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Anthony Debose Hannah, 57, controlled an account where co-conspirator Eric Bullard wired $230,000 of the money, Acting U.S. Attorney Rachael A. Honig said.
Bullard, 59, of Los Angeles had hacked an email account at a law firm representing the victim, then wrote to the client with instructions to wire the $560,000 into an escrow account identified as “Eric’s Commercial LLC,” Honig said.
The day the transfer was posted, Bullard was seen on surveillance footage withdrawing $96,275 in 10 separate transactions from a bank, the U.S. attorney said.
That same day, he also transferred three large sums of money from the “Eric’s Commercial” account to others, Honig said.
One of those accounts, “Anthony Property Management & Development,” was solely controlled by Hannah, of Moreno Valley, California, she said.
Here’s where things take a twist: On June 15, 2020, $230,000 was transferred from the Anthony Property Management account to another business account that Honig said doesn’t appear controlled by either Hannah or Bullard.
Hannah and Bullard also obtained and laundered funds from the U.S. Small Business Administration’s Economic Injury Disaster Loan program purportedly intended for two pharmacies, Honig said.
Hannah collected a $145,400 SBA EIDL loan intended for a purported Idaho pharmacy and shared it with Bullard, the U.S. attorney said.
Bullard, meanwhile, got a $143,100 SBA EIDL loan intended for a pharmacy company with a listed location in Colorado, then cut a check to Hannah for $51,000, she said.
Federal agents arrested Hannah early Friday in California and charged him with money laundering conspiracy. He and Bullard – who was arrested last week – remained in federal custody there pending extradition to New Jersey.
Honig credited special agents of the FBI with the investigation leading to the charges against both men.
U.S. Attorney Jamie L. Hoxie of Honig’s Cybercrime Unit in Newark is handling the case, she said.
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