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Saturday, nov 30
Tag:
Fraud
Politics
Trump Taps Dr. Oz, Penn Alum, To Lead Medicare And Medicaid Services
President-elect Donald J. Trump has nominated Dr. Mehmet Oz to head the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), citing the Pennsylvania-educated heart surgeon’s decades-long dedication to healthcare innovation and public advocacy. The announcement came Tuesday, Nov. 19, as Trump highlighted Oz’s qualifications and ties to the Keystone State. Dr. Oz earned both his medical degree and MBA from the University of Pennsylvania’s School of Medicine and Wharton Business School, making him an Ivy League-trained physician and business leader. Trump lauded his achievements in a statement, ca…
News
Purported Psychic Masterminded Scheme To Bilk Love-Struck Maryland Man Into $4M Scam: Feds
The purported psychic who masterminded an elaborate fraud, extortion, and money laundering scheme that resulted in a Maryland man embezzling more than $4 million from his DC employer will spend time in prison, federal authorities announced. Gina Rita Russell, 35, formerly of New York and Los Angeles, was sentenced to 125 months in prison following an elaborate scheme involving family members, one of whom threatened the Maryland man's young children. According to prosecutors, Russell met a New York woman and performed a psychic reading on her, convincing her that bad things would happen…
News
Philly Woman Stole $184K In COVID Relief Money For Butt Lift: Warrant
A Philadelphia woman is accused of fraudulently cashing a COVID-19 relief check and spending the money on plastic surgery. In an arrest warrant obtained by Local10.com, authorities said 30-year-old Ashley Stibbins-Parker made a bank account for a Georgia entity called "City of Weston LLC.'' Investigators believe she used the account to collect $184,838.72 in federal CARES Act funding meant for the real City of Weston in Florida. Broward County commissioners sent the money to Weston City Hall via check in February 2021, but by the next month, it had been deposited into Sti…
Politics
Former Maryland Councilman Accused Of Stealing Campaign Funds: State Prosecutor
The Prince George's County councilman who abruptly resigned last week is facing charges for allegedly stealing more than $100,000 in campaign funds, the Office of the Maryland State Prosecutor announced on Thursday. James R. Franklin is facing charges that include multiple counts of felony theft scheme, embezzlement, and perjury following a long-ranging scheme that began in 2009. According to the charges filed on June 20, Franklin established his campaign committee “Friends of Mel Franklin” in 2009 to raise funds for his election to the Prince George’s County Council, where he ser…
News
Woman Charged For Running Sex, Human Trafficking Ring Across Maryland: AG
A Baltimore woman has been indicted by a Washington County grand jury in a 135-count indictment stemming from a years-long investigation by the Maryland Attorney General's Office into a human and sex trafficking ring, authorities announced. Kenika Danielle Leach, 33, has been charged following a two-year multi-agency investigation, which helped the AG's Organized Crime Unit to identify nearly a dozen women from Hagerstown who were allegedly trafficked by her and her organization at hotels and motels throughout Maryland. According to the AG, in December 2021, the Baltimore Police Department …
News
Non-Profit Employee Accused Of Stealing From Maryland Organization: State's Attorney
A Frederick woman who schemed to defraud a non-profit in Westminster where she worked has been charged, the Carroll County State's Attorney's Office announced. Randi Lynn Ryan, 48, has been arrested and charged for an alleged scam targeting the Carroll County Arts Council, Inc. over the course of nearly two years. It is alleged that Ryan, while working as a financial coordinator for the non-profit, was issued a Bank of America credit card to use for the organization's business; however, an audit conducted in June 2023 found that Ryan was not compliant in turning over requested do…
News
Half-Baked Convict Admits To Illegally Possessing USPS 'Arrow' Keys, Stolen Checks In MD: Feds
A convict from Montgomery County admitted to illegally possessing USPS “arrow keys” used to open collection boxes outside a local post office, authorities announced Monday, Feb. 5. Andrew Steven Martin, 30, of Silver Spring, pleaded guilty to unlawful possession of US Postal Service keys used to access US Postal Service mail receptacles, as well as being a felon in possession of ammunition, Erek L. Barron, United States Attorney for the District of Maryland said. Martin was charged following a traffic stop that led to the discovery of a bag of marijuana in the center vehicle console and a h…
News
Man's Brother Pretended To Be NY Mobster As Part Of $4M Embezzlement Scheme In MD/DC: Feds
Henry Hill immortalized the line "as far back as I can remember, I always wanted to be a gangster." That mantra didn't work out well for a pair of brothers - one of whom pretended to be a New York mobster - to get a Maryland man to embezzle more than $4 million from his employer in Washington, DC. New York native Corry Blue Evans, 31, has been sentenced to 41 months in prison for his role in an elaborate fraud, extortion, and money laundering scheme that involved several other close-knit co-conspirators who worked to exploit the multi-million dollar scheme. The sentence comes y…
Police & Fire
Duplicitous Duo Assaulted Arresting Deputy During Frederick Fraud Investigation, Officials Say
