United States v. Luz Elena Valdez, United States of America v. Maria Guadalupe Lomeli-Lomeli

PROCEEDINGS BELOW:

Appellants, Luz Elena Valdez and Maria Guadalupe Lomeli-Lomeli, were each charged with one count of conspiracy to make false statements to the United States ( 18 U.S.C. §§ 371 , 1001) and four counts of making false statements to the United States ( 18 U.S.C. § 1001 ). Jurisdiction of the district court was based on 18 U.S.C. § 3231 . A jury found Valdez guilty on all five counts, and Lomeli-Lomeli guilty on the conspiracy count and two counts of making false statements. Valdez and Lomeli-Lomeli filed timely notices of appeal. This court’s jurisdiction is proper under 28 U.S.C. § 1291 .

On appeal, appellants raise various assignments of error involving their Sixth Amendment rights, the materiality of the letters, general evidentiary rulings, and alleged prosecutorial misconduct. We find no error and affirm.

FACTS

The substance of the charges against the appellants was that they had prepared false employment letters on behalf of Mexican aliens which were submitted to United States Consular authorities. Appellant Valdez was the manager, and appellant Lomeli-Lomeli was an employee, of the San Ysidro Branch of the Bertha Alicia Gonzalez Corporation, an…