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Financial Crime

Cash App Users To Get Refunds In $175M Order As Feds Target Fraud Cash App Users To Get Refunds In $175M Order As Feds Target Fraud
Cash App Users To Get Refunds In $175M Order As Feds Target Fraud Cash App's parent company will have to pay $175 million for poorly protecting its users from fraud and financial crimes on the payment platform, officials said. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau ordered Block to refund up to $120 million to users harmed by fraud, the federal agency said in a news release on Thursday, Jan. 16. The parent company of Cash App, which has more than 56 million accounts, must also pay a $55 million fine into the CFPB’s victims relief fund. The CFPB found that Block failed to properly investigate unauthorized transactions and deprived users of…
$4.3B Now Recovered For Madoff Ponzi Scheme Victims, DOJ Says $4.3B Now Recovered For Madoff Ponzi Scheme Victims, DOJ Says
$4.3B Now Recovered For Madoff Ponzi Scheme Victims, DOJ Says More than $4.3 billion has now been recovered for victims of Bernie Madoff’s massive and infamous Ponzi scheme, the Justice Department announced, as part of a decade-long effort that has compensated over 40,000 people worldwide for nearly 94 percent of their losses. The DOJ says  its 10th and final distribution from the Madoff Victim Fund (MVF), provided more than $131 million to over 23,000 victims. The latest distribution marks the culmination of a decade-long effort to recover and return forfeited funds tied to Madoff's fraudulent investment empire. Most victims, primarily small inv…
$145M Scheme: Man From Region Known As 'Magician' Admits To One Of Largest Ever Frauds $145M Scheme: Man From Region Known As 'Magician' Admits To One Of Largest Ever Frauds
$145M Scheme: Man From Region Known As 'Magician' Admits To One Of Largest Ever Frauds A Northern Westchester man who earned the nickname “The Magician” for his ability to slash tax bills has pleaded guilty to orchestrating a massive $145 million fraud scheme that spanned a decade, federal officials announced. Rafael Alvarez, age 61, of Cortlandt Manor, entered the plea in Manhattan federal court on Tuesday, Dec. 17, after being charged with conspiracy to defraud the US and aiding the preparation of false tax returns, according to Edward Y. Kim, Acting US Attorney for the Southern District of New York.  Alvarez, the CEO and owner of ATAX, a Bronx-based tax preparation bu…
$4.4M Medicaid Fraud Scheme: Five Plead Guilty, NY AG Says $4.4M Medicaid Fraud Scheme: Five Plead Guilty, NY AG Says
$4.4M Medicaid Fraud Scheme: Five Plead Guilty, NY AG Says Five Hudson Valley and Capital Region residents and seven transportation companies have admitted to stealing millions from Medicaid. New York Attorney General Letitia James announced Thursday, Dec. 5, that five have pleaded guilty to stealing more than $4.4 million from New York’s Medicaid program through fake billing, illegal kickbacks, and engaging in money laundering and other fraudulent schemes to conceal their crimes.  Muhammad Rizwan Khan, 38, Muhammad Usman Khan, 40, and Farhan Khan, 29, all of Orange County, and their related companies pleaded guilty on Wednesday, Dec. 4, in Or…
Fire Company In Region Financial Secretary Admits Stealing $17K, DA Says Fire Company In Region Financial Secretary Admits Stealing $17K, DA Says
Fire Company In Region Financial Secretary Admits Stealing $17K, DA Says A financial secretary for a fire company in the region has admitted to stealing more than $17,000 from the department.  Orange County District Attorney David Hoovler announced on Friday, Nov. 1, that Lynn T. Simpson, age 43, of Wallkill, pled guilty to grand larceny in the Third Degree in connection with the theft of $17,947 from the parade fund of the Washington Heights Fire Company in Middletown.  As part of the plea agreement, Simpson will repay all the stolen money, Hoovler said. The department was scheduled to host a parade in September 2023, which includ…
$9.6M Scheme: NY Businessman Admits To Bank Fraud Conspiracy $9.6M Scheme: NY Businessman Admits To Bank Fraud Conspiracy
$9.6M Scheme: NY Businessman Admits To Bank Fraud Conspiracy The owner of a New York business admitted to running a multimillion-dollar check-kiting scheme to keep his company operating. Long Island resident John B. Mensch, age 54, pleaded guilty in connection with a nearly year-long fraud conspiracy involving banks in Suffolk County and the Hudson Valley, federal authorities announced Wednesday afternoon, Oct. 2. Mensch, of Quogue, faces up to five years’ imprisonment as well as financial penalties, including restitution to the two banks of approximately $9.6 million. According to court filings, Mensch was the owner and operator of East End, a…
Ex-Controller Who Stole $340K From Region Company Gets Prison Time Ex-Controller Who Stole $340K From Region Company Gets Prison Time
