeds received by the government from the sale of the house, boat, and
boat motor.
III
We REVERSE the judgment of the district court and REMAND for further
proceedings consistent with this opinion.
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