DeWight Gilbert and Morgan Milligan did not go down quietly following an investigation into a fraud scheme that spanned several Maryland communities. The Hyattsville residents are facing a host of charges in Frederick County after allegedly assaulting an officer near an area bank on Saturday morning who tracked them down for a string of scams. At around 10:20 a.m. on Saturday, Nov. 25, deputies from the Frederick County Sheriff's Office responded to the Fulton Bank on Presidents Court in Frederick, where Gilbert - who was known to them for several fraudulent transactions - was spotted. Res…
News
Former State Employee, Brother Guilty Of Profiting From Pandemic In Maryland: AG
A former state employee in Maryland who conspired with his brother to profit from the COVID-19 pandemic will have time to ponder his decisions behind bars, the Attorney's General Office announced. James DiPino, 62, and Paul DiPino, Jr., 56, were sentenced to 10 years in prison with all but one year and one day suspended after admitting to bribery charges in connection to their procurement of personal protective equipment (PPE) during the pandemic. Maryland Attorney General Anthony Brown said that in the spring of 2020, right as the the pandemic was becoming a national concern, James DiPino …
News
Dirty Cop: Baltimore County Officer Gets Prison Time For Accepting Bribes For Handgun Licenses
Former Baltimore County Police officer William Johnson, Jr. is set to spend time behind bars with some of the people he helped lock up. Federal officials announced that the Baltimore native has been sentenced to 18 months in prison, followed by two years of supervised release, after he admitted to accepting thousands of dollars worth of bribes and kickbacks in exchange for handgun qualifying licenses they never earned. The 34-year-old pleaded guilty in April to a federal charge of honest services wire fraud for falsely certifying applicants for Maryland handgun qualifying licenses and …
Lifestyle
Maryland State Police Caution About Fraudsters Posing As Officers
Maryland residents are being advised to be on high alert following a recent rash of fraudsters posing as police. An alert was issued by Maryland State Police over the weekend warning residents to be aware of possible phone scam fraud attempts by police impersonators. Officials say that they've received multiple reports from several residents throughout the state who advised that they'd been contacted by people claiming to be either state troopers or police officers in an attempt to scam victims out of cash or personal information. According to police, the poser tells possible victims that …
Politics
Former Official Gets Prison Time For Abusing Power, Stalking Exes In Baltimore
Embattled former Baltimore City Assistant State’s Attorney Adam Lane Chaudry will spend time behind bars with some of the people he helped put away for stalking former paramours and their friends, federal authorities announced. Chaudry, 43, was sentenced this week to two years in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, after he pleaded guilty late last year to two counts of fraud in connection with obtaining confidential phone records. Between June 2009 and June 18, 2021, prosecutors say that Chaudry caused three grand jury subpoenas to be sent to a telecommunications…
News
MD Sheriff Pleads Not Guilty To Machine Gun Scheme, Replacement Named
Frederick County Sheriff Chuck Jenkins has pleaded not guilty to all counts after being embroiled in a machine gun purchasing scheme, though he ha agreed to step down and a replacement has been named. Jenkins, 66, a Thurmont resident, was arraigned this week and pleaded not guilty after being accused last week by a federal grand jury indictment for an alleged years-long scheme to import machine guns into the county with Machine Gun Nest owner Justin Krop. Initially, Jenkins had planned to remain active in office as the legal proceedings played out, but on Wednesday, April 12, after his arr…
News
Manhunt For Former Top Hogan Aide In MD Hits Week Three; $20K Reward Offered By Feds
Weeks after he skipped out on a scheduled fraud trial, federal officials are offering a $20,000 reward for information that leads to the arrest of Gov. Larry Hogan's former Chief of Staff Roy McGrath. A manhunt is underway by the US Marshals Services and other law enforcement agencies as they attempt to locate McGrath, 53, the former governor’s top aide, after he failed to make a scheduled court appearance on Monday, March 13. @USMSBaltimore has initiated an interstate fugitive investigation. It is now seeking to apprehend the former Maryland governor’s top aide after he failed to appe…
News
Manhunt Launched For Former Top Hogan Aide Who Skipped Federal Fraud Trial In Maryland
The search is on for one of former Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan’s top lieutenants who is on the lam after he failed to make a scheduled court appearance for fraud and theft charges this week. A manhunt is underway by the US Marshals Services and other law enforcement agencies as they attempt to locate Roy McGrath, 53, the former governor’s top aide, after he failed to make a scheduled court appearance on Monday, March 13. @USMSBaltimore has initiated an interstate fugitive investigation. It is now seeking to apprehend the former Maryland governor’s top aide after he failed to appear in cou…
News
Disgraced Former Baltimore City Assistant State's Attorney Ordered Disbarred: Report
Embattled former Baltimore City Assistant State’s Attorney Adam Lane Chaudry has reportedly been disbarred as he faces years in prison for using his power to stalk two former romantic partners. Chaudry, 43, pleaded guilty in December to two counts of fraud in connection with obtaining confidential phone records, admitting that he committed the crime knowing the information could be used in furtherance and with the intent to commit stalking. This week, the Supreme Court of Maryland ordered that Chaudry be disbarred, saying that he “engaged in misconduct that violates the Maryland Attorn…
