North Carolina man accused of pretending to be FBI agent in $16k elder exploitation scam

by: Rodney Overton

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (WNCN) — A Cary man claimed he was an FBI agent as he swindled $16,000 from a North Carolina man in a case of elder exploitation, according to an arrest warrant from the N.C. State Bureau of Investigation

After a month-long investigation, Christopher Aaron Murray, 40, of Cary, was arrested Sunday at the main airport in Charlotte, according to an NC SBI news release Sunday

Authorities said the suspect targeted an eastern North Carolina family and there “may be additional victims.”

“The scam involved a suspect contacting victims and falsely claiming their bank account had been compromised, then demanding payment to resolve the issue,” the SBI said in the release.

SBI officials said the Jones County Sheriff’s Office sought help in the matter on March 18.

The arrest warrant said the suspect claimed he was “FBI Special Agent Brian Blauser” and also pretended to be “a Wells Fargo agent.” A real FBI agent named Brian Blauser appears to exist in Denver, Colorado, as a “complex financial crimes squad.”

Under one charge, the warrant said Murray committed the crime of “exploitation of elder” to take control of the money from a Jones County man.

SBI officials said Murray, arrested at Charlotte-Douglas International Airport, was charged with:

• felony conspiracy
• felony obtaining property by false pretenses
• felony exploitation of a disabled or elderly person in a position of trust
• impersonating a law enforcement officer

The news release said anyone who believes they may have been targeted or victimized by the suspect should contact the Jones County Sheriff’s Office at (252) 448-0035 or the SBI’s coastal district office.

Murry is being held in the Mecklenburg County Detention Center. He has a first court appearance scheduled for Monday in Mecklenburg County District Court. 

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North Carolina man accused of pretending to be FBI agent in $16k elder exploitation scam 

PA State Police: Three charged, accused of misusing $500K in elder fraud case

by Caitlyn Scott

BELLE VERNON, Pa. — The Pennsylvania State Police Bureau of Criminal Investigations has filed charges against three individuals who they say exploited the finances of an elderly woman for their own personal gain.

In a release from state officials Sunday, Todd Reppert, Ty Reppert, and Laura Reppert have been charged with financial exploitation of an elder, corrupt organizations, conspiracy, and multiple felony theft charges.

Officials said the investigation into financial misconduct involving Donna Reppert began in January 2019, shortly after her son, Todd Reppert, assumed the role of Power of Attorney.

Todd, the release said, was entrusted with managing her financial affairs and acting in her best interests. Evidence, however, indicated that Todd and the two other individuals abused their authority for personal gain.

"Between January 2019 and January 2023, the three individuals misappropriated a final judgment totaling $500,009.41," the release read.

The release continued, saying, "Despite having no legal authorization to access or use these funds for their own benefit, they diverted the money to cover personal expenses, including the payment of bills, the purchase of a BMW, the acquisition of real estate, and gambling activities on online casino platforms."

Officials said an investigation is ongoing.

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PA State Police: Three charged, accused of misusing $500K in elder fraud case

Scammer faces 20 years in exploitation case

By Kurt Hildebrand 

A man who admitted to exploiting a 93-year-old Minden resident to the tune of $90,375 by claiming to be a law enforcement officer admitted to one count of exploitation of an elderly person on Tuesday.

Ming Long Chen, 46, has been in custody since Sept. 9, 2024.

Chen faces a maximum of 20 years in prison and a $25,000 fine at his June 24 sentencing.

Chen, who has an immigration hold, required a Mandarin translator to work on his plea agreement and canvass on Tuesday.

District Judge Tod Young pointed out there wasn’t a certificate of translation to the Chinese portion of the plea agreement.

Defense attorney Joey Gilbert assured the judge that Chen went through it with an attorney fluent in Chinese located in Los Angeles.

Prosecutor Jim Sibley said he expects there will be witness testimony at the sentencing, which prompted Young to tell counsel the sentencing date is firm.

A $50,000 warrant has been issued for a woman arrested in January involved in a similar crime.

Zhu Ping Ge, 39, of San Gabriel, Calif., failed to appear in East Fork Justice Court on April 22. Her attorney had filed paperwork for her to appear virtually.

Arrested with Ge, Cindy Yaohua Guo, 43, is scheduled to appear with her attorney Justin Oakes on May 7.

The two women are accused of attempting to pick up $18,000 cash from a Gardnerville Ranchos resident in a subscription scam.

They are charged with felony exploitation of an elderly person, conspiracy and principal to theft.

Both crimes began as contacts online, something that the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office alerted residents to earlier this week.

Carson Valley United Methodist Church hosted a Senior Fraud Protection seminar conducted by Douglas County Sheriff’s Sgt. John George on April 10.

The Douglas County Republican Women are hosting a cybersecurity seminar 3-5 p.m. May 19 at Valley Christian Fellowship in Minden. Douglas County Sheriff Dan Coverley is the keynote speaker along with State Chief Information Officer Timothy Galluzi and Digital Evidence Expert Robert Petrachek.

The speakers will talk about the latest hacking techniques targeting people’s identity, email, and bank accounts. They will also discuss the advancements and ethical concerns of artificial intelligence.

Cost is $10 per person and light refreshments will be served. Email DCRWrsvp@gmail.com for reservations.

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Scammer faces 20 years in exploitation case

Virginia Man Convicted in Delaware County Guardianship Fraud; Accomplice Pleads Guilty

By Mary Roberts

Hampton, VА. — A federal jury has convicted Hampton, Virginia resident Carlton Rembert, 69, for his involvement in a scheme to embezzle funds from court-appointed guardianships. The elaborate fraud involved funneling money through a network of shell companies. Rembert faces charges of conspiracy, bank fraud, and wire fraud following a four-day trial in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.

Gloria Byars, a 62-year-old Aldan woman, chose to plead guilty to charges of conspiracy, wire fraud, money laundering, and filing a false income tax return. Alesha Mitchell, 42, of Suffolk, Virginia, had previously pleaded guilty in 2022 to conspiracy to commit bank fraud for her role in the $1.2 million scheme.

