Leroy Herbert Ray v. United States

Ray and seven others were indicted for conspiracy ( 18 U.S.C. § 371 ) to violate 18 U.S.C. § 1708 by theft of mail and 18 U.S.C. § 2113 (a) by entering banks and savings and loan institutions with intent to commit felony. He and two of the others, Hollyfield and Hill, were tried before a jury and found guilty. Ray appeals. We affirm.

There is ample evidence to sustain the conviction. The scheme was to steal mail from street mailboxes, extract from it such items as checks and bank or savings and loan passbooks, and by the use of these items obtain money from the institutions. False identifications, such as California drivers’ licenses, bank courtesy cards, credit cards and social security cards, were also used, as were stolen passbooks, account numbers, stolen checks, forged signatures on such cheeks, forged endorsements, and forged withdrawal slips. The false identifications were prepared by Ray. Young women did the forgeries of checks or withdrawal slips and obtained money. In many instances, the proceeds went to Ray and he paid the young women for their services.

In one rather bizarre instance a Mrs. Banks, living in Hollywood, drew a check on her account in a branch of the…