Tag:

Wire Fraud

COVID-19: Miller Place Man Steals $8M From Company Seeking Surgical Masks, Feds Say COVID-19: Miller Place Man Steals $8M From Company Seeking Surgical Masks, Feds Say
Covid-19: Miller Place Man Steals $8M From Company Seeking Surgical Masks, Feds Say Two New York residents are accused of conning a medical supply company out of millions of dollars in the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic. Long Island resident Jonathan Cannon, age 58, of Miller Place, and Erie County resident Julie Dotton, age 51, of Orchard Park, are both charged with wire fraud in a complaint unsealed in Central Islip federal court on Thursday, May 2. According to prosecutors, a Canadian company serving as an official provider of personal protective equipment paid Cannon and Dotton $8.2 million for surgical masks needed due to the pandemic. In exchange, Dotton agreed…
Newburgh Veteran Lies About Earning Purple Heart To Defraud Gov't, Charity Donors: Feds Newburgh Veteran Lies About Earning Purple Heart To Defraud Gov't, Charity Donors: Feds
Newburgh Veteran Lies About Earning Purple Heart To Defraud Gov't, Charity Donors: Feds An Army veteran from New York is accused of lying about earning one of the nation's highest military honors in order to rake in six figures from the government and donors to her charity. Orange County resident Sharon Toney-Finch, of Newburgh, was arrested by the FBI’s White Collar Crime Task Force on Wednesday, May 1, following a two-year investigation. According to federal prosecutors, Toney-Finch falsely claimed that she suffered combat-related injuries during a mortar attack and a separate vehicle rollover while serving in Iraq in 2010. Those claims reportedly led to her receiving hundr…
NJ Woman, 77, Embezzles $1M In Benefits Intended For Aunt Who Died In 1998: Indictment NJ Woman, 77, Embezzles $1M In Benefits Intended For Aunt Who Died In 1998: Indictment
NJ Woman, 77, Embezzles $1M In Benefits Intended For Aunt Who Died In 1998: Indictment 𝗨𝗣𝗗𝗔𝗧𝗘: A New Jersey woman was indicted by a federal grand jury for stealing more than $1 million of benefits meant for an aunt who died 25 years ago, authorities said. Janis Miller, 77, of South Orange even went as far as trying to impersonate her aunt in a phone conversation with a Social Security worker, according to the indictment returned in U.S. District Court in Newark. However, she couldn’t come up with her aunt’s exact birthdate – just an approximation, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger said. Unaware of Miller’s aunt’s death in 1998, the federal Social Security Administration…
Middlesex Man Gets 2½ Years For COVID Unemployment Scam Middlesex Man Gets 2½ Years For COVID Unemployment Scam
Middlesex Man Gets 2½ Years For COVID Unemployment Scam A Middlesex County man was sentenced to a plea-bargained 2½ years in prison for conspiring to illegally obtain nearly $450,000 in COVID-19 unemployment benefits, federal authorities said. Christopher Valerio, 33, of Perth Amboy, must serve a little over two years before he can be released because there's no parole in the federal prison system. Valerio and co-conspirators submitted bogus unemployment applications to the New York Department of Labor through "fictitious online profiles that they created using personally identifiable information, including names, dates of birth, and Social…
$1.7M COVID-19 Fraud Scheme: Daughter, Mom Who Worked For Mount Vernon PD Sentenced $1.7M COVID-19 Fraud Scheme: Daughter, Mom Who Worked For Mount Vernon PD Sentenced
$1.7M Covid-19 Fraud Scheme: Daughter, Mom Who Worked For Mount Vernon PD Sentenced A mother-daughter duo has been sentenced to prison for defrauding the government of approximately $1.7 million.  Westchester County residents Alicia Ayers and her mother, Andrea Ayers, both of Mount Vernon, were found guilty of submitting more than 300 fraudulent applications for US Small Business Administration Economic Injury Disaster Loans.  Andrea Ayers was a former Code Enforcement Officer for the City of Mount Vernon Police Department. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Congress expanded the SBA’s Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) Program to provide low-interest …
$50M Scheme: Pelham Manor Man Charged By Feds $50M Scheme: Pelham Manor Man Charged By Feds