The trio illicitly obtained over $1.2 million from incapacitated wards through unauthorized checks, manipulating the funds through various shell corporations. Byars, entrusted with managing assets for elderly individuals, abused her role as a guardian, diverting funds for personal use.

The complex financial fraud involved fraudulent checks, shell companies such as Global Guardian Services LLC, ICU Records & Billing, CWR Medical Services, and ACC Medical Billing LLC. Funds were stolen by Rembert and Mitchell, who deposited cashier’s checks into Byars’ accounts.

Byars spent the embezzled funds on personal luxuries, including vacations, clothing, vehicles, gifts, and parties. The investigation revealed that the fraud extended to the Church of the Overcomer, where the Collins, who serve as pastors, faced state charges in connection with the same scheme.

Byars and her co-conspirators collectively stole over $1 million from at least 120 incapacitated individuals. Sentencing for Mitchell is scheduled for December 5, Byars on February 20, and Rembert on February 29. Each faces up to 30 years in prison and substantial fines for their roles in the
conspiracy. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Tiwana Wright and Samuel Dalke.

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Virginia Man Convicted in Delaware County Guardianship Fraud; Accomplice Pleads Guilty

Feds: Former state attorney took bribes, stole more than $600K from elderly man, his estate

Eric Wallace, Senior Producer, I-TEAM 

Frank Powers, Assignment manager

 

Jeff Siegmeister accused of conspiracy, extortion, fraud, other charges

 

Jeff Siegmeister (WCJB-TV image)

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Jeff Siegmeister, who was state attorney representing Columbia and six other North Florida counties for nearly seven years until he resigned suddenly in December 2019, was indicted this week on federal charges including conspiracy, extortion, fraud and several other charges.

Siegmeister, 52, of Live Oak, was arrested Friday in Arizona, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

After Siegmeister’s resignation, his Gainesville-based lawyer said his marriage had just ended and that he was working through a personal matter. There was much more going on in his life.

The FBI’s investigation of Siegmeister began in 2018 following allegations of a bribery scheme in which Siegmeister was accused of having “solicited money or things of value from defendants and lawyers in exchange for favorable prosecution treatment.”

According to a 37-page indictment, a grand jury charged Siegmeister with 11 counts related mostly to soliciting and accepting bribes in various cases between 2013 to 2019. Siegmeister is accused of soliciting and accepting bribes in return for the “favorable disposition” of criminal cases.

Marion Michael O’Steen, an attorney from Dixie County, who had clients prosecuted by Siegmeister’s office, was also indicted. In one case, investigators said Siegmeister asked O’Steen to purchase a bull from Siegmeister’s herd on his farm, in exchange for a favor for his client.

Another charge claims Siegmeister is accused of conspiring with another defense attorney, Ernest Page IV, to drop or reduce one DUI charge against a client of Page in exchange for a $10,000 discount on a new tractor -- or drop two DUI charges against the client for a $20,000 discount. Page was charged with conspiracy last year and pleaded guilty on August 20. He is currently scheduled to be sentenced in June.

News4Jax reported last year that the FBI had been investigating Siegmeister and his mother involving the theft of more than $600,000 in assets from the estate of an 80-year-old man who died in 2015. According to court records, Siegmeister was appointed guardian of Leonard Thomas, an elderly transient who was hospitalized in Lake City, then transferred first to an assisted living facility in Live Oak and then another long-term care facility in Lake City. Five weeks later, Thomas signed his will, in which his entire estate was bequeathed to Siegmeister’s mother.

The value of Thomas’ holdings kept rising after his death in 2015, and the FBI wrote that “Siegmeister diverted a total of $985,000 in Thomas’ assets to himself” after Thomas died.

Siegmeister is also charged with filing false tax returns in three separate years, federal prosecutors alleging he knew his income was higher than he reported.

Federal prosecutors said Siegmeister will make his initial appearance in court Monday in Flagstaff, Arizona. O’Steen appeared in federal court in Jacksonville and pleaded not guilty before being released on $100,000 bond.

The FBI is seeking forfeiture of two properties owned by Siegmeister, saying he acquired them through “money-laundering.” The forfeiture complaint details how federal investigators say Siegmeister used proceeds of stock sales to make some mortgage payments on the property the government is seeking.

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Feds: Former state attorney took bribes, stole more than $600K from elderly man, his estate

Lee County district attorney arrested on ethics violations

By Jack West and Stephen Lanzi

Brandon Hughes was first elected as District Attorney in 2016.

UPDATE: Nov. 9, 5:30 p.m.

Lee County District Attorney Brandon Hughes was arrested, this time in Montgomery, for a second perjury charge. This is the second time he was arrested in two days.

Hughes is being charged with perjury for allegedly giving false information to the Alabama Ethics Commission, which is located in Montgomery. The commission investigated Hughes' actions earlier in the year. 

UPDATE: Nov. 9, 10:30 a.m.

On Monday morning, the Alabama Attorney General's Office announced the indictment of Lee County District Attorney Brandon Hughes, for several charges of violating the state ethics act and conspiring to steal a pickup truck.

Hughes was booked into the Lee County Jail Sunday night and subsequently released on bond.

Hughes was indicted by a Lee County grand jury on Nov. 6, which found that there was enough evidence to accuse him of several crimes. The grand jury charged him with violating the state ethics act, conspiracy to commit first-degree theft and first-degree perjury. Hughes has not yet had a trial and has not been found guilty.

Hughes was indicted on five counts of violating the state ethics act for using his office for personal gain. This includes paying private attorneys with public funds to settle a matter that benefited himself and his wife, the AG's office said.

He was also charged with the illegal hiring of his three children to work for the Lee County DA's office.

The final ethics act charge was for illegally using his office for his personal benefit by issuing a subpoena to a private business to gather evidence for his defense to potential criminal charges.

