William Rubin appeals his conviction of ten counts of securities fraud brought under 15 U.S.C. §§ 77q(a) and 77x (1982) and 18 U.S.C. § 2 (1982), and two counts of filing a false securities registration statement under 15 U.S.C. § 77x and 18 U.S.C. § 2. On appeal he argues (1) that the district court 1 erred in quashing a subpoena duces tecum served on Ronald Sullivan, an officer of a Cayman Islands bank, and in restricting cross-examination of Sullivan; (2) that the evidence was insufficient to prove criminal acts, criminal knowledge, and criminal intent by Rubin; and (3) that the sentence imposed by the district court was an abuse of discretion. We affirm the judgment of the district court.
Rubin was Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board of Directors of Flight Transportation Corporation and, together with Chief Financial Officer, Janet
FTC was formed in 1968 and Karki was hired as its bookkeeper in 1976 and soon thereafter allegedly began embezzling from the company and creating false corporate financial records. Rubin was hired by FTC as a consultant in 1977, shortly became manager of the company and finally its president. Rubin suggested to the two owners of FTC that FTC make a public stock offering. The initial offering was made in 1979 and was not the subject of the superseding indictment. The second offering was made in March, 1981 and successfully raised $7 million, and a third offering was made in June, 1982 which raised $24 million. A few days after the June 1982 offering, agents of the FBI and SEC suspended trading of FTC stock, seized its corporate records, and closed down thе company. This criminal prosecution, based on the 1981 and 1982 offerings, along with a number of SEC actions and civil lawsuits, followed. 3
The fraud in this case was based in large part on representations contained in the registration statement and other SEC documents concerning FTC’s group air charter operations. The documents represented that FTC was a young growth corporation earning the bulk of its revenues from a group air charter business, in which FTC acted as middleman, renting aircraft from major airlines to groups who would charter the aircraft. The indictment alleged, and substantial evidence was introduced at trial to show, that in fact the group charter operation was virtually nonexistent. Rubin was acquitted of the charges relating to the second offering but convicted of the charges relating to the third offering and sentenced to thirty-five years in prison and assessed a fine of $120,000.
I.
One of the key issues аt trial concerned the revenues of FTC’s group air charter operations. According to FTC’s financial records, FTC had an account (FTC account #2, or the “095” account) at Barclay’s Bank, Grand Cayman Island, containing some $8 million representing profits from the group air charter operations. The government, through diplomatic channels, arranged for the testimony of Ronald Sullivan, a deputy manager of Barclay’s Bank in the Cayman Islands. Operating under strict Caymanian bank secrecy laws, Sullivan could not reveal any bank information without waivers of the secrecy law.
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The
Sullivan testified at trial and provided complete records of the six FTC accounts at Barсlay’s for which waivers had been obtained. The records of FTC account # 2 revealed FTC had never had the $8 million on deposit and, in fact, the maximum balance in the account was only $595.24. Sullivan also identified as forgeries the Barclay’s bank statements provided to FTC’s auditors. Rubin’s counsel thoroughly examined Sullivan within the scope of the direct examination concerning these accounts and then attempted to examine Sullivan on bank accounts of two Cayman Island residents, James Bodden and Steven McField. 5 Sullivan had no waivers for those accounts and when Sullivan appeared to testify, he was served with a subpoena duces tecum to furnish records of these accounts. A motion was filed by Sullivan and the government to quash these subpoenas which, after hearing, was sustained. Rubin filed an affidavit and later testified that Bodden had operated the FTC group charter operation in the Caymans and had stolen millions of dollars in profits by removing the money from FTC’s account at Barclay’s and altering Barclay records. Bodden was called as a rebuttal witness and testified that neither he nor Cayman Airways had operated any group charter operations with Rubin or FTC. He denied the specific charges made by Rubin, and Rubin’s defense counsel was advised that Bodden expressed a willingness to waive secrecy of his own bank records. Rubin’s counsel did not cross-examine Bodden about his bank records or ask to have the records disclosed.
A.
Rubin argues that the district court erred in restricting the cross-examination of Sullivan. He contends that this error violated his constitutional right to confront and cross-examine the witnesses against him.