$50M Scheme: Pelham Manor Man Charged By Feds A 44-year-old Westchester man has admitted to a healthcare fraud scheme that cost Medicare nearly $50 million in losses, federal officials announced. Pelham Manor resident Manishkumar Patel pleaded guilty on Friday, April 26 to charges connected to a healthcare fraud and kickback scheme involving the sale of fraudulent prescriptions, according to the US Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York. Earlier Report - $10M Scheme: Pelham Manor Man Nabbed For Selling Fraudulent Prescriptions, Feds Say According to federal officials, between 2019 and 2022, Patel and a …
‘Crypto Con Man’: Imprisoned Instagrifter Gets 7 Federal Years For $8M Fraud Scheme ‘Crypto Con Man’: Imprisoned Instagrifter Gets 7 Federal Years For $8M Fraud Scheme
‘Crypto Con Man’: Imprisoned Instagrifter Gets 7 Federal Years For $8M Fraud Scheme UPDATE: Imprisoned Instagram influencer “Jay Mazini” apparently thought that rolling on his partners in crime could mitigate the damage of a conviction for scamming investors out of at least $8 million. Three years into a mandatory four-year New Jersey state prison sentence for kidnapping an online critic, the 28-year-old Instagrifter from Bergen County agreed to rat out his friends in exchange for leniency in a federal fraud case in Brooklyn. Trouble is: He didn’t deliver much, authorities said. Mazini, whose real name is Jebara Igbara, ended up sentenced to seven years in federal prison …
$750K Scheme: Bellmore Probation Officer Admits Stealing Employee's Welfare Funds $750K Scheme: Bellmore Probation Officer Admits Stealing Employee's Welfare Funds
$750K Scheme: Bellmore Probation Officer Admits Stealing Employee's Welfare Funds A Long Island man who served as the president of a probation officer’s union pleaded guilty to embezzling nearly a quarter of a million dollars from the union and its welfare funds. Dominic Coluccio, age 74 of Bellmore, entered his guilty plea for wire fraud on Thursday, April 11, the United States Attorney’s Office Southern District of New York announced. Coluccio served as the President of the United Probation Officers Association (UPOA) from 1989 until about 2016. The UPOA is a labor organization representing current and retired officers and supervisors in the New York City Department …
Shenanigans, Indeed: Manager At Schenectady Gentleman's Club Busted Selling Meth, Feds Say Shenanigans, Indeed: Manager At Schenectady Gentleman's Club Busted Selling Meth, Feds Say
Shenanigans, Indeed: Manager At Schenectady Gentleman's Club Busted Selling Meth, Feds Say The general manager of a gentleman’s club in the region is facing federal charges after he was allegedly busted in an undercover sting selling drugs. Luiggi Canessa, who manages Shenanigans gentlemen's club in Schenectady, is named in a complaint filed in US District Court in the Northern District on Tuesday, April 9. FBI agents began investigating a “wide array of crime” occurring at the club, as well as an adjoining business, Sheer Pleasure Lingerie, in late 2023, according to the complaint. That conduct allegedly included drug and sex trafficking, and wire fraud. Canessa, who manages…
Watertown's Adrian Kawuba Defrauds Victims Out Of $2.2M Watertown's Adrian Kawuba Defrauds Victims Out Of $2.2M
Watertown's Adrian Kawuba Defrauds Victims Out Of $2.2M A Massachusetts man will spend years in prison for defrauding investors who believed they had been financing youth sports ventures, federal officials announced. Middlesex County resident Adrian Kawuba, of Watertown, age 34, was sentenced to 27 months in prison for taking part in a $2.2 million scheme to defraud investors into financing what they thought were youth sports ventures in Africa, the US Attorney's Office for the District of Massachusetts announced on Thursday, April 11. According to federal officials, Kawuba would tell victims that he would invest their money into …
Controller From NJ Who Embezzled $2.37M From Madison Avenue Firm Gets 27 Months In Fed Pen Controller From NJ Who Embezzled $2.37M From Madison Avenue Firm Gets 27 Months In Fed Pen