Hughes was also charged with conspiring to commit first-degree theft. It is alleged that Hughes and others agreed to steal a pickup truck from a business in Chambers County. It is also said that Hughes and others took a Lee County search warrant into Chambers County and used it to force the business to "release lawful possession" of a 1985 Ford Ranger.

The final charge, perjury, comes from the allegation that Hughes provided false information to the grand jury under oath.

If Hughes is found guilty of any of the charges, the jail time for each ranges from one year to 20 years in prison.

According to the AG, the five violations of the state ethics act charged in the indictment are Class B felonies, each punishable by two to 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $30,000. The charges of conspiracy to commit first-degree theft and first-degree perjury are Class C felonies, each punishable by one year and one day to 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $15,000.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant Chief Deputy Attorney General Clark Morris, with Assistant Attorney General Jasper Roberts of the Special Prosecutions Division. AG Steve Marshall recused himself from the case due to prior experience with Hughes.

---

Nov. 8, 7:30 p.m.

Lee County District Attorney Brandon Hughes was arrested on Sunday evening by officers with the Lee County Sheriff's Office on multiple charges. 

Hughes was booked into the Lee County Jail at approximately 5 p.m. Among the seven charges were five counts of using office for personal gain, one count of conspiracy to commit theft and one count of first degree perjury.

Lee County Sheriff Jay Jones told The Plainsman he was booked on seven counts and posted a $31,000 bond. 

Jones said he was released after the booking that resulted from an investigation by the Alabama Attorney General's Office. 

Hughes surrendered to the jail after being indicted on seven state ethics charges. 

This story is being updated.

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Lee County district attorney arrested on ethics violations 

 

See Also: 

Lee County District Attorney arrested, charged with ethics violation, perjury, conspiracy

 

60 Charged in $300M Phone Scam Targeting Elderly Victims

Photo: photo courtesy of pixabay.com

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) - Sixty people have been charged in a widespread magazine telemarketing scam that authorities say netted $300 million from more than 150,000 elderly and vulnerable people nationwide, the U.S. attorney’s office in Minnesota announced Wednesday.

U.S. Attorney Erica MacDonald called the scam the largest elder fraud scheme in the country.

MacDonald said the 60 defendants face a host of charges, including conspiracy, mail fraud, wire fraud, and violating the Senior Citizens Against Marketing Scams Act of 1994. The defendants are from 14 states and two Canadian provinces.

“Unfortunately, we live in a world where fraudsters are willing to take advantage of seniors, who are often trusting and polite. It’s my hope that this prosecution is a call for vigilance and caution,” MacDonald said in a statement.

The indictments and other court documents say that over the last 20 years, the defendants used a network of dozens of fraudulent magazine sales companies and telemarketing call centers to carry out the scam. Employees allegedly used deceptive sales scripts to trick people into making large or repeat payments to the companies.

The indictments allege that many of the defendants used a fraudulent “renewal” script in which the telemarketers falsely claimed to be calling from the victim’s existing magazine subscription company with a phony offer to reduce monthly subscription costs.

In reality, the callers had no existing relationship with victims and signed them up for expensive, new magazine subscriptions. As a result, consumers ended up having multiple subscriptions with fraudulent magazine companies.

“Using a tactic like telemarketing magazine sales, these deceitful scam artists bilk hard earned money from their aging victims - leaving so many financially devastated in their retirement years and without recourse for recovery,” Michael Paul, the FBI’s special agent in charge in Minneapolis, said.

Some of the defendants are also accused of using a “cancellation” script that targeted people who had been previous victims. According to the indictments, these defendants took advantage of victims’ desperation to make the subscriptions stop and offered to consolidate and cancel existing subscriptions and pay off an alleged “outstanding balance” in exchange for a large lump sum payment. In reality, victims owed no money.

The indictments charge defendants at all levels of the alleged conspiracies, including people who allegedly led the scheme, company owners, call center managers, telemarketers and others. Those who led the scheme provided the companies software programs that tracked orders, sales, and other customer information.

The U.S. attorney’s office says the fraudulent companies were operating in Minnesota, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, California, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Illinois, Colorado, Arizona, New Mexico, North Carolina, and Arkansas.

Full Article & Source:

60 Charged in $300M Phone Scam Targeting Elderly Victims

Defendant in $1M embezzlement scheme waives prelim

Gloria Byars

by Alex Rose

One of three defendants charged with embezzling more than $1 million from approximately 112 victims through court-appointed guardianships has waived a preliminary hearing in district court, according to online court records.

Gloria F. Byars is scheduled for formal arraignment March 25 in Media. Her attorney, Sharon Denise Alexander, did not respond to an email Friday seeking comment.

Byars is charged with hundreds of counts of theft, conspiracy, receiving stolen property and failure to make required dispensation of funds. Co-defendants Keith and Carolyn Collins, both pastors of the Church of the Overcomer in Trainer, each face 45 similar charges. Byars is Carolyn Collins’ sister.

According to an affidavit of probable cause, Byars was hired by Robert Stump as an office manager for RES Consulting in 2008. Before she was fired in October 2016, Byars allegedly opened a bank account in the name of one person for whom RES had been assigned as guardian and transferred more than $182,000 to an account she controlled.

She also allegedly took files on cases where she assisted as a guardian from the RES office and established a company called ICU Records and Billing, which the affidavit identifies as a “shell company.”

Investigators executed warrants at businesses associated with Byars and discovered $855,964 worth of unauthorized transactions into ICURB, according to her affidavit.

The affidavit alleges additional funds had been funneled into two other shell companies, ACC Medical and CWR Medical, which were depleted and used for personal expenses like Netflix, trips and hotel stays.

