IN THE UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS
FOR THE FIFTH CIRCUIT
_____________________
No. 00-41250
_____________________
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA,
Plaintiff-Appellee,
versus
YOPHES ONYIEGO, also known as Yophes Onyanuo,
also known as Eric Ombui; ISAAC KIPKURUI
BIEGON; MAHMOOD KHAN LODHI, also known as Mike
Lodhi,
Defendants-Appellants.
_________________________________________________________________
Appeals from the United States District Court
for the Eastern District of Texas
_________________________________________________________________
March 15, 2002
Before GARWOOD, JOLLY and DAVIS, Circuit Judges.
E. GRADY JOLLY, Circuit Judge:
Yophes Onyiego, Isaac Biegon, and Mahmood Lodhi were among six
people convicted for carrying out a conspiracy to traffic in stolen
airline tickets. Lodhi was allegedly the mastermind behind the
conspiracy. Biegon and Onyiego allegedly served as ticket brokers
-- selling and using the false tickets. Each defendant challenges
the sufficiency of the evidence supporting his conviction.
Specifically, Biegon challenges the government’s use of the price
1
written and filled in on the blank airline tickets by a co-
conspirator as evidence of the “face value” of those tickets.
Biegon contends that this value is false -- insofar as it was
“made-up” by his co-conspirator -- and therefore cannot be used to
establish the “$5000-or-more” jurisdictional element of the crime
of interstate transportation of stolen goods. We refuse to read
any sort of “truth” requirement into the jurisdictional element of
this criminal statute. We hold that the face value of a stolen
good is the value affixed to the face of that good. We therefore
affirm the conviction of Biegon. We also affirm the sentences of
his co-defendants, Onyiego and Lodhi. Finally, we reverse the
restitution award because the award included unrecoverable
consequential damages.
I
On May 9, 1997, Lodhi, along with three teenage boys,
burglarized Dimension Travel. On the day of the burglary, Lodhi
rounded up the three teenagers -- one of whom was his son -- to
help him accomplish the crime. Lodhi told the teenagers that he
had already checked out Dimension Travel. He instructed them to
look for blank airline tickets once inside the travel agency. On
the night of the burglary, Lodhi drove to Dimension Travel, dropped
off the teenagers, and waited while the crime was committed. The
teenagers broke through a glass window in the front of the agency
and proceeded to steal three thousand blank airline tickets. The
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teenagers then deposited the stolen tickets in the back of Lodhi’s
Cadillac.
Before the burglary, Lodhi was sought out by Kamran Burney,
who hoped to secure some blank airline tickets. Burney had the
computer software necessary to forge blank airline tickets. In
particular, he could use his computer to fill in the price,
destination, airline, and date of travel on the blank airline
tickets. Lodhi told Burney that he could get him some blank
tickets but that a down payment was required. Burney gave Lodhi a
$2000 down payment. Lodhi promised delivery of the tickets within
a few days. Before receiving the tickets, Burney recruited various
people to broker the stolen tickets, including Onyiego and Biegon.
He instructed the brokers to call him with customer information so
that he could then fill in the blank tickets. He further
instructed the brokers that if anyone should inquire about the
source of the tickets they should lie and claim they got the
tickets through 1-800-flyer. Lodhi delivered the stolen tickets to
Burney, who then began trafficking the tickets through Biegon,
Onyiego and others.
Biegon ran a travel agency, Zooken Travel. Burney sold Biegon
10 to 12 stolen tickets for between $200 and $300 per ticket.
Biegon later sold these stolen tickets for upwards of $1400.
Burney delivered the tickets to Biegon at his travel agency and in
a parking lot.
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Onyiego bought a number of tickets from Burney and then resold
the tickets. On one occasion, Onyiego told a customer not to
confirm the tickets because the ticket was “no good.” On another
occasion, Onyiego advised a customer to lie to the FBI and say he
received the tickets, not from Onyiego, but from Eric Ombui.
Onyiego made at least one of his ticket sales in a parking lot in
Plano, Texas.
The stolen ticket sales imposed a significant cost on the
airlines and Dimension Travel. By the trial date, the airlines had
charged Dimension Travel $598,506.60 for the passengers flying on
the stolen tickets. This value reflected the sum of the amount
filled in by Burney on each stolen ticket.
Upon the referral of the Plano Police Department, the FBI
investigated the crime. On April 12, 2000, a federal grand jury
returned a two-count indictment against six defendants, including
Lodhi, Biegon, and Onyiego. Count One of the indictment charged
each defendant with conspiracy to transport stolen goods in
interstate commerce. Count Two charged each defendant with the
substantive offense underlying the conspiracy charge.