Controller From NJ Who Embezzled $2.37M From Madison Avenue Firm Gets 27 Months In Fed Pen UPDATE: A controller from Middlesex County was sentenced to more than two years in federal prison for embezzling $2.37 million from his Madison Avenue employer. Gerard Beauzile, 63, South Plainfield, conducted an elaborate, long-running scheme to issue bogus checks to himself that he then deposited into his bank account, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger said. Beginning a decade ago and continuing through the end of 2020, Beauzile admitted issuing 140 checks to himself from the Manhattan-based company, which offers news, analysis, research and data for the "global energy industry," accordin…
COVID-19: Ex-Transit Worker From Babylon Sentenced For $770K Loan Fraud Scheme COVID-19: Ex-Transit Worker From Babylon Sentenced For $770K Loan Fraud Scheme
Covid-19: Ex-Transit Worker From Babylon Sentenced For $770K Loan Fraud Scheme Two former government employees from Long Island will spend more than a year in federal lockup for defrauding loan programs meant to help businesses impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Arthur Cornwall, age 43, of Babylon, and Sean Williams, age 42, of Valley Stream, were each sentenced to 18 months in prison in Central Islip federal court on Wednesday, March 20, after pleading guilty to wire fraud. Prosecutors said Cornwall, a former signal maintainer with the New York City Transit Authority, and Williams, a former New York State Court officer, received nearly $770,000 in small business loan…
Bogus Bean Counter Gets 5 Years For $1.5M Scam That Targeted NJ Schools, Nonprofits, More Bogus Bean Counter Gets 5 Years For $1.5M Scam That Targeted NJ Schools, Nonprofits, More
Bogus Bean Counter Gets 5 Years For $1.5M Scam That Targeted NJ Schools, Nonprofits, More 𝗨𝗣𝗗𝗔𝗧𝗘: A Hoboken woman was sentenced to five years in federal prison for posing as an accountant to steal more than $1.5 million from nonprofits, private schools and religious institutions, among other victims across the state. Yezenia Castillo, 47, will have to serve at least 85% of her sentence -- a few months over four years -- because there's no parole in the federal prison system. From 2012 through 2021, Castillo "falsely claimed to be a CPA who could provide various financial and accounting services to non-profit organizations throughout New Jersey, including private schools and reli…
Morris Man Seized By FBI For Scamming Victims Out Of $3.4 Million With 'Debt Relief' Service Morris Man Seized By FBI For Scamming Victims Out Of $3.4 Million With 'Debt Relief' Service
Morris Man Seized By FBI For Scamming Victims Out Of $3.4 Million With 'Debt Relief' Service A restaurant owner who'd fallen $200,000 into the hole during COVID thought he'd gotten a lifeline from a Morris County man who ran a phony debt relief service that promised to reduce what he owed by 40 to 45 percent. Under a contract he was required to sign, the business owner agreed to pay $4,150 every two weeks for two years. It wasn't until he'd already forked over $150,000 that the victim finally got wise to Mark Csantaveri, a 51-year-old Morristown resident with an alleged gambling habit, federal authorities said. It turns out the restaurant owner was one of more than 50 victims…
GUILTY: ‘Bling Bishop’ From Bergen Convicted Of Swindling NJ Parishioner's Mom, More GUILTY: ‘Bling Bishop’ From Bergen Convicted Of Swindling NJ Parishioner's Mom, More
Guilty: ‘Bling Bishop’ From Bergen Convicted Of Swindling NJ Parishioner's Mom, More 𝗨𝗣𝗗𝗔𝗧𝗘: A flashy Brooklyn bishop who lives in Bergen County – and was infamously robbed at gunpoint during a live-streamed church service – was convicted in lower Manhattan of swindling the elderly mom of a parishioner out of her life savings, among other counts. Lamor Whitehead, 45, promised to put the $90,000 toward buying her a home, federal prosecutors told jurors in the Southern U.S. District of New York who found him guilty of all charges after only three hours of deliberations on Monday, March 11. Instead, the infamous "Bling Bishop" blew the money on BMW payments and luxury purchase…
George Santos Announces Comeback Bid For Suffolk County Congressional Seat: 'Off To The Races' George Santos Announces Comeback Bid For Suffolk County Congressional Seat: 'Off To The Races'
