When my grandma, god bless her soul, hears about a new scam, fraud or any form of financial trickery she immediately calls me up and warns me to stop whatever I’m doing and take notes. To her knowledge I don’t belong to more than one social media network, I don’t buy items online, I don’t apply for credit cards and ... Read More »

Last Thursday it was announced that Laurentiu Ilian Bulat was arrested yesterday for allegedly participating in a fraud ring that stole at least $1.5 million from HSBC customer bank accounts by installing “skimming” devices on more than 40 ATMs in Manhattan, Long Island, and Westchester, New York. According to the Complaint since May 2011, the U.S. Secret Service, together with ... Read More »

Kevin Harold Lewis was sentenced to 121 months incarceration to be followed by three years of supervised release for bank fraud. Lewis was also ordered to pay $33,826,326 in restitution. An additional amount of restitution will be considered after briefs are filed regarding the loss to Centennial Bank of Cabot, Arkansas. Lewis was ordered to report to the Bureau of ... Read More »

Brent Beckley, the director of payment processing for Absolute Poker, pled guilty this month in Manhattan federal court to conspiracy to engage in unlawful internet gambling and conspiracy to commit bank fraud and wire fraud, in connection with a scheme to deceive U.S. banks and financial institutions, using them to process tens of millions of dollars in payments for Absolute ... Read More »

On December 13, 2011 it was announced that a federal grand jury returned a 102-count indictment against ten Ohio men (ages ranging from 21 to 33) with crimes of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, mail fraud, bank fraud and aggravated identity theft. Clifford J. Smith (“CJ”), Musa Nassar, Jon Foster, Donte Stewart, Billy St. Clair, Adam Bailey, Tyme Hammond, Kevin ... Read More »

From May 2009 through November of 2011 it’s been alleged that two men, Tavon Dameon Davis and Bruce Eric Byrd, among others were involved in a scheme to steal money orders and checks from rent deposit boxes at apartment complexes, then deposit the funds into fraudulent business savings, checking and payroll accounts at banks. The conspirators then allegedly withdrew the ... Read More »

And AGAIN, a criminal thought he could commit the same crime he had already committed and gotten jailed for. Former inmate, Danwine Dewayne Renard, was sentenced to a 144 month term in prison following his plea of guilty to participating in an identity theft scheme while incarcerated. Renard has also been ordered to pay 122,943.72 in restitution and a $49,000 ... Read More »

Three New York residents were charged last week with an indictment charging them with conspiracy, bank fraud and identity theft offenses related to an alleged participation in an ATM “skimming” scheme across southern New England. Gabriela Graham and two citizens of Turkey, Mehmet Aydin and Ahmet Cilek, were each charged with one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud, six ... Read More »

Three defendants have been sentenced to federal prison on charges of bank fraud and aggravated identity theft; one man committing fraud from prison. According to United States Attorney Sally Quillian Yates, the charges and other information presented in court: In late January 2011, Samantha Johnson stole the wallet of a 93-year-old woman while she was shopping at a retail establishment ... Read More »

Jade Capital & Investments and its owners Joon Park (aka Joon Pak / Joon Paik) and his brother Loren Young Park (aka Loren Young Park / Yong Park) have been indicted on charges in connection to a scheme to fraudulently obtain business loans guaranteed by the Small Business Administration (SBA). Allegedly, this scheme resulted in losses over $37 million. Associate, ... Read More »

So, A Fraudster, Arsonist And Drug Dealer Walk Into A Bar… OUCH. The last of the six defendants in an indictment charging mortgage fraud, arson, marijuana trafficking and money laundering has entered a guilty plea in federal court in Michigan as of last week. The following defendants entered guilty pleas before United States District Judge Sean Cox: Linda Abdullah, aka ... Read More »

After running an investment fraud scheme and causing at least $200 million in losses, Eliyahu Weinstein was indicted last week with 45 charges. Weinstein has been charged one one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, 29 counts of wire fraud, two counts of wire fraud while on pretrial release, one count of bank fraud and 12 counts of money ... Read More »

After a conviction last November following a seven-week trial David Moro was sentenced on October 5, 2011 to 10 and a half years (126 months) in prison for orchestrating and carrying out a $4.2 million broadcasting equipment lease and financing scheme which yielded a loss of more than $3 million to lenders. Moro was convicted of one count of conspiracy ... Read More »

This just in! ANOTHER person thought it would be a GREAT and SUPER SMART idea to defraud a bank … and it WASN’T! When will people learn? Multiple Virginia banks were defrauded almost $3.4 million by Osvaldo Mercado for submitting fraudulent loans. Mercado was indicted on conspiracy, six counts of bank fraud, two counts of mail fraud, and two counts ... Read More »

Victor Cilli pleaded guilty on October 3, 2011 to an Information charge against him with one count of securities fraud, one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud and one count of tax evasion. Cilli was a commodity pool operator and day trader in New Jersey and directed two schemes to defraud investors and financial institutions out of about $2 ... Read More »