Investigators also discovered $28,739 had been issued from ICURB to the Church of the Overcomer between June 2015 and February 2017, according to the affidavit. Keith and Carolyn Collins, of the first block of Princeton Avenue in Ridley Park, also owned and operated another guardianship company, Pinnacle Guardians LLC, according to the affidavits. Carolyn Collins allegedly deposited at least two checks from the bank accounts of two different wards in March 2016 totaling $8,986 into an ICURB account for unknown reasons.

Pinnacle was stripped of all guardianship cases in Delaware County in February 2017, after a nursing home complained it was not receiving Social Security payments for a 94-year-old ward living there.

An investigation revealed 18 of 25 wards assigned to Pinnacle had suffered approximately $110,319 worth of unauthorized transactions between November 2016 and May 2017, according to the Carolyn Collins affidavit.

The total amount of fraud alleged comes to $1,009,172 and involves 112 victims in Philadelphia, Delaware, Bucks, Berks, Montgomery and Lancaster counties. All of the alleged victims are over the age of 60 and many are in their 80s and 90s.

Keith Collins, a longtime staple of the church community and Democratic candidate in the 2011 County Council race, denied the allegations when he was arrested in October.

“I’m a pastor and if there were donations made, people are allowed to make donations to the church,” he told reporters outside the county courthouse in Media.

“Each defendant has their own situation,” said Keith Collins’ defense attorney Enrique Latoison Friday. “This is not a ‘conspiracy’ where everyone is working together. Byars, she did what she did. Keith, as far as I’m concerned, is 100 percent innocent.”

Latoison said his client never had a guardianship assigned to him and he does not intend on waiving a preliminary hearing in that case, scheduled for April 2 before Magisterial District Judge Elisa C. Lacianca.

Michael Dugan, representing Carolyn Collins, said he likewise intends to litigate the case on behalf of his client on that same date. While people waive preliminary hearings for different reasons, Dugan said, he believed in this case it was indicative of Byars’ culpability.

Court records indicate Keith and Carolyn Collins posted 10% of $100,000 bail Oct. 23, while Byars posted 10% of $500,000 bail Nov. 8.

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Defendant in $1M embezzlement scheme waives prelim

Couple Steals Over $1M From Elderly Man With Dementia

SILVER SPRING, MD — A Silver Spring couple was convicted Monday of scamming an elderly man with dementia of over $1 million, according to court documents.

Javier and Ana "Beti" Molina were found guilty of conspiracy and exploitation of a vulnerable adult for stealing $1.2 million from Gustave Shapiro, 99, of Aspen Hill. They gambled $200,000 of Shapiro's money and sent their daughter to college, prosecutors said.

"It's elder abuse, and it's theft. This is a theft by deception, theft by defrauding and theft by coercion," Ramon Korionoff, spokesman for the Montgomery County State's Attorney's Office, said.

Prosecutors said Beti became Shapiro's housekeeper when he was 95. She was hired shortly after Shapiro's wife of over 70 years passed away and worked for him for about three years.

Beti became Shapiro's caretaker and convinced him to sign over power of attorney to her and her husband, prosecutors said. From 2013 to 2016, the couple swindled money from Shapiro to buy a car, gamble, put down a payment on a house and pay for their daughter's college tuition.

Shapiro withdrew only $14,000 from his bank accounts in 2012, while $543,000, $37,200 and $231,000 were taken out over the following years. Bank employees noticed the suspicious transactions from Shapiro's account and tipped off authorities, prosecutors said. The fraud was not discovered until after Shapiro died at age 99.

"This is important and serves as a cautionary tale for anyone that has parents or grandparents that may need assisted-living or home health care workers or even cleaning crews coming into their home," Korionoff said. "Be careful whom you trust."

The Molinas both face up to 55 years in prison and will be sentenced in January, prosecutors said.

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Couple Steals Over $1M From Elderly Man With Dementia

Charleston woman allegedly faked mother’s will, pocketed $1 million

Tracie D. Wilson

Police say a Charleston woman created a fake will for her dying mother, in order to cut her siblings out of an estate worth more than $1 million.

Tracie D. Wilson, 44, allegedly colluded with several others to create a fraudulent last will and testament for her mother, Joyce M. Johnson, according to a criminal complaint filed in Kanawha County Magistrate Court.

Johnson, who was 77 years old, was hospitalized in June 2015, suffering from “multiple serious medical conditions” and was “lethargic and suffering from a decline in mental status,” according to the complaint, filed by State Police First Sgt. S.E. Wolfe.

At the time, Wilson and her co-conspirators had discovered that Johnson’s estate was worth about $1 million. The estate was supposed to be divided equally between Johnson’s four children, according to the complaint.

Johnson died on June 27, 2015. After that date, according to the complaint, Wilson met with one of her co-conspirators, forged her dead mother’s signature and had the fake will certified by a notary public.

Two other people served as witnesses for the fake will, according to the complaint. Neither of them actually saw the will signed, and one of them knew the will was fake.

After the fake will was signed and notarized, Wilson filed it with the Kanawha County circuit clerk’s office. The will was made public on Aug. 6, 2015, according to the complaint.

Wilson then received “approximately $1,107,858.84,” which was the estimated appraisal of her mother’s estate at the time.

Police say the allegations against Wilson are all supported by statements from co-conspirators and witnesses, text messages, bank statements and other evidence.

Johnson was retired vice-president of J.E. Johnson Funeral Home, a firm her and her late husband, J.E. Johnson, established in 1960. After his passing, the Kanawha City funeral home was sold to Chad and Billie Harding, which they renamed Harding Funerals & Cremations, according to Johnson’s obituary.

Wilson was arraigned in Magistrate Court Tuesday. She is charged with financial exploitation of an elderly person, protected person or incapacitated adult; obtaining money, property and services by false pretenses; conspiracy to commit a felony; forgery of public record, certificate, return or attestation of court or officer; and computer fraud. All are felonies, and Wilson could face more than 40 years in prison and fines of more than $20,000 if convicted of all charges.

She was being held Tuesday at the South Central Regional Jail on a $25,000 or 10 percent cash bond.