George Santos Announces Comeback Bid For Suffolk County Congressional Seat: 'Off To The Races' Disgraced former New York Rep. George Santos is mounting a comeback campaign. The Republican ex-lawmaker from Long Island – who was ousted from his 3rd District seat representing parts of Nassau County and Queens – announced a primary challenge against Rep. Nick LaLota for his 1st District seat. In a statement on X shared during President Biden’s State of the Union address Thursday night, March 7, Santos said New York hasn’t had “a real conservative represent them” since he left office “thanks to RINO, empty suits like Nick LaLota.” Earlier Report: Exiled Congressman Turned Reality …
Leesburg Army Reservist Used COVID Scam To Pay Swindlers Overseas: Feds Leesburg Army Reservist Used COVID Scam To Pay Swindlers Overseas: Feds
Leesburg Army Reservist Used COVID Scam To Pay Swindlers Overseas: Feds A Virginia Army reservist was apparently no better than the people he thought he was fooling. Russell Laraway, 56, of Leesburg, admitted he fraudulently claimed more than $400,000 in a COVID relief fund scheme, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia Jessica D. Aber said. Being busted by the feds ultimately may have saved Laraway, though, who allegedly gave some of his hard-earned cash to foreign entities "in scams of which he was a victim," Aber's office said. According to court documents, Laraway incorporated two business entities that he purported to operate out of …
Former DC Non-Profit Leader Gets Prison Time For $150K Affordable Housing Embezzlement Scheme Former DC Non-Profit Leader Gets Prison Time For $150K Affordable Housing Embezzlement Scheme
Former DC Non-Profit Leader Gets Prison Time For $150K Affordable Housing Embezzlement Scheme A minister who was the former head of a non-profit organization in Southeast DC is heading to prison taking from the poor and giving to her self while embezzling more than $150,000 from its coffers, federal authorities announced. Rowena Joyce Scott, 71, was sentenced this week to 18 months in prison for a scheme to steal money from a corporation she was entrusted to run which was created to aid some of the District's economically-challenged residents. According to prosecutors, Scott – a minister and the former head of the Ward 8 Democrats – was convicted following a June 2023 jury…
Over $800K Scheme: Stamford Man Gets Prison Time For Stealing From Family Trust Over $800K Scheme: Stamford Man Gets Prison Time For Stealing From Family Trust
Over $800K Scheme: Stamford Man Gets Prison Time For Stealing From Family Trust A 69-year-old Connecticut man will spend time in prison for stealing over $800,000 from his relatives' family trust that he administered, officials announced.  Fairfield County resident Curtis Solsvig of Stamford was sentenced on Tuesday, March 5 to 18 months in prison for his wire fraud scheme, the US Attorney's Office for the District of Connecticut announced. According to federal officials, in 1996, Solsvig began serving as a trustee of a married couple's trust intended to benefit their two children. Beginning in 2011, Solsvig, a relative of the victims, began stealing around $…
Exiled Congressman Turned Reality TV Star? 2 George Santos Productions In Works, He Claims Exiled Congressman Turned Reality TV Star? 2 George Santos Productions In Works, He Claims
Exiled Congressman Turned Reality TV Star? 2 George Santos Productions In Works, He Claims If disgraced former New York congressman and admitted liar George Santos is to be believed, you haven’t seen the last of him. The Republican ex-lawmaker told City & State New York he’s been busy working on both a documentary and a reality TV show since being ousted from his 3rd District House seat representing parts of Nassau County and Queens. “So there’s just so many things that I’m working on now that I prefer to engage in instead of going into a messy primary to take on (newly sworn-in Democratic Rep.) Tom Suozzi,” Santos told the outlet. Earlier Report: Not Laughi…
Mass Man Used Money Meant For Suicide Prevention For Veterans On OnlyFans, Cruise: Feds Mass Man Used Money Meant For Suicide Prevention For Veterans On OnlyFans, Cruise: Feds
Mass Man Used Money Meant For Suicide Prevention For Veterans On OnlyFans, Cruise: Feds A Massachusetts man stole money from a nonprofit that was meant to prevent veterans from committing suicide and spent it on a cruise, OnlyFans models, and landscaping, federal authorities said.  David Duren, a/k/a Dawud Hakiem Duren, 48, was indicted in a New Hampshire federal court on Tuesday, March 5, on charges of wire fraud and federal program fraud, the US Attorney for New Hampshire said.  Duren was a program manager at a healthcare provider in Nashua, New Hampshire, and oversaw a $750,000 program funded by a Staff Sergeant Fox Suicide Prevention Grant. The money was ear…
