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78°
Saturday, jun 20
Tag:
Wire Fraud
News
First 'Most Wanted Fraudster' Surrenders To FBI: Here's What He's Accused Of
A new federal fugitive list just got its first catch. Said Abdullahi Ereg, 47, surrendered to the FBI at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport on Wednesday, June 10, the US Attorney's Office for the District of Minnesota said. The office said Ereg became the first person from the FBI's new Most Wanted Fraudsters List to be taken into custody. Ereg was indicted in 2024 on charges of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, and money laundering, according to the Justice Department. The charges stem from the Feeding Our Future fraud case, an investigation into money meant to feed ch…
Sports
Couple Accused Of Posing As Pro Sports Players To Make Millions
A couple allegedly had a bold game plan: pretend to be the next big thing in professional sports and let the money roll in. Albert Paul Weber, 42, of Harvey, Louisiana, and Cyntrelle Lash, 39, of New Orleans, were indicted on Friday, April 24, on federal charges tied to a long-running scheme to impersonate professional athletes and pocket millions in fraudulent loans, the US Attorney's Office, Eastern District of Louisiana, announced. According to court documents, Weber, Lash, and their coconspirators targeted athletes who were on the verge of being drafted by NBA and NFL teams and stood to…
Politics
Illegal Immigrant Who Stole Kristi Noem’s Purse In DC To Be Deported After Prison Term: Feds
The Chilean national who stole former Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem's Gucci purse while she was dining in DC with family is facing more than just prison time. Mario Bustamante Leiva was sentenced on Wednesday, April 22, to 36 months in prison in connection with a series of thefts that culminated when he attempted to rob Noem. When he is released, Bustamante Leiva will be deported from the country. “Bustamante Leiva came to Washington illegally to prey on citizens of the District. He methodically targeted women at restaurants, stealing their purses and monetizing the stolen cards …
News
TEDx To Tax Evasion: PA Vertical Farming Visionary Jack Griffin Funnels Cash To Wife's Account
Jack Griffin told the world he was building the future of farming. He gave a TEDx Talk. He stood before Congress. He promised to wipe out food deserts with high-tech vertical farms that could grow strawberries on a second floor and turn kale into jet fuel. But federal investigators say Griffin was really just pocketing. And now he’s headed to prison, the FBI announced on Monday, Feb. 2. The Sentence Jack Frances “Jack” Griffin, 62, of Philadelphia, faced up to 20 years in prison for each wire fraud charge and five years for tax evasion. His sentencing was originally scheduled for Oct. 22,…
News
Exclusive
: Duo Poses As Government Agents, Stealing Gold From Victims In 5 States (
Update
)
A New Jersey man accused in a sweeping gold-theft scam across five states has entered a guilty plea, his attorney confirmed to Daily Voice on Tuesday, Dec. 9. Bharat Awasarmol and co-defendant Prakashkumar Prajapati were previously indicted for a multistate wire fraud conspiracy that began in March 2023, according to a superseding indictment returned on Thursday, April 3. Prosecutors said the pair and their co-conspirators posed as government officials to trick victims into turning over cash and gold. Victims in Maine, New Hampshire, New York, New Jersey, and Virginia received telephone cal…
News
PA Doctor Flooded Patients With 20K Oxycodone Pills In Health Care Fraud Scheme: DOJ
A physician forced patients into taking unwanted “Goody Bags” of drugs to get prescriptions, flooding them with oxycodone and defrauding health care plans out of millions, federal prosecutors said. Neil K. Anand, M.D., 48, most recently of Bensalem, PA, but originally from Albany, NY, was convicted in April 2025 of conspiring to commit health care fraud, wire fraud, and the unlawful distribution of controlled substances. On Tuesday, Sept. 23, 2025, he was sentenced to 14 years in prison, according to the U.S. Department of Justice. Evidence at trial showed Anand and his conspirators require…
Sports
Ex-Eagles RB Wendell Smallwood Jr. Sentenced For
Covid-
19, Tax Fraud After Super Bowl Win
Wendell Smallwood Jr., a former Philadelphia Eagles running back and Super Bowl champion, was sentenced to 18 months in prison for wire fraud, conspiracy to commit wire fraud, and conspiracy to defraud the IRS in Wilmington, Delaware, on Thursday, Sept. 18, according to federal court documents obtained by Daily Voice. U.S. District Senior Judge Richard G. Andrews also ordered Smallwood, 31, to repay the government $645,000. The punishment comes after Smallwood pleaded guilty in December 2024 to orchestrating schemes that defrauded COVID-19 relief programs and the IRS. Smallwood earned about…
News
Jimmy Kimmel Gets Last Laugh As Appeals Court Tosses George Santos’ Cameo Lawsuit
Looks like the joke’s on George Santos. A federal appeals court rejected the disgraced former New York congressman’s lawsuit against Jimmy Kimmel, siding with the late-night host over his use of Santos’ Cameo videos that were used on-air. In a ruling Monday, Sept. 15, the 2nd US Circuit Court of Appeals in Manhattan said Santos’ copyright infringement claims were properly rejected by a lower court. Santos had accused Kimmel and ABC of deceiving him into creating personalized videos on the Cameo app that were later broadcast on Jimmy Kimmel Live! as part of a recurring bit called “Will Sant…
Business
LimeWire Buys Fyre Festival's Infamous Brand, Asks 'What Could Possibly Go Wrong?'
