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US Attorney Damian Williams announced that five suspects are facing a host of charges for their alleged roles in the $8.4 million scheme to defraud investors around the world and launder the proceeds from the scheme.
Those charged:
- Lenard Booth, also known as “Trevor Nicholas,” age 68, of Brooklyn;
- Michael D’Urso, age 54, of Glen Cove;
- Alyssa D’Urso, age 28, of Glen Cove;
- Jay Garnock, age 75, of Glen Cove;
- Antonella Chiaramonte, age 36, of Glen Cove.
It is alleged that between June 2019 through August 2021, the five participated in an international mass-marketing investment fraud scheme to defraud investors out of millions of dollars.
Williams said that Booth ran a boiler room operation in Thailand that lied to investors and told them the overseas boiler room was in fact a Manhattan-based investment firm.
The indictment alleges that Booth and his co-conspirators perpetuated their lies with fake identities, false and misleading webpages, email addresses, and phone numbers.
While purporting to sell investors from around the world securities in privately held and publicly traded American companies, Booth allegedly stole more than $1 million from victim-investors, depriving them of their savings.
As part of the scheme, it is alleged that Michael D’Urso, Alyssa D’urso, Garnock, and Chiaramonte ran a network of shell companies and associated bank accounts in New York, teaming with multiple boiler rooms, including Booth’s, to receive the stolen “investment” funds and launder the money.
In total, the shell companies received more than $8.4 million that was stolen from victims of the scheme. Those companies were then used to launder more than $4.6 million of the stolen cash overseas.
All five were charged with:
- Conspiracy to commit securities fraud and operate unlicensed money transmitting businesses;
- Conspiracy to commit wire fraud;
- Conspiracy to commit money laundering.
Michael D’Urso was further charged with three counts, and Alyssa D’Urso, Garnock, and Chiaramonte with one count each of operating an unlicensed money transmitting business.
“Hiding behind fake investment firms and a network of shell companies, these (five) preyed on victims around the world and cheated them of their hard-earned savings,” Williams said. “In selling their victims' fake investments in American companies, the (five) abused the confidence and trust that investors worldwide have in American securities and American banks.
“Thanks to the tireless efforts of our law enforcement partners, these defendants now find themselves in hot water, being held accountable for their crimes.”
If convicted on the top charges, each faces up to 20 years in prison. No return court date has been announced.
“Criminals have become extremely sophisticated in preying on unsuspecting victims, and this alleged boiler room scheme is no exception,” IRS-CI SAC Thomas Fattorusso said.
“This team of fraudsters allegedly went to great lengths to create fake marketing materials, fake contact information, and fake companies to dupe victim-investors and then laundered the funds for personal gain.”
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