Cross-examination is the principal means by which the credibility of a witness and the truth of testimony are tested, and therefore must be accorded great respect.
Davis v. Alaska,
Rubin concedes that there are instances in which the trial court may limit cross-ex-
Thus, the critical inquiry is whether Rubin had the opportunity, on cross-examination, to test the truthfulness of Sullivan’s direct testimony. Sullivan’s direct testimony concerned only the identification and explanation of the six FTC account records. Rubin’s counsel thoroughly examined Sullivan about these records. The restriction did not prevent Rubin’s counsel from testing the truthfulness and accuracy of Sullivan’s direct testimony. Accordingly, we cannot say that the district court abused its discretion or prejudiced Rubin in limiting the cross-examination of Sullivan. 7
B.
Rubin also contends the district court abused its discretion in quashing the subpoena duces tecum served upon Sullivan. He argues that the order violated his constitutional rights to present his defense and to compulsory process, and that this order, coupled with the order limiting the cross-examination of Sullivan, made it impossible to present his defense.
The district court order quashing the subpoena held that the subpoena was both oppressive and unreasonable. Fed.R.Crim. P. 17(c);
United States v. Nixon,
Various courts of appeals have considered the question of whether a United States court can enforce a request for the production of documents from an entity or citizen subject to the laws of another nation which prohibits production. This circuit and a number of other circuits, have employed a balancing test derived from section 40 of the Restatement (Second) of the Foreign Relations Laws of the United States (1965). 8 Section 40 provides:
Where two states have jurisdiction to prescribe and enforce rulеs of law and the rules they may prescribe require inconsistent conduct upon the part of a person, each state is required by international law to consider, in good faith, moderating the exercise of its enforcement jurisdiction, in light of such factors as
(a) vital national interests of each of the states,
(b) the extent and the nature of the hardship that inconsistent enforcement actions would impose upon the person,
(c) the extent to which the required conduct is to take place in the territory of the other state,
(d) the nationality of the person, and
(e) the extent to which enforcement by action of either state can reasonably be expected to achieve compliance with the rule prescribed by that state.
Rubin argues that the district court erred in balancing the competing interests at issue in this case. He urges that by quashing the subpoena the district court deferred to foreign law at the expense of his constitutional rights. He cites several cases in which United States courts have ordered foreign banks to comply with a subpoena despite the fact that compliance required the banks to violate applicable foreign secrecy laws. We reject these arguments.
First, we do not believe any violation of Rubin’s constitutional rights occurred. Rubin contends that the district court order quashing the subpoena deprived him of the opportunity to present his defense and thus violated his fifth amendment right to due process. To establish a denial of due process, the acts complained of must be of such a quality as necessarily prevents a fair trial.
Lisenba v. California,
Similarly, there was no violation of Rubin’s sixth amendment right to compulsory process. To establish such a violation, more than a mere absence of testimony is necessary.
Valenzuela-Bernal,
The cases cited by Rubin ordering foreign banks to comply with a subpoena, are not dispositive. In those cases the government was seeking the bank records of United States citizens who are the target of a United States criminal proceeding.
United States v. Field,
After carefully analyzing the competing interests at issue here, we conclude that the district court did not abuse its discretion in quashing the subpoena duces tecum. In this case, the Cayman Islands seeks to protect the right of privacy that is incorporated into its bаnk secrecy laws. We see no reason to set aside this interest, especially in light of the fact that Rubin could have obtained the records, without impinging upon this interest.
Veteo,
II.
Next, Rubin contends that the evidence at trial was insufficient to prove criminal acts, criminal knowledge or criminal intent. In considering the sufficiency of the evidence, we must view the evidence in the
The evidence in this case supports the jury’s verdict. Criminal acts and the falsity of the prospectus was amply demonstrated. There was testimony that FTC’s claimed flights into the Cayman Islands would have amounted to a substantial percentage of the Island’s tourism and that Cayman Island tourist facilities could not have accommodated the additional tourist volume claimed by FTC. Indeed, Bodden testified that “the people would have had to sleep on the street.” Additional testimony of Cayman Island officials showed that FTC did not fly group charter flights into the Cayman Islands. It was established that FTC did not have a license to conduct group air charters as required by the Cayman Island Director of Civil Aviation. In addition, the daily aircraft traffic record for all flights into and out of the Cayman Islands for the period of 1979 through 1982 revealed no group charter operation in the Cayman Islands by FTC.