A platform that defined the early days of online file sharing is teaming up with one of the most notorious failed music festivals. LimeWire has officially acquired the Fyre Festival brand, the once-defunct file-sharing service said in a news release on Tuesday, Sept. 16. The announcement poked fun at the infamous Fyre Festival's 2017 failure, asking "What Could Possibly Go Wrong?" Founder Billy McFarland sold Fyre's trademarks and social media accounts in a July eBay auction for $245,300. On a livestream, the Millburn, New Jersey, native said about the final price, "This…
News
PA Woman Defrauds Veterans Groups Out Of $1.4M, Sentenced To Prison: FBI
A Lancaster woman who defrauded two nonprofit veterans organizations out of more than $1.4 million has been sentenced to prison, federal prosecutors announced on Friday, Sept. 5. Jessika L. Hiepler, 47, was sentenced to 24 months in prison, three years of supervised release, a $10,000 fine, 100 hours of community service, and restitution of $432,925.35, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. Court records show Hiepler pleaded guilty to two counts of wire fraud last September after being charged in August 2024. She also agreed to a forfeiture money …
News
$770M ATM Ponzi Targeted Amish & Mennonites: PA’s Daryl Heller Charged, NJ Ties Revealed
A $770 million Ponzi scheme that allegedly preyed on Amish and Mennonite investors in Lancaster County has landed a Pennsylvania businessman in federal court, prosecutors announced on Wednesday, Sept. 3, 2025. Daryl F. Heller, 55, of Lititz, and his Lancaster-based companies Prestige Investment Group and Paramount Management Group, are accused of raising more than $770 million from about 2,700 investors between 2017 and 2024, according to the Securities and Exchange Commission. Federal investigators allege Heller promised fixed monthly payments from a nationwide ATM network operated by Para…
News
'Our Pesticides Kill COVID:' NJ Biotech Founder, Philly Firm Hit With Federal Charges
A New Jersey man and the Philadelphia-based biotech company he founded are accused of selling pesticides with false claims that they could kill the virus that causes COVID-19, federal prosecutors said. James Young, 46, of Cherry Hill — founder of ViaClean Technologies, LLC — was charged by indictment with conspiring to commit mail fraud and wire fraud, mail fraud, and violations of the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA), according to U.S. Attorney David Metcalf. Sean Storrie, 59, of Philadelphia, was also charged with FIFRA violations, prosecutors said. The indictm…
Police & Fire
$5M Grandparent Scam Targeted Hundreds; FBI Charges 13 In Scheme That Swindled Americans
The phone rings in the middle of the night. It’s a family member, and they’re in trouble. A misunderstanding or mistake has put them in a serious bind, and they need thousands of dollars — immediately — or they're in big trouble. Hundreds of people have received calls like that, but they were fake. Federal investigators call it the “grandparent scam.” The scheme allegedly targeted hundreds of older Americans — including at least 50 in Massachusetts — and stole more than $5 million, according to the US Attorney for Massachusetts. Federal prosecutors say they’ve charged 13 people who “r…
Politics
$140K Fraud Committed By Former PA Senator's Aide Scamming Church, Supporters
A former aide to Pennsylvania state Sen. Vincent Hughes admitted to stealing more than $140,000 from a North Philadelphia church where he was a deacon and from a city political ward he led, the FBI announced on Saturday, Aug. 2. Willie Jordan, 68, of Upper Darby, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Harvey Bartle III to two counts of wire fraud, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania on Wednesday, July 30. From 2020 to 2024, Jordan exploited his roles at Mt. Calvary Baptist Church and Philadelphia’s 44th Ward for personal benefit, court d…
Politics
George Santos Surrenders To NJ Prison: Inside His New Life Behind Bars
Disgraced former New York Rep. George Santos is officially trading Cameo videos for commissary lines. The ousted lawmaker, 37, surrendered to Federal Correctional Institution Fairton in New Jersey on Friday, July 25, to begin serving his seven-year sentence for wire fraud and identity theft. And, true to form, Santos did not go quietly: “Well, darlings… The curtain falls, the spotlight dims, and the rhinestones are packed,” Santos told his 211,000 followers on X the night before. “From the halls of Congress to the chaos of cable news, what a ride it’s been! Was it messy? Always. Glamorous…
Business
Fyre Festival Brand Sold On eBay For Disappointing Price: 'This Sucks, It's So Low'