Ex-Controller Who Stole $340K From Region Company Gets Prison Time A 54-year-old woman who stole hundreds of thousands of dollars from the Northern Westchester-based company she worked for will spend several years in prison.  Mohegan Lake resident ToniAnn Rosado was sentenced to a term of two to six years in prison on Friday, Sept. 27 for stealing more than $340,000 from North Castle-based paint company CR Wallauer & Company, Inc., the Westchester County District Attorney's Office announced on Tuesday, Oct. 1.  According to the DA's Office, in her role as the company's controller, Rosado stole $341,707.54 between July 7, 2017, …
$280K Scam: Father, Daughter Accused Of Stealing From Hudson Valley Woman $280K Scam: Father, Daughter Accused Of Stealing From Hudson Valley Woman
$280K Scam: Father, Daughter Accused Of Stealing From Hudson Valley Woman A man and daughter have been accused of stealing over $280,000 from a Hudson Valley resident. New York Attorney General Letitia James announced on Tuesday, Aug. 13, the indictments and arrests of Ulster County residents Frank Whittaker, age 56, of Kingston, and his daughter Christine Ellsworth, age 38, of Accord, for allegedly stealing more than $280,000 from a vulnerable elderly victim. After earning the trust of the victim, an Ulster County resident, by providing lawn maintenance and assisting with household tasks, Whittaker and Ellsworth gained access to the then-92-year-old’s checkbook …
NY Financial Advisor Stole Over $1M From Clients To Buy Car, High-End Clothing, Jury Finds NY Financial Advisor Stole Over $1M From Clients To Buy Car, High-End Clothing, Jury Finds
NY Financial Advisor Stole Over $1M From Clients To Buy Car, High-End Clothing, Jury Finds A former investment adviser and founder of a New York financial advisory firm could spend decades in federal prison for conning his clients out of more than $1 million. Long Island resident Jeffrey Slothower, age 46, of Southampton, was found guilty of wire fraud and related charges by a jury in Central Islip federal court on Thursday, May 16. According to prosecutors, in 2017 Slothower targeted a California couple whose money he had managed at another financial services firm, promising them he could beat any rate of return they were receiving at his own firm, Battery Private. He offered t…
$1.4M Bank Loan Scheme: Hudson Valley Man Sentenced $1.4M Bank Loan Scheme: Hudson Valley Man Sentenced
$1.4M Bank Loan Scheme: Hudson Valley Man Sentenced A Hudson Valley man has been sentenced to prison in connection with a scheme to obtain a fraudulent $1.4 million loan from Park Avenue Bank. Rockland County resident Mendel Zilberberg, age 65, of Monsey, was sentenced on Wednesday, March 19 following a one-week trial. According to court documents, Zilberberg, who was a member of the bank's board of directors at the time of the offense, conspired with others, including Aron Fried, to obtain a fraudulent loan using a "star borrower" to make the loan application.  The straw borrower applied for a $1.4 million loan from the Bank base…
$65M Ponzi Scheme: Former NY Hedge Fund Manager Admits To Lending Fraud $65M Ponzi Scheme: Former NY Hedge Fund Manager Admits To Lending Fraud
$65M Ponzi Scheme: Former NY Hedge Fund Manager Admits To Lending Fraud A former bond trader and hedge fund manager in New York could spend decades in federal prison for defrauding his friends and lending institutions out of over $65 million. Nassau County resident Jeffrey Parket, age 59, of Great Neck, pleaded guilty to wire fraud and bank fraud in federal court in Manhattan on Wednesday, Feb. 15. According to the US Attorney’s Office in the Southern District, Parket swindled his victims out of millions of dollars between 2016 and December 2021 by lying about his financial condition and pledging fake collateral in order to obtain short-term loans. He claime…
NY Woman Stole Over $1M From Elderly Man To Pay Off Boyfriend’s Debts, Police Say NY Woman Stole Over $1M From Elderly Man To Pay Off Boyfriend’s Debts, Police Say
NY Woman Stole Over $1M From Elderly Man To Pay Off Boyfriend’s Debts, Police Say A New York woman is accused of stealing more than $1 million from an elderly man who entrusted her with his finances. Fulton County resident Gladys Griffith, age 49, of Perth, was arrested Thursday, Oct. 6, following an investigation by the Fulton County Sheriff’s Office. The first signs of potential wrongdoing surfaced in July 2022, when deputies were asked to do a welfare check on the victim following several suspicious transfers and withdrawals from his bank account, police said. That triggered a joint investigation consisting of several agencies, including the sheriff’s office, New Yo…
Woman Accused Of Stealing From Her Care Recipient In Hudson Valley Woman Accused Of Stealing From Her Care Recipient In Hudson Valley
Woman Accused Of Stealing From Her Care Recipient In Hudson Valley A Hudson Valley woman was nabbed for alleged identity theft of the person she care for after her financial institution tipped off police. Dutchess County resident Brandy Lee, age 35, of Hyde Park, was arrested on Tuesday, June 28, by the New York State Police in conjunction with the Westchester County District Attorney’s Office. Following a tip from a financial institution investigation in conjunction with the Westchester County District Attorney’s Office determined Lee, while employed as the victim’s caretaker, impersonated and stole from the victim for her own financial gain, said Trooper…