People v. Burns CA2/5

INTRODUCTION

A jury found defendant and appellant Jeffrey Burns (defendant) guilty of, inter alia, four counts of forgery and one count of perjury based on a scheme he developed and in which he participated to fraudulently obtain government-subsidized childcare benefits from certain nonprofit childcare development programs. On appeal, he contends that the evidence in support of the verdicts on those five counts was insufficient. We hold that the evidence in support of the five counts challenged on appeal was sufficient to support the guilty verdicts. We therefore affirm the judgment of conviction.

FACTUAL BACKGROUND

A. Overview1 Defendant was convicted on multiple counts involving fraudulent activity that he does not challenge on appeal. As to those counts, the jury found that defendant, while acting as the pastor of the Word Center church in Long Beach (the church), developed, directed, and participated in a scheme whereby members of his church and others fraudulently obtained government-subsidized childcare benefits from certain nonprofit childcare development programs, including a program called Crystal Stairs. Pursuant to that scheme, members of the church, at…