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Charleston woman allegedly faked mother’s will, pocketed $1 million

Employee blows whistle on guardian embezzlement case

For more than a decade, one of the state’s largest guardianship firms was routinely appointed by the courts to protect clients whose disabilities left them unable to handle their money or pay their bills.

Behind the scenes, federal officials say, Susan Harris and Sharon Moore were allegedly running up the company credit card of Ayudando Guardians to the tune of $4 million by living the life of luxury and paying the American Express bills with client trust money.

Then last June, according to court testimony Thursday, one of Ayudando’s employees assigned to pay and manage the bills walked into the office of an unidentified federal law enforcement agency and blew the whistle – alleging that supervisors were embezzling client money.

“It’s difficult to imagine a greater betrayal of trust,” said assistant U.S. Attorney Jeremy Pena on Thursday just before federal magistrate Steven Yarbrough released Harris and Moore pending trial under certain conditions, including that they put up their homes as security.

Both women pleaded not guilty during the detention hearing.

Moore’s attorney, Fred Jones, told the magistrate she couldn’t afford any amount of bond for her release. “She has no money … She has no credit cards. No line of credit,” he said. Moore, according to Ayudando’s most recent 990 tax form, had a salary of $126,720 for 2015.

Harris’ attorney, Robert Gorence, said Harris should be released because she has been in the community for 40 years and has significant family ties here.

The 28-count indictment unsealed this week charges the women and the company with mail fraud, money laundering, conspiracy and aggravated identity theft.

Their arrests were the product of a year’s worth of investigation by the FBI, IRS, Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General, and the Office of Inspector General for the U.S. Social Security Administration, according to federal law enforcement officials who appeared at a news conference Thursday.

The indictment alleges that Ayudando, which was set up to act as a fiduciary or a representative payee for individuals needing assistance, was run by Harris as president and Moore as secretary. Part of the alleged embezzlement scheme involved Ayudando concealing the theft from some clients’ accounts by replacing the missing money with funds taken from other clients, the indictment states.

IRS Special Agent Ismael Nevarez Jr. at the news conference made reference to the company’s name.

“This contains the word ayudando, which in Spanish means, help or to help others and is especially troubling,” Nevarez said, adding that instead of helping people, the “defendants were greedy and helped themselves to their clients’ money.”

Acting U.S. Attorney for New Mexico James Tierney said the investigation was ongoing. He said authorities don’t yet know how many Ayudando clients lost funds, but prosecutors in the indictment focused on the federal violations involving 10 veterans whose Ayudando account totals were inflated when reported annually by law to the VA.

The indictment alleged the two women enjoyed a lavish lifestyle of travel with client funds.

Harris, in the indictment, is accused of writing checks from the company client reimbursement account or using the credit card for a $21,852 payment to All World Travel, and more than $17,000 for two Celebrity Cruise trips to the Caribbean isles in 2013 and 2014. Moore charged a $8,958 vacation to a resort in San Diego in 2015 and used the charge card to spend $3,479 for a 13-person vacation to San Diego last December, the indictment alleges.

Tierney said the maximum prison sentence they faced under the charges was 30 years.

The U.S. Marshals Service is managing Ayudando operations, so clients with questions or concerns can call the company at 505-332-4357. The U.S. Attorney’s office can be reached via email at USANM.Ayudando@usdoj.gov or at 505-346-6902.

New Mexico FBI assistant special agent-in-charge Derek Fuller said he and the other agents involved in the Ayudando case want to deliver a message.

“If you are managing funds for people who depend on you for your honesty and you decide to help yourself to the till,” Fuller said, “we will come after you.”

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Employee blows whistle on guardian embezzlement case

Newark law firm partners indicted in theft of $140,000

Richard Roberts

A Grand Jury has indicted two suspended attorneys, partners in a former Newark law firm, in connection with allegedly stealing more than $140,000 from clients, according to Attorney General Christopher S. Porrino.

Richard M. Roberts, 79, of Bloomfield, and Gerald M. Saluti Jr., 49, of Howell, on Wednesday were charged with second-degree conspiracy, second-degree theft by failure to make required disposition of property received; third-degree hindering apprehension or prosecution, and third-degree perjury.

Roberts, as a prosecutor in the 1970s, obtained an indictment against Harlem drug kingpin Frank Lucas, according to the Associated Press. Roberts was portrayed by Russell Crowe in the 2007 film about the case, “American Gangster."

From October 2012 to August 2013, Roberts and Saluti allegedly conspired to steal more than $140,000 from four clients whose funds had been placed in the firm’s attorney trust account.

Gerald Saluti Jr

The funds allegedly included settlement awards owed to the clients and monies the lawyers were obligated to hold in escrow or use to make payments on behalf of the clients.

In addition to allegedly misappropriating funds to pay the firm’s expenses, Roberts and Saluti allegedly used funds to pay their personal expenses, including car payments, credit card bills and entertainment expenses. Roberts used $20,000 in stolen funds to make alimony payments, authorities alleged.

The hindering and perjury charges relate to allegations that Roberts and Saluti falsely told law enforcement and testified under oath that the practice administrator for their firm, Gabriel Iannacone, was solely responsible for the misappropriation of certain client funds from the attorney trust account.

It was alleged that, in fact, Roberts and Saluti conspired with Iannacone in those improper withdrawals and payments.

Ianncone pleaded guilty on Jan. 23 to third-degree conspiracy to commit theft by failure to make required disposition of property received. His sentencing is pending.

The Division of Criminal Justice’s investigation was ongoing, and additional charges may be filed against Roberts and Saluti, according to the Attorney General’s Office. Both attorneys are suspended from the practice of law in New Jersey. Roberts was suspended in November 2015, and Saluti in February 2014.

In August 2013, the men dissolved Roberts & Saluti LLC, which did business as the Saluti Law Group.

Mercer County Superior Court Judge Timothy P. Lydon presided over the indictment and assigned the case to Morris County, where Roberts and Saluti will be ordered to appear in court at a later date for arraignment.