A jury found Onyiego, Biegon, and Lodhi guilty of the
interstate transportation of stolen goods and conspiracy to
transport stolen goods in interstate commerce. Onyiego was
sentenced to 24 months imprisonment and $6,802.80 in restitution.
Biegon was sentenced to 9 months imprisonment and $8,275.18 in
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restitution. Lodhi was sentenced to 115 months imprisonment and
$622,053.84 in restitution.
Each defendant now appeals.1
II
We first address Biegon’s challenge to the sufficiency of the
evidence to support his conviction for the interstate
transportation of stolen goods. We then address the defendants’
challenges to the sufficiency of the evidence underlying their
conspiracy convictions. Finally, we consider the sentencing and
restitution issues raised by each defendant.
A
When reviewing the sufficiency of the evidence, the question
we ask is “whether, after viewing the evidence in the light most
favorable to the prosecution, any rational trier of fact could have
found the essential elements of the crime beyond a reasonable
doubt.” Jackson v. Virginia, 443 U.S. 307, 319 (1979)(citations
omitted)(emphasis in original).
To establish the offense of the interstate transportation of
stolen property under 18 U.S.C. § 2314, the government must prove:
(1) the interstate transportation of (2) goods, merchandise, wares,
money, or securities valued at $5,000 or more and (3) with
1
Each defendant moved for a judgment of acquittal at the close
of the government’s case and the close of evidence. We review the
denial of these motions de novo, applying the same standard as the
district court. United States v. Ferguson, 211 F.3d 878, 882 (5th
Cir.)(citations omitted), cert. denied, 531 U.S. 909 (2000).
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knowledge that such items have been stolen, converted, or taken by
fraud. See Dowling v. United States, 473 U.S. 207, 214 (1985).
Biegon’s sufficiency of the evidence challenge focuses solely
on the jurisdictional element of the crime. This element requires
that stolen goods transported in interstate commerce have a value
of more than $5000. See United States v. Perry, 638 F.2d 862, 865
(5th Cir. 1992)(“Proof of the value of the property at the time it
was stolen or at some time during its receipt, transportation or
concealment is essential to conviction of the crime against the
United States.”)(quoting United States v. Nall, 437 F.2d 1177, 1187
(5th Cir. 1977)). As we noted in Nall, “While we agree that the
$5,000.00 limitation was not designed to protect those who
transport stolen property of a lesser value, its effect is to leave
the punishment of such persons to the several states and to make
the limitation an essential part of the federal crime.” Id. at
1187.
The government can prove the value of a stolen good by
reference to that good’s “face, par, or market value, whichever is
the greatest.” 18 U.S.C. § 2311. Here, Biegon argues that the
government cannot rely on the “face” value of the tickets -- i.e.,
the value written on the tickets -- to prove the jurisdictional
element because this value was simply “made up” and filled in by
Burney. Lacking proof of the “face” value, the government, Biegon
asserts, has to show that the market or par value of the stolen
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tickets was enough to satisfy the jurisdictional element. The
tickets in this case were not securities and hence have no par
value. Furthermore, Biegon contends that the government only
proved that the market value of the stolen tickets was equal to
$3,256 -- an amount insufficient to satisfy the “$5000-or-more”
jurisdictional element. Consequently, Biegon argues that the
evidence was insufficient to support his conviction under 18 U.S.C.
§ 2314.
In contrast, the government argues that it could use the
values Burney filled in on the blank tickets to prove the
jurisdictional element of the crime. The government points out
that these figures -- although concocted by a co-conspirator --
reflected the price the airlines eventually charged Dimension
Travel for the passengers flying on the stolen tickets.
What constitutes the face value of a previously stolen blank
airline ticket is an issue of first impression in this Circuit.
Nevertheless, we do not write on an entirely clean slate. We have
previously held that the value requirement for a blank money order
can be met “by the face value of, or the amount received for,
filled in blank money orders, or the value of the blanks in a
thieves’ market for blank money orders.” See United States v.
Wright, 661 F.2d 60, 61 (5th Cir. 1981)(emphasis added)(citing
United States v. Bullock, 451 F.2d 884 (5th Cir. 1971)). We have
also held that the “face” value of a fraudulently secured
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promissory note does not depend on the amount of money eventually
obtained in a litigation settlement on that note. Instead, the
face value is the figure written on, and the credit given for, the
wrongfully obtained note. See United States v. Robinson, 553 F.2d
429, 431 (5th Cir. 1977), cert. denied, 434 U.S. 1016 (1978).
