Federal prosecutors have unsealed indictments that read like the script of a nightmare — one where faith, fear, and guilt were turned into tools of control. At the center of the case are David Taylor, self-styled “Apostle” of the Kingdom of God Global Church (KOGGC), and Michelle Brannon, his close associate. Together, they are accused …
Imagine this: You’re sitting across from a charming couple discussing life insurance options. They seem trustworthy, genuine, and caring. But behind their smiles hides a multimillion-dollar scam. Sound far-fetched? That’s exactly what Maureen Wilson from Owings Mills did—until it all came crashing down. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, here’s how it unfolded: How …
The OCC announced it has sent a cease and desist letter to Citibank regarding “identified deficiencies in the Bank’s overall program for Bank Secrecy Act/anti-money laundering (“BSA/AML”) compliance” As we all know, banks make mistakes. It just seems that typically it is the consumers that wind up paying for them. The OCC found that the …
The Office of the Special Inspector General for the Troubled Asset Relief Program (SIGTARP) and United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut David B. Fein recently announced that a federal grand jury sitting in Bridgeport, Conn., has returned an indictment charging Julius C. Blackwelder, 59, of Utah, formerly of Stratford, Conn., with nine counts …
A federal grand jury in Pheonix returned a 25 count indictment against Gerald Lee Kelly on four counts of wire fraud, six counts of mail fraud, 10 counts of money laundering and five counts of structuring financial transactions to avoid federal bank reporting requirements. The indictment alleges that in 2006 and 2007, Kelly operated a …
Two New Jersey men have pleaded guilty for their roles in a scam that used phony identification documents to open multiple checking accounts to launder and steal more than $1 million. The two men, Abiatu Umah and Emmanuel Awa, pleaded guilty in Newark federal court last week to Informations charging them with one count of …
Announced earlier last week was the filing of a civil money-laundering and in rem forfeiture complaint alleging a massive, international scheme in which Lebanese financial institutions, including a bank and two exchange houses linked to Hizballah, used the U.S. financial system to launder narcotics trafficking and other criminal proceeds through West Africa and back into …
Earlier this year Janice Edwina Demmitt was convicted of the federal felony offenses charged in a 27-count indictment against her and her son, Timothy Fry. At trial, Demmitt was convicted on on one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering, eight counts of wire fraud and 11 counts of money laundering. Her son, Fry, whom …
I’ve never really thought or paid much mind to where a criminal would buy a car. Have you? I mean, think about it, you’d figure if someone was hiding from the police or the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) that they’d probably buy a car in cash and pay off a dealer to keep it off …
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 …