United States Tenth Circuit

Because the government failed to commence this action within the seven year limitations period prescribed by the Major Fraud Act, the indictments were properly dismissed. An "execution" of a scheme to defraud or obtain money is not a "continuing offense" for statute of limitations purposes; thus, the execution was complete once the construction companies filed their false claim for equitable adjustment.

Appellate Information

• Decided 02/04/2004
• Published 02/04/2004

Judges

• BRORBY, Senior Circuit Judge., Before O'BRIEN, Circuit Judge, BRORBY, Senior Circuit Judge, and LUNGSTRUM, District Judge.

Court

• United States Tenth Circuit

Counsel

• For Appellant:
  
• Richard A. Friedman (David E. O'Meilia, United States Attorney;  Kenneth P. Snoke, Assistant United States Attorney;  Douglas A. Horn, Assistant United States Attorney, Tulsa, OK, with him on the briefs), Department of Justice, Washington, D.C., for Plaintiff-Appellant.


• For Appellees:
  
• R. Thomas Seymour (C. Robert Burton, IV, of Seymour Law Firm, Tulsa, OK, with him on the brief for Defendant-Appellee Reitmeyer;  James C. Lang, G. Steven Stidham, and Brian S. Gaskill of Sneed Lang, P.C., Tulsa, OK, on the brief for Defendant-Appellee James Alton Watson;  John E. Dowdell and Marichiel A. Lewis of Norman Wohlgemuth Chandler & Dowdell, Tulsa, OK, on the brief for Defendant-Appellee Joseph Eaton;  William G. Rosch III of Rosch & Ross, Houston, TX, on the brief for Defendant-Appellee James Roger Craddock;  Burck Bailey and Warren F. Bickford of Fellers, Snider, Blankenship, Bailey & Tippens, Oklahoma City, OK, adopted by reference briefs of all Defendants-Appellees, for Defendant-Appellee Don Sparkman), of Seymour Law Firm, Tulsa, OK, for Defendants-Appellees.