Second-degree crimes carry a sentence of five to 10 years in state prison and a fine of up to $150,000, while third-degree crimes carry a sentence of three to five years in state prison and a fine of up to $15,000.

In April, Roberts pleaded guilty in Newark federal court to an information charging him with one count of failing to pay payroll taxes and one count of failing to pay personal income taxes. Sentencing in that case is scheduled for Aug. 1.

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Newark law firm partners indicted in theft of $140,000

3rd man indicted in real estate fraud scheme with Tucson link

A federal grand jury indicted a man in connection with an alleged multimillion-dollar real estate fraud scheme that operated out of San Diego and Tucson.

Peter Cash Doye, 40, of San Diego, was indicted on 17 counts of wire fraud, conspiracy to commit wire fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering, the FBI said in a news release Wednesday.

The FBI is looking for other alleged victims. Authorities say the scheme diverted millions of dollars from renovations and asset sales into the pockets of Doye, Courtland Gettel, 42, and Tucson lawyer Jeffrey Greenberg, 66.

The indictment filed Aug. 10 in U.S. District Court in Tucson alleged Doye and Gettel took out a $65 million loan with Doral Property Finance in September 2013 to buy and renovate commercial properties through their real estate development firm Variant Holding Co. The following month, they entered into a $73.5 million financing contract with real estate firm Beach Point.

The alleged scheme included defrauding Beach Point of nearly $12 million in payments from escrow accounts for work that was never done and submitting $6.4 million in fraudulent invoices to Doral for renovation work that similarly was never done.

In the course of the fraud, the conspirators wired $17.7 million across state lines, prosecutors alleged in the indictment.

Prosecutors asked the court to order Doye to forfeit $18.4 million in connection with the fraud scheme.

Doye was senior managing director of Variant, which had offices in San Diego and Tucson, the FBI said.

A LinkedIn page registered under the name Court Gettel said he is the CEO of Variant and graduated from the University of Arizona with a bachelor’s degree in psychology.

Gettel and Greenberg, who has practiced law in Arizona since 1983, pleaded guilty in May to charges of conspiracy and wire fraud in U.S. District Court in the Southern District of California, as the Star reported May 26.

Federal prosecutors called the scheme an “extraordinary fraud” in which the conspirators took out $33.6 million in loans against multimillion-dollar homes in La Jolla and Del Mar and then forged documents to fool more lenders into believing the homes were debt-free.

The Department of Justice alleged they forged real estate lien releases and other records, “wreaking havoc on the chain of title for these homes” at the San Diego County Recorder’s Office. They then defaulted on the loans and caused millions of dollars in losses to lenders.

Gettel and Greenberg were ordered to forfeit $33.6 million by a federal judge in California on June 24.

Gettel and Greenberg previously pleaded guilty to their involvement in the scheme to defraud Beach Point and Doral.

Doye’s next court date is scheduled for Aug. 26. The sentencing for Gettel and Greenberg was scheduled for early August, but was postponed until the after the sentencing in the southern California case, court documents show.

Full Article & Source:
3rd man indicted in real estate fraud scheme with Tucson link

Atlantic County caseworker gets five years for bilking elderly clients

William Price was supposed to be helping older people as a caseworker for Atlantic County Adult Protective Services.

But on Friday, the Linwood man was sentenced to five years in prison for stealing $125,000 from an elderly couple he met through his job. He now must repay that money.

Price, 57, was part of a scheme to bilk the elderly, allegedly led by attorney Barbara Lieberman and Jan Van Holt, the owner of a business that offered in-home care and legal financial planning for the elderly.

Lieberman, who is currently serving a 10-year prison sentence, allegedly stole more than $800,000 from the same couple.

Price pleaded guilty in July to second-degree theft by deception, and Superior Court Judge Bernard DeLury sentenced him under that agreement.

Price admitted he met the unnamed couple in 2006 through his job with the county. He then befriended them and recruited them as clients for the alleged members of the scheme.

“We’re supposed to respect and care for our elders with the utmost dignity and humanity, but Price callously preyed on this couple, betraying their trust, his duties as a social worker and every standard of decency,” said acting Attorney General John Hoffman. “This prison sentence sends a strong message that this type of abuse of the vulnerable, especially when committed by someone responsible for their care, will be met with harsh punishment.”

Division of Criminal Justice Director Elie Honig said con artists frequently target the elderly.

“What makes this case so appalling is that the man who initially targeted the victims for fraud was a caseworker for Adult Protective Services who used that position to secure the trust of his victims,” Honig said.

“This sentence should serve a strong message to the remaining individuals who were charged along with Price and anyone else who would contemplate similar abuses against the elderly,” said Col. Rick Fuentes, State Police superintendent.

Full Article & Source: 
Atlantic County caseworker gets five years for bilking elderly clients

See Also:
Betrayal of Trust

I-TEAM EXCLUSIVE: Former Atlantic Co. Employees In Court; Accused Of Bilking Seniors

By Charlotte Huffman

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) — Two former Atlantic County employees pled not guilty Tuesday morning to charges of conspiracy, money laundering and theft.

Jan Van Holt, 58, and William Price, 57, both of Linwood, were arraigned in Atlantic County for their alleged involvement in a 10 year-long conspiracy to steal seniors’ life savings.

Van Holt and Price are part of a group of six who investigators say conspired to steal $3.8 million dollars from at least 16 victims.

Others indicted in the case include Van Holt’s sister, Sondra Steen, 59, of Linwood; and Susan Hamlett, 56, of Egg Harbor Township.

Dr. Maria Teresa Daclan, 53, of Galloway Township was indicted for allegedly lying to a detective to protect Van Holt.

The sixth person, Barbara Lieberman is already behind bars. She previously pled guilty and agreed to forfeit $3 million in restitution and testify against the others accused.

In March, Atlantic County Superior Court Judge Michael Donio called Lieberman the “quarterback” of the ring of alleged scam artists and sentenced her to ten years in prison.