The name synonymous with a failed music festival, fraud, and bland cheese sandwiches has been sold on eBay. A bidder purchased Fyre Festival's notorious brand, trademarks, and social media accounts for $245,300 on Tuesday, July 15. The eBay auction ended at 12:44 p.m., closing a chapter in one of the most infamous stories in music festival history. According to the eBay listing, 42 bidders placed 175 bids in the auction. The brand's winning bidder hasn't been announced as of press time. The listing claimed the winner would have access to "the most talked-about festival brand in t…
News
$5.6M Multi-State Fraud Scheme With 1K+ Stolen IDs Lands Pennsylvania Man Federal Charges: DOJ
A Pennsylvania man is accused of stealing over $5.6 million in pandemic aid using more than 1,000 stolen or fake identities, federal prosecutors announced on Monday, June 16. Adepoju Babatunde Salako, 32, has been indicted in Colorado on multiple federal charges after allegedly orchestrating a nationwide COVID-19 benefits scam, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado. Salako faces six counts of wire fraud, one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering, and four counts of aggravated identity theft, according to t…
News
Taylor Swift's Neighbor, Distinguished PA Educator-Turned-Art Dealer Pleads Guilty In Art Scam
A former Hill School admissions director and neighbor of pop icon Taylor Swift pleaded guilty to selling fake artwork he falsely claimed was created by some of the world’s most legendary artists, federal authorities announced on Tuesday, June 3. Carter P. Reese, 77, of Reading, admitted in federal court on Thursday, May 29, to wire fraud and mail fraud for a two-year scheme that duped customers into buying forged works he said came from Pablo Picasso, Andy Warhol, Jean-Michel Basquiat, and others, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. Once respect…
News
$2.6M Refund Scam Funded Lamborghini Huracan For Pennsylvania Man: DOJ
A Pennsylvania man who masterminded a $2.6 million scam involving fake retail refunds has been sentenced to prison, the U.S. Department of Justice announced Friday, May 30. Louis Perpignan, 33, of Bethlehem, was sentenced to 42 months in federal prison on Tuesday, May 27, after pleading guilty to wire fraud, authorities said. He’ll also serve three years of supervised release and must repay more than $2.6 million in restitution, according to U.S. District Judge Diane J. Humetewa. Perpignan admitted to running an elaborate operation he called the “Members Only Refund Service” from May 2016 t…
Politics
Lyin’ King George Santos Sentenced To Prison In Final Act Of Political Circus
Disgraced former New York congressman and convicted fraudster George Santos is heading to federal prison. The Republican ex-lawmaker, 36, was sentenced to 87 months (just over 7 years) behind bars in Central Islip federal court on Friday, April 25, months after pleading guilty to wire fraud and identity theft. As part of his plea agreement, Santos agreed to pay a $200,000 forfeiture and over $373,000 in restitution to his victims. Friday’s sentencing capped off one of the most bizarre chapters in American political history, one in which a sitting member of Congress was expelled and l…
News
Seen Her? Woman Behind Alleged $4B Ponzi-Style Scheme Among FBI's Top 10 Most Wanted
She promised the next Bitcoin. What investors got instead was a $4 billion black hole—and a fugitive who hasn’t been seen since 2017. Ruja Ignatova, the woman once known as the “Cryptoqueen,” remains one of the world’s most elusive fugitives and is currently on the FBI’s 10 Most Wanted list. The founder of the fraudulent cryptocurrency OneCoin, Ignatova is accused of orchestrating a massive Ponzi-style scheme that duped investors around the globe out of billions. Authorities say the scam began in 2014, when Ignatova launched OneCoin Ltd., a Bulgaria-based company that marketed itself…
News
Sean Kingston, Mom Federally Convicted In $1M Wire Fraud Scheme, Report Says
Rapper Sean Kingston and his mom Janice Turner have been convicted in a million-dollar luxury goods fraud scheme that prosecutors say involved bogus wire transfers, fake bank documents, and a whole lot of bling they never paid for, officials announced. After more than 3½ hours of deliberation, a Florida jury on Friday, March 28, found Kingston, 34, and Turner, 61, guilty of federal wire fraud, NBC News reports. Kingston was ordered to house arrest with electronic monitoring and must post a surety bond including a home worth $500,000 and $200,000 in cash, NBC said. Turner will remain in fede…
News
Pennsylvania Man Helped Funnel $1.5M In Pandemic Fraud To Overseas Criminals: DOJ
A Pennsylvania man who acted as a "money mule" in a massive pandemic fraud scheme that funneled more than $1.5 million in stolen relief funds to overseas criminals will spend more than three years behind bars, federal officials announced. James G. Miller Jr., 53, of Scranton, was sentenced to 41 months in prison for his role in the wire fraud operation, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania said in a release on Monday, March 3. Investigators say Miller helped move stolen pandemic aid—including Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA), Lost Wage Assistance Paymen…