With these cases in mind, we turn to interpret the statute at
issue. As noted above, the statute allows the government to define
value in any one of three ways: par, market, or face. 18 U.S.C. §
2311. The plain meaning of “face value” is “the value indicated
on the face of an instrument.” MERRIAM-WEBSTER’S DICTIONARY 812 (3d
ed. 1993). There is nothing inherent in the definition of “face
value” that insists on this value being -- in any sense -- correct.
See United States v. Laughlin, 804 F.2d 1336, 1338 (5th Cir. 1986)
(“Congress determined that value for jurisdictional purposes would
not be established by reference to a ‘particular will’ nor by
reference to some intrinsic measure of worth.”). Nor does the
plain meaning of the term mandate that the face value equal the
market or par values of the good. In fact, because Congress
included three different ways to define “value,” a sensible reading
of the statute suggests that in many cases a stolen good’s face,
market, and par values would all be different. Under any other
reading, the statute would include surplusage. See Platt v. Union
Pacific R. Co., 99 U.S. 48, 58 (1878)(“Congress is not to be
presumed to have used words for no purpose.”).
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We see no need to depart from the plain meaning of the statute
in this case. The “face” value of a stolen good is the value
affixed to the face of that good. In so holding, we follow and
make explicit the holdings of Robinson and Bullock. We do not
decide today whether the face value of a stolen good includes any
figure -- no matter how outlandish -- written on the face of a
good. In some cases, the value of a good -- for example, stolen
airline tickets that remain blank -- may best be determined by
reference to their market value or their value in the thieves’
market. The figure written on the face of each stolen ticket in
this case, however, was (1) the amount of money eventually charged
to Dimension Travel by the airlines and (2) the amount the tickets
would have been redeemable for had the tickets not been used. The
government provided ample evidence that the tickets sold by Biegon
had a combined face value of $8,018. Accordingly, the evidence --
when viewed in the light most favorable to the verdict -- is
sufficient to support Biegon’s conviction for the interstate
transportation of stolen property under 18 U.S.C. § 2314.
B
We now turn to the defendants’ challenges to the sufficiency
of the evidence underlying their conspiracy convictions.
To establish a conspiracy to transport and sell stolen goods
in interstate commerce under 18 U.S.C. § 371, the government is
required to prove: (1) an agreement between two or more persons (2)
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to commit the underlying crimes and (3) an overt act committed by
one of the conspirators in furtherance of the agreement. United
States v. Anderson, 174 F.3d 515, 522 (5th Cir. 1999)(citing United
States v. Burton, 126 F.3d 666, 670 (5th Cir. 1997)). The
government must prove that “the defendant[s] knew of the conspiracy
and . . . voluntarily became a part of it.” United States v.
Mackay, 33 F.3d 489, 493 (5th Cir.1994) (internal quotation marks
and citation omitted). The conspiracy need not be proven by direct
evidence. See Burton, 126 F.3d at 670 (citing United States v.
Schmick, 904 F.2d 936, 941 (5th Cir. 1990)). Circumstantial
evidence, such as a concert of action, may suffice to prove
agreement, but “each link in the inferential chain must be clearly
proven.” See United States v. Galvan, 693 F.2d 417, 419 (5th Cir.
1982)(citation omitted).
After reviewing the record in this case, we find that the
evidence is more than sufficient to support the conspiracy
convictions.
The evidence against Lodhi was substantial. It included (1)
testimony that he enlisted the help of three teenage boys in the
burglary of Dimension Travel; (2) testimony that he engaged in the
burglary of the travel agency after Burney asked him if he could
get some blank airline tickets; and (3) testimony that he delivered
the tickets at night in various parking lots around town.
The evidence against Onyiego included (1) testimony that he
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told one of his customers that the tickets were “no good;” (2)
testimony that he told one of his customers to lie about the source
of the tickets if questioned by the FBI; and (3) testimony that
Burney told him to tell his customers that they received the
tickets through the 1-800-flyer number.
The evidence against Biegon included (1) testimony that he
purchased the tickets from Burney for $200 or $300 and later sold
those same tickets for upwards of $1400; (2) testimony that he
received, on one occasion, delivery of the blank tickets in the
parking lot of Kroger; and (3) testimony that he knew that he
should instruct customers to stick with the “1-800-flyer” story if
they happened to be questioned about the validity of the tickets.
For the foregoing reasons, the evidence is sufficient to
support each defendant’s conspiracy conviction.
C
Finally, we address the sentencing and restitution issues
raised by each defendant.
