United States v. Randolph Rodman

Defendant-Appellant Randolph Rodman challenges his conviction for conspiracy to defraud the government. Rodman contends that insufficient evidence existed to convict him, and that the district court erred in failing to give jury instructions for entrapment by estoppel, and instructions concerning a buyer-seller relationship between George Clark and Rodman.

We hold that regulating the registration and transfer of firearms is a lawful function of the government. We also conclude that the district court did not err in declining to give the requested jury instructions because the lack of an authorized government official precludes entrapment by es-toppel, and there was sufficient evidence of a conspiracy to obstruct a lawful function of the government to eliminate the possibility of a simple buyer-seller transaction.

All other claims raised by Rodman and his co-defendant, Idan Greenberg, are addressed in two memorandum dispositions filed concurrently with this opinion. We affirm Rodman’s conviction.

FACTUAL AND PROCEDURAL BACKGROUND

Rodman and five other defendants were indicted for conspiracy to defraud an agency of the United States, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 371 .…