Tag:

Money Laundering

FBI Thwarts Iran-Linked Plan To Assassinate Donald Trump, DOJ Says FBI Thwarts Iran-Linked Plan To Assassinate Donald Trump, DOJ Says
FBI Thwarts Iran-Linked Plan To Assassinate Donald Trump, DOJ Says An Iranian operative and two associates living in America have been charged in a murder-for-hire plot targeting United States citizens, including President-elect Donald Trump. Federal authorities have charged Farhad Shakeri, an alleged operative of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), along with two New York City associates in a plot to assassinate a US citizen critical of the Iranian government.  The case highlights the continued threat posed by Iran’s attempts to silence dissidents and even target top US. officials. According to the Department of Justice criminal complai…
Courier Involved In Gold Bar Scam Targeting Maryland Elder Arrested Boarding Flight To Ireland Courier Involved In Gold Bar Scam Targeting Maryland Elder Arrested Boarding Flight To Ireland
Courier Involved In Gold Bar Scam Targeting Maryland Elder Arrested Boarding Flight To Ireland A 23-year-old man from Illinois has become the second apprehended for his role in a government-imposter-related gold bar scam targeting a Montgomery County resident. Neel Patel, of Carol Stream, joined California native Wenhui Sun behind bars after a woman was bilked out of hundreds of thousands of dollars as part of the scheme, according to police. In March, a woman advised investigators that she had been contacted by a fraudster alleging to be with  Office of the Inspector General – Federal Trade Commission. She was instructed that she was the victim of identity theft that laun…
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…
Founder Of LGBTQ+ Non-Profit In DC Pleads Guilty To Fraud After 'Unexpected Return' To US: Feds Founder Of LGBTQ+ Non-Profit In DC Pleads Guilty To Fraud After 'Unexpected Return' To US: Feds
Founder Of LGBTQ+ Non-Profit In DC Pleads Guilty To Fraud After 'Unexpected Return' To US: Feds The trailblazing founder of Casa Ruby, a DC-based non-profit that had provided services to the LGBTQ+ community admitted to stealing at least $150,000 in COVID relief funds and stashing it in Central America for her personal use, authorities announced Ruby Corado, 53, pleaded guilty on Wednesday in US District Court to diverting the taxpayer-backed emergency funds to private off-shore bank accounts, which then was used for her own gain. She was charged in March with bank fraud, wire fraud, laundering of monetary instruments, monetary transactions in criminally derived proceeds, and fai…
Founder Of LGBTQ+ Non-Profit In DC Charged For Fraud After 'Unexpected Return' To US: Feds Founder Of LGBTQ+ Non-Profit In DC Charged For Fraud After 'Unexpected Return' To US: Feds
Founder Of LGBTQ+ Non-Profit In DC Charged For Fraud After 'Unexpected Return' To US: Feds The trailblazing founder of Casa Ruby, a DC-based non-profit that provided services to the LGBTQ+ community is facing charges for alleged fraud and money laundering, according to prosecutors. Ruby Corado, 53, made her initial court appearance in DC on Wednesday to face charges for allegedly defrauding Paycheck Protection and the Economic Injury Disaster Loan programs, and money laundering after fleeing the country, authorities announced. Specifically, Corado is accused of diverting at least $150,000 of $1.3 million in taxpayer-backed emergency relief funds, intended for the organi…
Father-Son Scammers In Maryland Sentenced For Laundering Millions Through Drugs, Bitcoin: Feds Father-Son Scammers In Maryland Sentenced For Laundering Millions Through Drugs, Bitcoin: Feds
Father-Son Scammers In Maryland Sentenced For Laundering Millions Through Drugs, Bitcoin: Feds A 72-year-old Maryland father and his 38-year-old son have been sentenced for a money laundering conspiracy involving Bitcoins and Xanax, federal authorities announced. Joseph Farace, 72, of Sparks, Maryland, received a 19-month federal prison sentence that will be followed by two years of supervised release.  His son, Ryan Farace, of Reisterstown, a previously convicted felon, got a 54-month sentence, US Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron said in a joint release. Ryan Farace was first convicted for a scheme to manufacture and sell Xanax in exchange for Bitcoin throu…