1
Biegon challenges the sentence imposed by the district court.
He argues that the district court incorrectly used -- when
computing the “loss” from the theft for sentencing purposes -- the
amount written on the face of the blank tickets. We review the
trial court's application of the sentencing guidelines de novo and
its findings of fact under the clearly erroneous standard. See
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United States v. Salter, 241 F.3d 392, 394 (5th Cir. 2001).
As noted above, Biegon was convicted for interstate
transportation of stolen goods and conspiracy to transport stolen
goods. In cases involving theft or possession of stolen property
“Section 2B1.1(b)(1) increases the base offense level on a
graduated scale according to the amount of the victims’ loss."
United States v. Sowels, 998 F.2d 249, 250 (5th Cir. 1993), cert.
denied, 510 U.S. 1121 (1994). “Loss” under this sentencing
guideline provision means “the value of the property taken,
damaged, or destroyed.” Application Note 2 to § 2B1.1. Typically,
this value is the “fair market value of the particular property at
issue.” Id.
Biegon argues that the value written on the blank tickets does
not reflect the “fair market value” of the tickets. Instead,
Biegon contends that the fair market value is better estimated by
the amount he actually received for the ill-gotten tickets. We
find this argument unpersuasive.
The black market value of the blank airline tickets -- i.e.,
Biegon’s proceeds from the sale of the tickets -- is not the same
as the fair market value of those tickets. One assumes that the
black market price of a stolen good will reflect a discount from
the fair market price (i.e., value) of that good. Few, if any,
persons knowingly pay the full market price for a stolen good.
Accordingly, the district court had before it little evidence
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of the fair market value of the blank airline tickets. In this
sort of case, the application notes to the sentencing guidelines
allow the sentencing court to use other reasonable means to
ascertain the level of loss to the victim. Application Note 2 to
§ 2B1.1 (“Where the market value is difficult to ascertain or
inadequate to measure harm to the victim, the court may measure
loss in some other way.”).
Here, the district court measured the loss as the amount
billed by the airlines to the victim. Calculating losses in this
fashion was entirely appropriate. Accordingly, we affirm Biegon’s
sentence.
2
The district court ordered that Lodhi pay $622,053.84 in
restitution. This amount of restitution included $23,063.98 in
legal fees incurred when the victim was forced to defend actions
instituted by the airlines seeking to collect on the stolen
tickets.
Lodhi argues that these legal fees are not recoverable because
they were not directly and proximately incurred as a result of the
crime. The legality of the district court's order of restitution
is reviewed de novo. United States v. Hughey, 147 F.3d 423, 436
(5th Cir.), cert. denied, 525 U.S. 1030 (1998). “Once we have
determined that an award of restitution is permitted by the
appropriate law, we review the propriety of a particular award for
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an abuse of discretion.” Id. (internal citation omitted).
18 U.S.C. § 3663A provides for the mandatory award of
restitution in cases such as this one. This section limits the
restitution award to either (1) the value of the property on the
date of the damage, loss, or destruction or (2) the value of the
property on the date of the sentencing less the value (as of the
date the property is returned) of any part of the property that is
returned. 18 U.S.C. § 3663A(a)(3)(b)(1)(B). This language is the
same as the language in the section of the code that deals with the
discretionary (as opposed to a mandatory) award of restitution.
See 18 U.S.C. § 3663(b). We have interpreted the language of
Section 3663(b) to preclude the award of consequential damages.
See United States v. Mitchell, 876 F.2d 1178, 1184 (5th Cir. 1989).
The losses here are akin to losses incurred by a victim
attempting to recover stolen property. We have specifically held
that such “recovery” losses cannot be included in a restitution
award under Section 3663(b)(1). Id. at 1184 (“There is no
provision [in the restitution Act] authorizing restitution for lost
income, cost of restoring property to its pre-theft condition, or
cost of employing counsel to recover from an insurance
company.”)(emphasis added); see also United States v. Schinnell, 80
F.3d 1064, 1070-71 (5th Cir. 1996). Accordingly, we reverse the
district court’s order granting restitution for the legal fees the
victim incurred defending the collection actions by the airlines.
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In all other aspects, the restitution order is affirmed.
III
We have looked carefully at the record in this case and find
unpersuasive the remaining arguments raised by the defendants. As
a consequence, we affirm the convictions and sentences of Onyiego,
Lodhi, and Biegon. In addition, we reverse and remand the
restitution assigned to Lodhi insofar as it included the victim’s
legal fees.
AFFIRMED IN PART, REVERSED IN PART, AND REMANDED
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