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Gold Bar Scammer Admits To $230K Scheme Targeting Elderly In Maryland: State's Attorney Gold Bar Scammer Admits To $230K Scheme Targeting Elderly In Maryland: State's Attorney
Gold Bar Scammer Admits To $230K Scheme Targeting Elderly In Maryland: State's Attorney The Maryland scammer believed to be a part of an international organized crime ring targeting elderly residents will face decades in prison, according to the Montgomery County State's Attorney's Office. Ravinklejeet Mathon pleaded guilty this week and will face 40 years behind bars after scheming to steal three one-kilo gold bars with an estimated value of nearly $230,000 from an elderly man in Silver Spring. "The scam is believed to be part of an international organized crime ring," prosecutors said. "Similar Gold Bar Scams have been reported here in Montgomery County and across the United…

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by Zak Failla
News
Purported Psychic Masterminded Scheme To Bilk Love-Struck Maryland Man Into $4M Scam: Feds Purported Psychic Masterminded Scheme To Bilk Love-Struck Maryland Man Into $4M Scam: Feds
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…

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by Zak Failla
News
Philly Woman Stole $184K In COVID Relief Money For Butt Lift: Warrant Philly Woman Stole $184K In COVID Relief Money For Butt Lift: Warrant
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…

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by Mac Bullock
Politics
Former Maryland Councilman Accused Of Stealing Campaign Funds: State Prosecutor Former Maryland Councilman Accused Of Stealing Campaign Funds: State Prosecutor
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…

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by Zak Failla
News
Woman Charged For Running Sex, Human Trafficking Ring Across Maryland: AG Woman Charged For Running Sex, Human Trafficking Ring Across Maryland: AG
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 …

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by Zak Failla
News
Non-Profit Employee Accused Of Stealing From Maryland Organization: State's Attorney Non-Profit Employee Accused Of Stealing From Maryland Organization: State's Attorney
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…

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by Zak Failla
News
Half-Baked Convict Admits To Illegally Possessing USPS 'Arrow' Keys, Stolen Checks In MD: Feds Half-Baked Convict Admits To Illegally Possessing USPS 'Arrow' Keys, Stolen Checks In MD: Feds
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…

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by Daily Voice
News
Man's Brother Pretended To Be NY Mobster As Part Of $4M Embezzlement Scheme In MD/DC: Feds Man's Brother Pretended To Be NY Mobster As Part Of $4M Embezzlement Scheme In MD/DC: Feds
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…

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by Zak Failla
Police & Fire
Duplicitous Duo Assaulted Arresting Deputy During Frederick Fraud Investigation, Officials Say Duplicitous Duo Assaulted Arresting Deputy During Frederick Fraud Investigation, Officials Say
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…

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by Zak Failla
News
Former State Employee, Brother Guilty Of Profiting From Pandemic In Maryland: AG Former State Employee, Brother Guilty Of Profiting From Pandemic In Maryland: AG
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 …

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by Zak Failla
News
Former School DOT Employees In MD Admit To Role In $320K Theft Scheme: State's Attorney Former School DOT Employees In MD Admit To Role In $320K Theft Scheme: State's Attorney
Former School DOT Employees In MD Admit To Role In $320K Theft Scheme: State's Attorney The former Director of the Montgomery County Public Schools Department of Transportation (DOT) has copped to his role in a scheme that allowed another top official to steam hundreds of thousands of dollars. Todd Michael Watkins, 56, of Jefferson, pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of misconduct in office for conspiring with Charles Ewald, the former Assistant Director of the DOT, the Montgomery County State’s Attorney announced on Friday, June 30. Prosecutors say that Watkins assumed his position in 2009, and beginning in 2016 and through September 2021, he failed to properly manage the…

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by Zak Failla
Police & Fire
South Korean Clothing Manufacturer Admits Customs Fraud, Agrees To Pay US $2 Million South Korean Clothing Manufacturer Admits Customs Fraud, Agrees To Pay US $2 Million
South Korean Clothing Manufacturer Admits Customs Fraud, Agrees To Pay US $2 Million A South Korean company has agreed to reimburse the United States $2 million for defrauding Customs officials about the value of imported clothing and apparel. Principals with Anyclo International Inc. admitted this week that the company evaded duties on clothing and apparel that it manufactured abroad and imported into the U.S. for nearly seven years, beginning in October 2012, U.S. Attorney for New Jersey Philip R. Sellinger said. The fraud involved preparing two invoices for the same shipments, the U.S. attorney said. One invoice bore the true value of the merchandise, Sellinger said. Th…

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by Jerry DeMarco
Lifestyle
Maryland State Police Caution About Fraudsters Posing As Officers Maryland State Police Caution About Fraudsters Posing As Officers
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 …

