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Alleged Russian Ransomware Mastermind Extradited From South Korea To Maryland
A Russian national accused of running a global ransomware operation that extorted more than $16 million from victims worldwide has been extradited from South Korea to Maryland to face federal charges, authorities announced.
Evgenii Ptitsyn, 42, is charged with operating and administering the sale, distribution, and deployment of the notorious Phobos ransomware, which targeted over 1,000 public and private organizations globally, including schools, hospitals, and critical infrastructure.
Ptitsyn made his first appearance in U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland earlier this …
'Bitcoin Beautee' In MD Admits To Role In $1.89B Cryptocurrency Fraud Scheme
A Maryland woman went under the name of “Bitcoin Beautee” during her role alongside two others in a Cryptocurrency fraud scheme that netted more than $1.89 billion, she admitted in US District Court on Monday, Jan. 29.
Brenda Chunga, 43, of Severna Park, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit securities fraud and wire fraud for her role as a promoter of HyperFund, also known as HyperTech, HyperCapital, HyperVerse, and HyperNation, US Attorney Erek Barron announced.
The plea came just four days after a federal grand jury returned an indictment charging Sam Lee, 35, an Australian citizen…
Former Social Media Influencer In MD Gets Prison Time For $1.2M COVID Scheme
A former social media influencer from Maryland is heading to federal prison for his role in a $1.2 million COVID scheme involving wire fraud and money laundering.
Denish Sahadevan, aka “Danny Devan,” 32, of Potomac, Maryland, was sentenced on Tuesday, Jan. 9 to three years in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for wire fraud, aggravated identity theft and money laundering, authorities said.
‘Danny Devan’ gained a TikTok following for his financial advice regarding stocks and cryptocurrency:
@.dannydevvan
♬ original sound - Stocks • Crypto • Money
The …
Man Returned $300K Of Items To Home Depots That He Never Paid For, Including MD Stores: Feds
A Connecticut man is accused of ripping off nearly $300,000 from more than two dozen Home Depot stores across eight states, including Maryland, authorities said.
Henrique Costa-Mota, age 26, of West Hartford, is charged with conspiracy and wire fraud in the scheme that he allegedly ran from June 2021 until February 202, the US Attorney for Rhode Island said.
Costa-Mota is accused of going to Home Depot locations across the Northeast dressed as a contractor. He would walk in empty-handed, take several doors from the back of the store, and then "return" them to a customer service …
Maryland Man Admits To Conning Customers Out Of $2.1M By Substituting Dirt, Debris For Scrap
The owner of a New Jersey-based scrap metal company told a customer that dirt and debris found packed into a container shipped to Korea that was supposed to hold aluminum scrap was a mistake, authorities said.
Turns out it wasn’t.
Creed White, 64, of Freeland, Maryland, admitted in federal court in Camden, NJ, this week that he scammed a dozen or so businesses out of more than $2 million, authorities said on Thursday, Aug. 3.
Using the name “Dan Stein,” White contacted one of the victims through an Internet message board on behalf of his Camden-based company American Scrap company, a compl…
Seemingly Benevolent President, CEO In DC Admits To Bilking Nonprofit Out Of $336K: Feds
An executive from Maryland operating out of Washington, DC, will face decades in prison after admitting to stealing hundreds of thousands of dollars from a non-profit organization, federal authorities announced.
Chevy Chase resident Graham Hauck, 50, pleaded guilty this week to stealing more than $330,000 from a nonprofit trade organization while serving as the president and CEO of a company bearing his own family’s name.
While serving as the head of Hauck & Associates in Washington, DC, Hauck agreed with the nonprofit organization to an agreement paying his company nearly $150,000 for …
Fraudster Admits To Posing As Bail Bondsman As Part Of $840K Elder Fraud Scam In Maryland
Authorities announced that a 64-year-old man has admitted to his role in an $800,000 elder fraud scam where he targeted victims in Maryland, Virginia, Delaware, and the surrounding regions.
Michael Odell Anderson, 64, of Crystal Beach, Florida, and Dun Lorring, Virginia, pleaded guilty in federal court to conspiracy to commit wire fraud, in relation to his participation in an elder fraud scam, the Department of Justice announced this week.
Between April 2020 and December 2020, officials said that Anderson conspired with others to persuade elderly victims to give them thousands of dollars u…
Four Face Federal Indictment In Maryland For $3M Covid-19 Fraud Scheme
Four Maryland residents are facing federal indictment for a CARES Act COVID-19 unemployment fraud scheme that saw over $3 million in losses, officials say.
Three of the suspects had an initial court appearance in Baltimore on Thursday, July 21, while the fourth was scheduled to appear on Friday, July 22 in Florida.
Those facing charges:
Tyshawna Davis, 38, of Gwynn Oak;
Donna Jones, 55, of Cockeysville;
Devante Smith, 27, of Hanover;
Tila Woods, 44, of Baltimore.
From June 2020 through May 2021, the four used the identification information of their victims to fraudulently obtain une…
Romanian National In Maryland Sentenced For Stealing $1M Meant For Religious Institutions
A Romanian national will spend years in prison after scheming to steal thousands of checks from religious institutions in Maryland and across the East Coast worth more than $1 million, federal authorities announced.
Marius Vaduva, 27, of Hollywood, FL, was sentenced to 42 months in prison, followed by five years of supervised release for conspiracy to commit bank fraud and wire fraud, the US Department of Justice said.
In addition to his prison sentence, Vaduva was also ordered to pay $1,334,230.84 in restitution.
Sentencing was by Theodore Chuang, US District Judge in the District of…
