United States v. John Khandjian

AINSWORTH, Circuit Judge:

This case arose from the discovery of a shortage of $320 in bank funds at the Pan American Bank of Miami Beach on August 28, 1972. The bank’s head teller, John Khandjian, was subsequently indicted for and convicted 1 by a jury of embezzling the missing funds, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 656. 2 Finding that there was neither proof of the commission of a crime nor independent evidence of a crime to corroborate a purported confession made by Khandjian, we reverse.

Khandjian, who had 12 years’ banking experience, had been head teller of the Pan American Bank of Miami Beach…