The evidence at trial also established that no major airlines or air carrier ever leased, rented or chartered aircraft to FTC, as claimed in the FTC prospectuses. Finally, as discussed, evidence established that the alleged millions of dollars of group charter profits on deposit at Barclay’s bank did not exist.
We are also satisfied the evidence proved criminal knowledge and intent. Rubin claims that he relied on the advice of attorneys, accountants and underwriters and they were the ones who caused the representations in the prospectus. However, there was substantial evidence to the contrary. Brian Miller, FTC’s financial controller, testified that therе was no group charter operation and that representations regarding it were a lie. He testified that he, Rubin and Karki prepared false letters, records and bank documents to convince their lawyers, accountants and underwriters that group charters actually existed. Ed Sun, a broker working on the 1982 offering, testified that Rubin and Karki provided the factual descriptions of FTC. Sun testified about several meetings in which Rubin provided detailed descriptiоns of the group charter operations which were later found to be fraudulent.
III.
Finally, Rubin contends that the sentence imposed by the district court was an abuse of discretion. The imposition of a sentence is a matter within the district court’s wide discretion; generally we will not overturn or review a sentence which falls within statutory limits.
Resnick,
Rubin has not made such a showing. In sentencing Rubin, the district judge observed that in his opinion, Rubin lied during his testimony and that he signed and filed a false affidavit. A trial judge may consider lack of truthfulness in deciding a sentence.
United States v. Grayson,
Rubin contends further that the trial court abused its discretion by imposing a sentence disproportionate to those imposed on his co-defendants.
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This court has consistently held that mere variation in sentencing co-participants in a criminal transaction does not provide a basis for resen-tencing.
United States v. Becton,
We affirm Rubin’s conviction.
Notes
. The Honorable Donald D. Alsop, Chief Judge, United States District Court for the District of Minnesota.
.
See United States v. McGovern,
. For a detailed history of the FTC litigation surrounding the 1982 FTC public offering, see
In re Flight Transp. Corp. Sec. Litig.,
.The law concerning confidential information in the Caymans is governed by the Confidential Relationships (Preservation) Law (Law 16 of 1976) and the Confidential Relationships (Preservation) (Amendment) Law, 1979 (Law 26 of 1979). Pursuant to these laws, all information contained in banking records is "confidential information" and may not be released by a bank without the free and full consent of the holder
. Bodden was the founder and former Chairman of the Board of Cayman Airways, an airline carrier for the Cayman Islands. McField was FTC’s Cayman Island attorney.
. The Supreme Court has not yet determined whether fear of prosecution by a foreign country is sufficient to invoke the fifth amendment.
In re Sealed Case,
. If any error had bеen committed in preventing Rubin from fully cross-examining Sullivan, it is harmless beyond a reasonable doubt. The testimony of the remaining government witnesses, particularly James Bodden, provided an overwhelming basis for the jury to return a conviction.
Delaware v. Van Arsdall,
.
See, e.g., In Re Societe Nationale Industrielle Aerospatiale,
. Testimony also established that the total deposits in all of the FTC accounts at Barclay’s from the date the accounts were opened until Junе 1, 1982 totaled $692,392.54.
. Even if the order quashing the subpoena duc-es tecum were deemed to be constitutional error, it would not affect the result in this case. If there were constitutional error, it would be harmless beyond a reasonable doubt.
United States v. Hasting,
. Janet Karki received a twenty-year sentence; James McGovern received a six-year sentence; Miller, a three-year sentence; and Nelson received a four-year sentence.
. Our discussion docs not affect the district court’s right to consider reduction of Rubin’s sentence should he file a Rule 35 motion following the issuance of the court’s mandate in this case.
