United States v. Kevin M. Coyle, A/K/A David Winchester

OPINION

BUTZNER, Senior Circuit Judge:

This appeal raises the question whether Kevin M. Coyle violated the mail fraud statute, 18 U.S.C. § 1341, by using the mail to sell and distribute descramblers, intending to assist his customers to intercept and receive television programs without authorization from cable companies. We conclude that Coyle violated the statute and affirm his conviction.

I

From January 1988 to September 1989, Coyle, trading as AMCOM, built and sold cable television converters, often called de-scramblers. The descramblers enable cable television customers to receive additional…