Over $955K Scheme: Former Office Manager From Cheshire Gets Years In Prison For Embezzlement Over $955K Scheme: Former Office Manager From Cheshire Gets Years In Prison For Embezzlement
Over $955K Scheme: Former Office Manager From Cheshire Gets Years In Prison For Embezzlement A 53-year-old former office manager from Connecticut will spend years in prison for embezzling nearly $956,000 from the family-owned construction business she worked for, officials announced. New Haven County resident Erin Sullivan of Cheshire, age 53, was sentenced on Wednesday, Feb. 21 to 24 months in prison for her embezzlement scheme and tax fraud, the US Attorney's Office for the District of Connecticut announced. According to federal officials, Sullivan was employed as the office manager for the Orange-based construction business she worked for. Beginning at least as early as 2016, Su…
Severna Park Woman Admits To Role In $1.89B Cryptocurrency Fraud Scheme Severna Park Woman Admits To Role In $1.89B Cryptocurrency Fraud Scheme
Severna Park Woman Admits To Role In $1.89B Cryptocurrency Fraud Scheme A Maryland woman went under the name of “Bitcoin Beautee” during her role alongside two others in a Cryptocurrency fraud scheme that netted more than $1.89 billion, she admitted in US District Court on Monday, Jan. 29. Brenda Chunga, 43, of Severna Park, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit securities fraud and wire fraud for her role as a promoter of HyperFund, also known as HyperTech, HyperCapital, HyperVerse, and HyperNation, US Attorney Erek Barron announced. The plea came just four days after a federal grand jury returned an indictment charging Sam Lee, 35, an Australian citizen…
Shady Concert Venue Operator, Bar Owner Sentenced For Bribing DC Tax Official: Feds Shady Concert Venue Operator, Bar Owner Sentenced For Bribing DC Tax Official: Feds
Shady Concert Venue Operator, Bar Owner Sentenced For Bribing DC Tax Official: Feds Two men are heading to prison for their roles in separate conspiracies to evade tax obligations through bribes to a former DC Office of Tax and Revenue employee. Andre De Moya, 51, of Temple Hills, and District resident Davoud Jafari, 72, will possibly spend years behind bars for their respective roles in multi-year schemes, federal authorities announced on Thursday. Specifically, De Moya was sentenced to 30 months in prison, while Jafari was hit with 24 months for their roles in the schemes. In both schemes, the bribe payments and communications were facilitated by middleman Anthony Merri…
Putnam County Man Gets Jail Time For Stealing $500K From Retirement Accounts Putnam County Man Gets Jail Time For Stealing $500K From Retirement Accounts
Putnam County Man Gets Jail Time For Stealing $500K From Retirement Accounts A former financial advisor from the Hudson Valley will spend years in prison for his role in a scheme to steal from a retirement fund sponsored by a labor union for law enforcement employees. Putnam County resident Andrew Brown, age 56, of Putnam Valley, was sentenced to 18 months in prison for defrauding members of the Law Enforcement Employees Benevolent Association (LEEBA), a labor union for law enforcement officers employed by New York City, the US Attorney's Office for Southern District of New York announced on Wednesday, Jan. 17.  Earlier Report - $500K Scheme: Putnam Vall…
Arlington Influencer Wanted By FBI Blames 'Naughty Americans' For Alleged Scam On Immigrants Arlington Influencer Wanted By FBI Blames 'Naughty Americans' For Alleged Scam On Immigrants
Arlington Influencer Wanted By FBI Blames 'Naughty Americans' For Alleged Scam On Immigrants A Brazilian influencer who federal officials said pretended to be an immigration lawyer to defraud clients out of nearly $700,000 says "naughty Americans" are actually the ones to blame. An indictment returned by a federal grand jury says 29-year-old Patricia De Oliveira Souza Lelis Bolin, of Arlington, posed as an immigration lawyer to help foreign clients obtain E-2 and EB-5 visas to the United States.  View this post on Instagram A post shared by Patrícia Lélis (@patricialelis) The EB-5 program provides lawful permanent residency, and poss…
