Backun v. United States
United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit
112 F.2d 635 (1940)
Relevant factsFree
Backun (defendant) sold Zucker stolen silverware knowing Zucker intended to transport it across state lines and sell it to pawnshops in the South. Zucker was caught selling the stolen goods, and Backun was later charged and convicted under the National Stolen Property Act for transporting stolen merchandise worth over $5,000 in interstate commerce. Backun appealed, arguing he was merely an accessory to Zucker's crime rather than a principal.
IssueFree
Whether a person who knowingly sells stolen goods to another with the intent that they be transported and resold in interstate commerce is guilty as a principal to the resulting crime, rather than merely an accessory.