News
$44M COVID Tax Scheme: 7 Nabbed In Largest US Case Ever
Seven New Yorkers have been charged in a sweeping tax fraud scheme, accused of exploiting pandemic relief programs to steal over $44 million, federal prosecutors announced. The indictment by the US Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of New York, unsealed Wednesday, Jan. 22, alleges that the defendants filed over 8,000 fraudulent tax returns, seeking more than $600 million in COVID-19 relief funds through the Employee Retention Credit (ERC) and related programs. Investigators determined the group successfully secured $44 million from the federal government. Defendants Long Island …
News
Fraudulent House Flipping in Philly Gets Delaware Man Jail Time:
Usdoj
A Delaware man is facing jail time for fraud after flipping three Philadelphia properties he promised to convert into affordable housing, authorities said. Felton Hayman, 54, of Wilmington, was sentenced to a year and a day in prison and three years of supervised release for his scheme on Monday, Oct. 28, according to a US Department of Justice news release. Hayman used his longtime friendship with an unnamed Philadelphia city councilmember to purchase three vacant city properties at below-market prices based on his promise to build affordable housing on the lots, the news release states. …
News
Owner of PA Restaurant Gets Prison Time For Defrauding COVID Programs: Authorities
The owner of a Montgomery County Italian restaurant is getting prison time for defrauding several federal COVID-19 relief programs, authorities said. Giuseppina “Josephine” Leone, 62, of North Wales, was sentenced to 21 months in prison and one year of supervised release on Tuesday, Oct. 22, the US Department of Justice said in a news release. She must also pay a $50,000 fine and a $300 special assessment for pandemic program fraud, the news release states. Leone has also paid full restitution in the amount of $972,861. Her request for a sentence involving an alternative to jail time was de…
News
PA Judge Indicted For 31 Counts Of Fraud, Witness Tampering:
Usdoj
A federal grand jury has indicted a Pennsylvania judge and lawyer on 31-counts of wire and mail fraud, as well as witness tampering and obstruction of justice, the US Department of Justice announced on Tuesday, Oct. 8. Steven Stambaugh, age 61, of York, has been charged with twenty-six counts of wire fraud, two counts of mail fraud, two counts of tampering with a witness, and one count of obstruction of justice for a COVID-19 scheme, according to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam explained. Stambaugh is accused of defrauding the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania "to ob…
News
Woman Buried In Basement For $100K In Social Security Benefits:
Usdoj
A 37-year-old Philadelphia woman was caught stealing nearly $100,000 in Social Security benefits stolen from a woman she allegedly buried under her house, the US Department of Justice announced on Friday, Sept. 13. Holly Sadowski was arrested on charges of Social Security fraud, wire fraud, and aggravated identity theft, for concealing the death of a woman, U.S. Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero explained. She faces 107 years in prison and a $1,750,000 fine, Romero said in a statement. "The indictment further alleges that a DNA analysis of the human remains recovered from the concrete base…
News
$1.5M Con: Ex-Employee Admits Defrauding CT Insurance Company
A former employee from Pennsylvania admitted to defrauding a Connecticut insurance company to the tune of $1.5 million. James Keating, age 52, of Paoli, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty to wire fraud in New Haven federal court on Tuesday, July 30. Prosecutors said Keating – who served as assistant vice president and a surety bond claims handler at Hartford County-based Allied World Insurance Company in Farmington – created a shell company to bill Allied World for unnecessary claims work that was never performed. Between 2017 and 2021, he also solicited and received kickbacks from Allied World…
News
PA Gravestone Thief's Brother Bilked NJ Widow Out Of $5,000, Indictment Says
Another New Jersey widow has come forward alleging she was bilked out of money for a gravestone she never got. Jerry J. Stefan, 49, of Gladwyne, PA, has been indicted alleging he bilked a Deptford, NJ widow out of $5,054 for a gravestone she never received for her late husband. He's the brother of a Pennsylvania gravestone dealer already charged in three states with defrauding gravestone customers. A Gloucester County grand jury indicted Jerry J. Stefan on June 26 on a charge he never provided a gravestone or returned the money he took. He was indicted on a third-degree charge of failure t…
78°