Feds: Crooked Bookkeeper Admits Embezzling $900G From Restaurants In NJ, NY, PA (UPDATE) Feds: Crooked Bookkeeper Admits Embezzling $900G From Restaurants In NJ, NY, PA (UPDATE)
Feds: Crooked Bookkeeper Admits Embezzling $900G From Restaurants In NJ, NY, PA (Update) A bookkeeper from New Jersey admitted in federal court that he embezzled more than $900,000 from restaurants he worked for in the Garden State, New York and Pennsylvania, authorities said. Richard Winter, 53, of Pompton Lakes authorized bank wire transfers from some of them, pocketed vendor payments to others and issued checks payable to cash that he then deposited into his own bank accounts, U.S. Attorney for New Jersey Philip Sellinger said. Winter serviced the clients' accounts payable through a company he created called Back Office Pro, a complaint on file in federal court in Newark say…
Former Social Media Influencer In MD Gets Prison Time For $1.2M COVID Scheme Former Social Media Influencer In MD Gets Prison Time For $1.2M COVID Scheme
Former Social Media Influencer In MD Gets Prison Time For $1.2M COVID Scheme A former social media influencer from Maryland is heading to federal prison for his role in a $1.2 million COVID scheme involving wire fraud and money laundering. Denish Sahadevan, aka “Danny Devan,” 32, of Potomac, Maryland, was sentenced on Tuesday, Jan. 9 to three years in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for wire fraud, aggravated identity theft and money laundering, authorities said. ‘Danny Devan’ gained a TikTok following for his financial advice regarding stocks and cryptocurrency: @.dannydevvan ♬ original sound - Stocks • Crypto • Money The …
Ex-Hyde Park Headmistress Who Used School Money For Tropical Vacations Avoids Jail Time: Feds Ex-Hyde Park Headmistress Who Used School Money For Tropical Vacations Avoids Jail Time: Feds
Ex-Hyde Park Headmistress Who Used School Money For Tropical Vacations Avoids Jail Time: Feds The former leader of a Boston school who admitted to using nearly $40,000 set aside for the children's education on personal expenses and tropical vacations will not go to prison, but she must repay the money, authorities said.  Naia Wilson, 60, of Mattapan, was sentenced on Tuesday, Jan. 9, to 90 days of home confinement, two years of probation, 160 hours of community service, and a $25,000 fine, the US Attorney for Massachusetts said. She must also repay the $38,806 she took from Boston Public Schools.  Wilson pleaded guilty in September to a single count of wire fraud.&nbs…
CEO In Bergen Sold $35M Worth Of Banned Chinese Surveillance Cams To Police, Others In NJ: Feds CEO In Bergen Sold $35M Worth Of Banned Chinese Surveillance Cams To Police, Others In NJ: Feds
CEO In Bergen Sold $35M Worth Of Banned Chinese Surveillance Cams To Police, Others In NJ: Feds A Jersey Shore businessman conned state and local law enforcement agencies and others into buying nearly $35 million worth of surveillance cameras that were made in China and then illegally rebranded for sale by his Bergen County company, federal authorities charged. Tamer Zakhary, 49, of Toms River, modified license-plate readers and other cameras, then removed the original company’s logo, an FBI complaint says. He then told the police departments, prosecutor's offices and other buyers throughout the state that they were compliant with the National Defense Authorization Act, U.S. Atto…
$20M Scheme: Former Rye Resident Steals Funds From Bank For Investment Firm, Feds Say $20M Scheme: Former Rye Resident Steals Funds From Bank For Investment Firm, Feds Say
$20M Scheme: Former Rye Resident Steals Funds From Bank For Investment Firm, Feds Say A former Westchester resident faces charges after allegedly stealing funds from a bank through lines of credit totaling $20 million for the multi-million-dollar municipal tax lien investment firm that he founded, federal officials announced.  John Arthur Hanratty, a 49-year-old New York-licensed attorney who lived in Rye until 2019 before moving to San Juan, Puerto Rico, was arrested on fraud charges in connection with a scheme to steal money from a bank for his investment firm, the US Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York said. According to federal officials,&nb…