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…
Maryland's Most Wanted: Samuel Lee Rose Helped Traffic Kilos Of Drugs Through DMV, FBI Says Maryland's Most Wanted: Samuel Lee Rose Helped Traffic Kilos Of Drugs Through DMV, FBI Says
Maryland's Most Wanted: Samuel Lee Rose Helped Traffic Kilos Of Drugs Through DMV, FBI Says An alleged drug trafficker who goes by many names is on the run from the FBI after helping to run a massive scheme throughout the DMV region. Samuel Lee Rose, 44, who moved kilograms of cocaine, heroin, and crack from Maryland to West Virginia is among the state's most wanted after running what federal authorities described as "a sophisticated operation" that lined his pockets with hundreds of thousands of dollars. Rose stands accused of his role in a conspiracy to traffic large amounts of heroin, fentanyl, cocaine base, and cocaine hydrochloride from Hagerstown into Berkeley County in West…
16 Indicted In Crime Ring Targeting Asian-American Jewelers Across Mid-Atlantic: Feds 16 Indicted In Crime Ring Targeting Asian-American Jewelers Across Mid-Atlantic: Feds
16 Indicted In Crime Ring Targeting Asian-American Jewelers Across Mid-Atlantic: Feds An indictment of 16 members of a violent mid-Atlantic crime ring has been unsealed and the federal agencies are naming names.  Of the 16, eight of the alleged crime ring members were arrested in the morning on Wednesday, Aug. 30, 2023, police in Fairfax County, Virginia announced later that day.  They were all arrested in connection to a violent crime spree that took place between Jan. 7, 2022, through Jan. 27, 2023.  The crime ring members were all from Maryland and the District of Columbia. They met with their accused leader – Trevor Wright, also known as “Taliban Glizzy” …
Former Maryland-Based Lawyer Accused Of Stealing Near $4M From Clients, Employees: DOJ Former Maryland-Based Lawyer Accused Of Stealing Near $4M From Clients, Employees: DOJ
Former Maryland-Based Lawyer Accused Of Stealing Near $4M From Clients, Employees: DOJ A California man has been charged after allegedly using funds owed to clients from his law firm in Prince George's County to pay for personal expenses, officials say. Matthew C. Browndorf, 51, was charged with four counts of wire fraud and four counts of money laundering arising from a scheme that defrauded clients more than $3.9 million. The licensed attorney was a partner at a California law firm as well as the CEO of Plutos Sama, LLC, a company organized in Delaware but principally located in California. Plutos Sama owned Prince George's County firm, BP Fisher Law Group LLP, prosecutors…
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 …
Special Deputy US Marshal Charged In Maryland For Laundering $1.9M During Romance Scam: DOJ Special Deputy US Marshal Charged In Maryland For Laundering $1.9M During Romance Scam: DOJ
Special Deputy US Marshal Charged In Maryland For Laundering $1.9M During Romance Scam: DOJ A romantic scam artist from Upper Marlboro lured his way into nearly $2 million before being caught, authorities say. Isidore Iwuagwu, 35, has been federally charged for conspiring to commit money laundering related to multiple online relationship scams according to the Department of Justice. Iwuagwu was able to commit these crimes all while working security as a Special Deputy United States Marshal and Department of Justice contractor, prosecutors said. Iwuagwu allegedly contacted victims on social media platforms and dating sites, engaging in online relationships with them before asking …
Fired Baltimore PD Employee, Homicide Suspect Facing Federal Fraud Charges Fired Baltimore PD Employee, Homicide Suspect Facing Federal Fraud Charges
Fired Baltimore PD Employee, Homicide Suspect Facing Federal Fraud Charges A federal grand jury has returned an indictment charging a fired Baltimore civilian police employee once eyed as a homicide suspect with stealing his defunct business' tax prepare's identity to try to get COVID relief money. Dana Lamar Antonio Hayes, Jr., 37, submitted several bogus Economic Injury Disaster Relief(EIDL) loan applications and several Paycheck Protection Plan(PPP) loan applications to the Small Business Administration and two banks between March 2020 and Oct. 2021, according to the Department of Justice.    Hayes had been fired from his position as the chief of…