United States v. Chavez
United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit
951 F.3d 349 (2020)
- Written by Nathan Benedict, JD
Facts
Ledinson Chavez (defendant) was charged with multiple offenses related to healthcare fraud and money laundering. At trial, the government introduced into evidence a notebook created by Yuriesky Diaz, a codefendant. Several pages contained names atop strings of numbers. Witnesses testified that the names atop strings of numbers reflected the patients’ visits. For example, a name atop 16/20 meant that the named patient had completed 16 of 20 scheduled appointments. On two pages, the notebook contained what appeared to be dollar amounts under the heading “Papo” (Chavez’s nickname) and “Mio y Papo.” The government connected one entry in the notebook, “18300 Mio y Papo,” to a check for $18,300 that Diaz received. Although the exact connection between the check and the charges was convoluted, the government appeared to argue that the “18300 Mio y Papo” entry was evidence of a financial transaction involving Chavez. Chavez was convicted and appealed.
Rule of Law
Issue
Holding and Reasoning (Thapar, J.)
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