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by Zak Failla
Police & Fire
$6M Ponzi Scheme: Braggart Hedge Fund 'Tycoon' Busted By Undercover NJ Fed $6M Ponzi Scheme: Braggart Hedge Fund 'Tycoon' Busted By Undercover NJ Fed
$6M Ponzi Scheme: Braggart Hedge Fund 'Tycoon' Busted By Undercover NJ Fed The well-heeled hedge fund tycoon from Chicago seemingly couldn’t help but boast of some spectacular achievements during a meeting with an investment manager in New Jersey. There were annual returns of 336 percent, more than $2 billion raised in just 60 days and a list of investors that included a well-known owner of a professional sports team, authorities said. Phillip Galles, 57, also took a page from George Santos’s book, claiming that he’d graduated from a prominent university in the Midwest, they said. Galles’s “outlandish claims of experience, expertise and success” were all BS, a co…

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by Jerry DeMarco
News
'Most Evil We Have Seen:' MD Man In 'Financial Despair' Gets Max Sentence For Murdering Boss 'Most Evil We Have Seen:' MD Man In 'Financial Despair' Gets Max Sentence For Murdering Boss
'Most Evil We Have Seen:' MD Man In 'Financial Despair' Gets Max Sentence For Murdering Boss The schemer in Maryland who went through elaborate measures to plot and kill his boss after he was fired will never see the light of day after being sentenced on Monday, Montgomery County State’s Attorney John McCarthy announced. Billy Phillips, 38, of Rockville, was sentenced to life in prison, plus 65 years after admitting to killing his boss, Bethesda resident Geoffrey Biddle, 66, nearly two years ago, according to officials on Monday, May 1. "For a period of time, Biddle trusted Phillips to work for his company, and he abused that trust by using what he learned during his employment to …

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by Zak Failla
Politics
Former Official Gets Prison Time For Abusing Power, Stalking Exes In Baltimore Former Official Gets Prison Time For Abusing Power, Stalking Exes In Baltimore
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…

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by Zak Failla
News
MD Sheriff Pleads Not Guilty To Machine Gun Scheme, Replacement Named MD Sheriff Pleads Not Guilty To Machine Gun Scheme, Replacement Named
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…

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by Zak Failla
News
Manhunt For Former Top Hogan Aide In MD Hits Week Three; $20K Reward Offered By Feds Manhunt For Former Top Hogan Aide In MD Hits Week Three; $20K Reward Offered By Feds
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…

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by Zak Failla
News
Feds Charge Exiled Chinese Tycoon With $1B Fraud That Funded $26.5M Mahwah Mansion, More Feds Charge Exiled Chinese Tycoon With $1B Fraud That Funded $26.5M Mahwah Mansion, More
Feds Charge Exiled Chinese Tycoon With $1B Fraud That Funded $26.5M Mahwah Mansion, More Exiled Chinese tycoon Miles Guo was arrested by the FBI Wednesday on charges of swindling his online followers out of more than $1 billion that the government said he used, in part, to buy a 58-room mansion in Mahwah. Some of the agents were still at Guo’s 15-room penthouse in the Sherry-Netherland Hotel on Manhattan’s Upper East Side the afternoon of March 15, six hours after he’d been arrested there, when a mysterious fire broke out on the 18th floor, responders said. No injuries were reported, but authorities said the blaze significantly damaged Guo’s unit. No one drew any immediate conn…

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by Jerry DeMarco
News
Manhunt Launched For Former Top Hogan Aide Who Skipped Federal Fraud Trial In Maryland Manhunt Launched For Former Top Hogan Aide Who Skipped Federal Fraud Trial In Maryland
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…

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by Zak Failla
News
Former Baltimore City Assistant State's Attorney Admits To Obtaining Phone Records, Stalking Ex Former Baltimore City Assistant State's Attorney Admits To Obtaining Phone Records, Stalking Ex
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…

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by Zak Failla
Police & Fire
Former Baltimore Prosecutor Who Abused Power To Stalk Ex-Partners Faces Federal Charges Former Baltimore Prosecutor Who Abused Power To Stalk Ex-Partners Faces Federal Charges
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 …

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by Annie DeVoe
News
Maryland Men Convicted Of Running $13M Money Laundering Scheme Maryland Men Convicted Of Running $13M Money Laundering Scheme
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 …

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by Annie DeVoe
Police & Fire
Police Ask For Help Identifying Suspects In Rockville Theft Police Ask For Help Identifying Suspects In Rockville Theft
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…

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by Annie DeVoe
News
Thrifty Furniture Sellers Settle In Frederick County For Shifty Scam Thrifty Furniture Sellers Settle In Frederick County For Shifty Scam
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…

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by Zak Failla
Police & Fire
Wanted Man In Maryland Facing Drug Charges After Providing Phony Name: Sheriff Wanted Man In Maryland Facing Drug Charges After Providing Phony Name: Sheriff
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…

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by Zak Failla
Police & Fire
Suspects Wanted For Separate Credit Card Theft, Fraud Incidents In Harford County Suspects Wanted For Separate Credit Card Theft, Fraud Incidents In Harford County
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…

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by Zak Failla
News
$6.8M COVID-19 Scam: Ex-Hedge Fund Manager Gets 4+ Years, No Parole $6.8M COVID-19 Scam: Ex-Hedge Fund Manager Gets 4+ Years, No Parole
$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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by Jerry DeMarco