United States v. Dwain Knigge

Dwain Knigge appeals his conviction of wire fraud in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1343 ; conspiracy to commit wire fraud, to transport in interstate commerce property taken by fraud, and to commit bribery all in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 371 ; and of travel to commit bribery in violation of Utah State Law and in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1952 . We affirm the conviction.

FACTS

In 1975 Dominic Del Grande was the secretary-treasurer and stock transfer agent of G.E.T., a small research and development company in San Diego, California. Del Grande stole a stock certificate of 500,-000 shares of stock belonging to the company’s president, C.R. Possell and canceled it. In debt to a sinister group of lenders, Del Grande paid off by issuing new certificates in place of the old, making them out in the name of four Mexicans who had no right to the stock and no part in any conspiracy and whose names were used as covers, and delivering nine such certificates representing a total of 402,000 shares to Robert Paduano and his associates, A1 Madrid, Nick Nardi and Michael Rizzitello.

In 1981 the stock was selling for about $5.00 a share and the illegitimate certificates were worth about $2 million, if…