The CBS Philly I-Team first exposed Lieberman during an I-Team exclusive special report last November.

Lieberman, of Northfield, was a court appointed guardian and leading specialist in elder law in Atlantic County.

Van Holt owned “A Better Choice,” a senior care company that offered clients in-home services including “custom designed life care and legal financial planning.”

Steen and Hamlett worked for Van Holt’s company.

Investigators say the group posed as trustworthy caregivers who took control of the finances of their victims by forging a power of attorney or obtaining one on false pretenses, adding their names to the victims’ bank accounts or transferring the victims’ funds into new accounts they controlled.

Ultimately, investigators believe the group stole $3.8 million and used the money to pay off six-digit credit card bills and buy things like Lieberman’s new BMW and a luxury condo in Florida.

Investigators say Van Holt and Lieberman used their positions of trust within the county to identify their victims.

“Most of these people didn’t have the capacity to keep an eye on their money and their assets so they were taken advantage of in that way. They looked for people who were elderly and had assets,” said Deputy Attorney General, Yvonne Maher who is handling the prosecution of the defendants on behalf of the state’s Division of Criminal Justice.

Maher says Lieberman would recommend clients to Van Holt’s company and vice versa.

An investigation by New Jersey State Police and Division of Criminal Justice has revealed at least 16 victims. With the exception of one, all of the victims are dead.

If you suspect that you or a family member have been victimized you can call the New Jersey Division of Criminal Justice’s tip line toll free at 866-TIPS-4CJ.

For more information about stopping guardian abuse visit the National Association to Stop Guardian Abuse.

Full Article & Source:
I-TEAM EXCLUSIVE: Former Atlantic Co. Employees In Court; Accused Of Bilking Seniors

See Also:
Sisters Who Ran Senior Care Company in Atlantic County Indicted on Conspiracy Charges

I-Team Exclusive: Seniors Says She was Forced Into Nursing Home

Sisters Who Ran Senior Care Company In Atlantic County Indicted on Conspiring Charges

TRENTON – Acting Attorney General John J. Hoffman announced that a state grand jury has indicted the owner of an in-home senior care company in Atlantic County and her sister on first-degree charges of conspiracy and money laundering for allegedly conspiring with a lawyer to steal over $2.7 million from a dozen elderly clients.

The indictment, handed up late yesterday, also charges three other people: an employee of their company who allegedly conspired with them to steal from one client; a former caseworker for Atlantic County Adult Protective Services who allegedly conspired with them to steal from an elderly couple; and a doctor who allegedly lied to the State Police during the investigation.The lawyer, Barbara Lieberman, 63, of Northfield, who specialized in elder law in Atlantic County, pleaded guilty on Nov. 3 to first-degree money laundering and faces a recommended sentence of 10 years in state prison, including 3 ½ years of parole ineligibility. She forfeited $3 million in assets seized from her and her husband, as well as her law license. She is scheduled to be sentenced on March 25.

The Division of Criminal Justice yesterday obtained an 11-count state grand jury indictment charging these five defendants as follows:

1. Jan Van Holt, 58, of Linwood, owner of “A Better Choice,” a company that offered elderly clients in-home “life care and legal financial planning.” Conspiracy (3 counts: two 1st degree and one 2nd degree), Money Laundering (3 counts: two 1st degree and one 2nd degree), Theft by Deception (3 counts: all 2nd degree) and Official Misconduct (2nd degree).
2. Sondra Steen, 59, of Linwood, Van Holt’s sister, who helped run the company and assisted clients. Conspiracy (3 counts: two 1st degree and one 2nd degree), Money Laundering (3 counts: two 1st degree and one 2nd degree), Theft by Deception (3 counts: all 2nd degree) and Official Misconduct (2nd degree).
3. Susan Hamlett, 56, of Egg Harbor Township, who worked as an aide for company clients. Conspiracy (2nd degree), Money Laundering (2nd degree) and Theft by Deception (2nd degree).
4. William Price, 57, of Linwood, who was a caseworker for Atlantic County Adult Protective Services when Van Holt was a county caseworker. Conspiracy (1st degree), Money Laundering (1st degree), Official Misconduct (2nd degree) and Theft by Deception (2nd degree).
5. Dr. Maria Teresa S. Daclan, 53, of Galloway Township. Hindering Apprehension or Prosecution (3rd degree).

The charges stem from an investigation by the New Jersey State Police Financial Crimes Unit and the Division of Criminal Justice Specialized Crimes Bureau.

“Van Holt and Steen insinuated themselves into the lives of their elderly clients by posing as compassionate and trustworthy caregivers, all the while allegedly plotting to steal their life savings,” said Acting Attorney General Hoffman. “In some cases, these sisters allegedly deprived their vulnerable victims of the ability to live out their final days in comfort and dignity, callously draining away the victims’ funds to pay for their own pets, swimming pool, expensive cars and Florida condo.”

“Con artists frequently target the elderly because of their vulnerability and accumulated assets,” said Director Elie Honig of the Division of Criminal Justice. “This is a particularly egregious case of elder fraud because of the way in which Van Holt allegedly used her official position as a case worker for Adult Protective Services to identify victims to prey upon.”

“These individuals allegedly preyed on vulnerable, elderly victims and betrayed their trust, in order to funnel stolen money into their own greedy pockets,” said Colonel Rick Fuentes, Superintendent of the New Jersey State Police. “This particular case of elder fraud is especially sinister, due to the conspiracy charges against so many defendants, who held such highly respected positions in society.”

Deputy Attorney General Yvonne G. Maher is prosecuting the case and presented it to the state grand jury for the Division of Criminal Justice Specialized Crimes Bureau, under the supervision of Deputy Attorney General Jill Mayer, who is Bureau Chief. Detective Richard Wheeler led the investigation for the New Jersey State Police Financial Crimes Unit. Deputy Attorney General Derek Miller is handling the state’s forfeiture action. Acting Attorney General Hoffman thanked the New Jersey Office of the Public Guardian for referring the case to the State Police.

