Yates v. United States

191 L. Ed. 2d 64 · Supreme Court of the United States · 2015

Facts

John Yates, a commercial fisherman, was on an expedition in the Gulf of Mexico when a federal agent boarded his vessel, the Miss Katie. The agent found 72 undersized red grouper, in violation of federal conservation regulations, and instructed Yates to keep them segregated until returning to port. After the agent departed, Yates ordered a crew member to throw the undersized fish overboard. Yates and the crew member then replaced the tossed grouper with other fish from the catch.

Procedural history

Yates was charged with violating 18 U. S. C. §1519 and §2232(a). The District Court denied Yates's motion for a judgment of acquittal on the §1519 charge, and a jury found him guilty. The Eleventh Circuit affirmed the conviction, concluding that §1519 applies to the destruction or concealment of fish. The Supreme Court granted certiorari and reversed the Eleventh Circuit's judgment.

Issue

Does the term "tangible object" in 18 U. S. C. §1519, which prohibits destroying such objects to impede a federal investigation, include fish?

Holding

The judgment of the U. S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit is reversed, and the case is remanded. A "tangible object" within §1519's compass is one used to record or preserve information.

Rule

A "tangible object" within 18 U. S. C. §1519's compass is one used to record or preserve information. This interpretation is supported by the statute's context within the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, which targeted corporate and accounting fraud. Applying noscitur a sociis and ejusdem generis, the term "tangible object" is read to refer to objects similar to "record" or "document," specifically those used to record or preserve information. The verbs in §1519, such as "falsifies" or "makes a false entry in," typically apply to information-bearing items. The rule of lenity also supports this narrower reading, given the severe penalties for violating the statute.

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