News
Former Baltimore City Assistant State's Attorney Admits To Obtaining Phone Records, Stalking Ex
Former Baltimore City Assistant State's Attorney Adam Lane Chaudry has reached a plea agreement admitting that he obtained confidential phone records to stalk two romantic partners, federal officials announced. Chaudry, 43, pleaded guilty on Friday, Dec. 9 to two counts of fraud in connection with obtaining confidential phone records, admitting that he committed the crime knowing the information could be used in furtherance and with the intent to commit stalking. Between June 2009 and June 18, 2021, prosecutors say that Chaudry caused three grand jury subpoenas to be sent to a telecommunica…
Police & Fire
Former Baltimore Prosecutor Who Abused Power To Stalk Ex-Partners Faces Federal Charges
A former Baltimore City Assistant State's Attorney has been indicted on federal charges for unlawfully obtaining phone records, authorities announce. Adam Lane Chaudry, 43, has been charged with 10 counts of fraud in connection with obtaining confidential phone records after an indictment alleged that Chaudry committed the crime knowing that information may be used in the intent to commit stalking, according to the Department of Justice. From June 2009 to June 18, 2021, Chaudry worked as an Assistant State’s Attorney in the Baltimore City State’s Attorney’s Office. From September 2015 …
News
Maryland Men Convicted Of Running $13M Money Laundering Scheme
Two Maryland men have been convicted after running a $13 million business email compromise scheme, authorities say. Onyewuchi Victor Ibeh, 33, of Mitchellville, and Jason Eugene Joyner, 42, of Hyattsville, participated in the scheme to launder proceeds by infiltrating computer systems of victim companies through phishing and malware attacks, according to the Department of Justice. Once the pair would gain access to the accounts, prosecutors said they would pose as the victim's business partner and claim the bank account information has changed so the victim business sends money to accounts …
Police & Fire
Police Ask For Help Identifying Suspects In Rockville Theft
Police are asking for the public's help identifying two suspects connected to an auto theft and fraud incident from Rockville that happened in June, authorities say. Surveillance footage has been released of the suspects who allegedly stole the parked vehicle from a parking lot near OneLife Fitness on Research Boulevard, Thursday, June 2, according to Montgomery County police. Multiple credit cards that were in the vehicle at the time were also stolen and then used to make fraudulent purchases in several Virginia stores. Anyone with information about these crimes or suspects involved…
News
Thrifty Furniture Sellers Settle In Frederick County For Shifty Scam
Several business owners in Maryland will face no further prosecution after reaching an agreement to refund payments for work that was unfulfilled or failed to match expectations, the Attorney General's Office announced. The AG’s Consumer Protection Division has reached a settlement of the civil charges against Christopher Engel, Karol Engel, Matthew Dihel, MOCHA Furniture Limited Liability Company, Urbana custom décor Limited Liability Company, and Farmstead Custom Furniture LLC in Frederick County, according to AG Brian Frosh. Frosh said the group was "collectively charged with v…
Police & Fire
Wanted Man In Maryland Facing Drug Charges After Providing Phony Name: Sheriff
A wanted man tried to pull a fast one over on sheriff’s deputies in Maryland by providing a false name to investigators before being ultimately apprehended in Culvert County. David Tyrone Patterson, 42, of Greensboro, is facing drug and fraud charges after being busted with heroin and paraphernalia after providing investigators with a phony ID, the sheriff’s office announced on Wednesday, June 29. Deputies responded to the 500 block of Fox Run Boulevard in Prince Frederick to conduct a welfare check on Patterson, according to a spokesperson from the sheriff's office. Upon arrival, investi…
Police & Fire
Suspects Wanted For Separate Credit Card Theft, Fraud Incidents In Harford County
Law enforcement agencies in Maryland are seeking the public’s assistance in locating two pairs of suspects who allegedly fraudulently used stolen credit cards in separate incidents in Harford County. An alert was issued by the Harford County Sheriff’s Office on Friday, June 24, as they attempt to track down the four suspects who are wanted on fraud and theft charges. These two wanted suspects used a stolen credit cards to purchase gift cards at the Fallston Walmart.Harford County Sheriff's Office First, between 5:37 p.m. and 5:53 p.m. on Saturday, June 18, two women (pictured above) pu…
News
$6.8M
Covid-
19 Scam: Ex-Hedge Fund Manager Gets 4+ Years, No Parole
A dual New York/Florida resident was sentenced in New Jersey to a plea-bargained 51 months in federal prison for fraudulently collecting more than $6.8 million in COVID-19 payroll protection loans -- $3 million of which he lost in the stock market. Gregory J. Blotnick, 35, will have to serve just about all of the sentence because there's no parole in the federal prison system. In addition to the prison term, U.S. District Judge Brian R. Martinotti sentenced Blotnick in Newark to two years of supervised release and ordered him to pay restitution of $4,577,631. Blotnick told the judge last f…
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