It is alleged that Van Holt and Steen conspired with Lieberman to steal more than $2.7 million from 12 elderly clients between January 2003 and December 2012. Hamlett is charged in connection with a single client, a woman from whom Lieberman, Van Holt, Steen and Hamlett allegedly conspired to steal approximately $112,000. Price is charged in connection with an elderly couple he met through his job as a caseworker for Atlantic County Adult Protective Services. Van Holt also was a county caseworker at the time, and Price allegedly conspired with Van Holt, Steen and Lieberman to steal more than $800,000 from the elderly couple and their estate. Price allegedly received $125,000 of the stolen funds.

Van Holt worked as a case worker for Atlantic County Adult Protective Services from 2002 through December 2007, when she was terminated. Five of the alleged victims were recruited as clients after they came into contact with Van Holt through her official public position as a case worker. The official misconduct charge against Van Holt, Steen and Price relates to those victims.

It is alleged that Van Holt generally was the one to identify potential clients, approaching them to offer the services of A Better Choice and Lieberman. The defendants allegedly targeted elderly clients with substantial assets who typically did not have any immediate family, offering them non-medical care and services, including household chores, errands, driving clients to appointments, scheduling, budgeting, paying bills, balancing checkbooks, and other tasks. They did not provide healthcare services. Van Holt also created a company called “Elder Hospice,” but it was nothing more than a bank account.

Once a target accepted Van Holt’s offer of services, Steen usually would be put in place as the victim’s primary caregiver. In the case of the elderly couple connected to Price, Price also provided extensive assistance, particularly with household repairs. Lieberman would then be brought in to do legal work, preparing powers of attorney and wills for the clients. Lieberman was a leading specialist in elder law in Atlantic County who gave seminars to senior citizens on end of life affairs, wills and living wills.

The defendants allegedly took control of the finances of their victims by forging a power of attorney or obtaining one on false pretenses. The defendants then added their names to the victims’ bank accounts or transferred the victims’ funds into new accounts they controlled. Thereafter, the defendants allegedly stole from the accounts to pay their own expenses, including, for Van Holt and Steen – who lived together – veterinary bills for their pets, pool supplies, two Mercedes cars owned by Van Holt, and lease payments on a Florida condo.

A portion of the money was used to fund the victim’s continued expenses to keep the victim unaware of the thefts. In some cases, money from one victim would be transferred to another victim to pay expenses and cover up the thefts. If the victim owned stocks or bonds, they were cashed out and the funds were deposited into the account allegedly controlled by the defendants.

In one case, Steen allegedly posed as the niece of a 94-year-old woman and used a power of attorney to put a reverse mortgage for $195,000 on the victim’s home. In connection with the reverse mortgage, Dr. Daclan allegedly signed one or more letters for Van Holt related to the victim’s capacity to make financial decisions. In addition, Van Holt allegedly forged the doctor’s signature on a third letter. When a State Police detective asked Daclan about that third letter, Daclan allegedly lied in order to protect Van Holt, falsely claiming that she prepared and signed the letter. That is the basis for the charge of hindering apprehension or prosecution filed against Daclan.

When Lieberman prepared wills for the victims, she typically named herself or Van Holt as executor of the estate and named Steen as a beneficiary, or named other beneficiaries who had little or no ties to the victim and never actually received anything from the estate. The defendants allegedly relied on fraud, manipulation or forgery in the execution of the wills. In this manner, they allegedly continued to steal from the victims’ estates after they died.

Lieberman and Van Holt were arrested on March 19, 2014. Van Holt previously had been arrested with Steen and Hamlett on Dec. 20, 2012, in connection with one victim. The investigation began after the New Jersey Office of the Public Guardian referred the case of that one victim to the State Police.

First-degree charges carry a sentence of 10 to 20 years in state prison and a criminal fine of up to $200,000. The first-degree money laundering charge carries a mandatory minimum term of parole ineligibility of one-third to one-half of the sentence imposed. That charge also carries a criminal fine of up to $500,000, and an additional anti-money laundering profiteering penalty of up to $500,000 or three times the value of any property involved. Second-degree charges carry a sentence of five to 10 years in state prison and a fine of up to $150,000. The second-degree charge of official misconduct carries a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of five years without possibility of parole. Third-degree charges carry a sentence of three to five years in state prison and a fine of up to $15,000.

The indictment is merely an accusation and the defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty.

The indictment was handed up to Superior Court Judge Mary C. Jacobson in Mercer County, who assigned the case to Atlantic County, where the defendants will be ordered to appear at a later date for arraignment.

The indictment is posted with this press release at www.njpublicsafety.com.

Full Article & Source:
Sisters Who Ran Senior Care Company In Atlantic County Indicted on Conspiring Charges

Federal Judge Jails Estate Lawyer Joseph Caramadre as Flight Risk

A Rhode Island estate planning lawyer's effort to revoke his guilty plea in a controversial $30 million elder insurance fraud case was a "bizarre" and unjustified "hatchet job" on Joseph Caramadre's former counsel, a federal judge said.

U.S. District Judge William Smith not only nixed Caramadre's bid for a new trial but agreed with prosecutors in the Providence case that he should immediately be jailed as a flight risk, pending his sentencing in July, report the Associated Press and the Providence Journal.

"It was amazing to watch a defendant perjure himself saying he perjured himself the first time," the judge said.

Caramadre and an employee were charged with defrauding dying individuals into allowing insurance investments to be made in their names.

They pleaded guilty to wire fraud and conspiracy shortly after their trial began in November.

Source:
Federal Judge Jails Estate Lawyer as Flight Risk, Nixes 'Bizzare' Effort to Revoke Plea

See Also:
Death Takes a Policy:  How a Lawyer Exploited the Fine Print and Found Himself Facing Federal Charges