United States v. Kone
United States v. Kone
Opinion of the Court
SUMMARY ORDER
Musah Kone appeals from a judgment of conviction in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York (Karas, J.). A jury found Musah Kone guilty of securities fraud and two counts of wire fraud, and he was sentenced to 37 months incarceration. Kone now argues that his conviction should be vacated because his trial counsel was ineffective and because the trial court issued a legally erroneous jury instruction. We assume the parties’ familiarity with the facts, procedural history of the case, and issues presented on appeal.
Although this Court has expressed a preference that ineffectiveness claims be addressed to the district court in the first instance so that the claim may be resolved on the basis of a complete factual record, we may resolve an ineffectiveness claim on direct appeal in the interests of justice or where the claim’s resolution is not in
With respect to the jury charge, the district court rejected the notion that the government advanced a theory of fraud based on material omissions and concluded that Kone’s failure to advise his clients that he had unpaid bills was instead relevant to an affirmative misrepresentation theory. That decision was reasonable in light of this Court’s observation with regard to affirmative misrepresentation claims that “it is just as unlawful to speak half truths or to omit to state facts necessary to make the statements made, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading.” United States v. Autuori, 212 F.3d 105, 118 (2d Cir. 2000) (internal quotation marks omitted). Based on the record at trial, which, as the government explains, reveals the government’s consistent emphasis upon affirmative misrepresentations and not omissions, the district court’s instructions were correct. See United States v. Paccione, 949 F.2d 1183, 1200 (2d Cir. 1991) (a trial court “is not required to give a requested charge if it lacks a foundation in the law, or lacks a foundation in the evidence adduced at trial”) (internal citations omitted).
For the foregoing reasons, the judgment of the district court is AFFIRMED.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- United States v. Musah KONE
- Status
- Published