CONARTIST WHO IMPERSONATED VARIOUS GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS SENTENCED TO 33 MONTHS IN FEDERAL PRISON

Department of Justice

U.S. Attorney’s Office

District of Virgin Islands

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Tuesday, March 22, 2022

 

CONARTIST WHO IMPERSONATED VARIOUS GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS SENTENCED TO 33 MONTHS IN FEDERAL PRISON

St. Thomas, USVI - United States Attorney Gretchen C.F. Shappert announced today that Yamini Potter, age 36, was sentenced to 33 months in prison for his convictions of Obtaining Money by False Pretenses and Obstruction of Justice.

According to court documents, from about May 2019 through October 23, 2020, the Defendant, acting as himself and others including federal Magistrate Judge Ruth Miller, former Virgin Islands Lieutenant Governor Osbert Potter, Virgin Islands Attorney General Denise George, and retired federal Judge Curtis Gomez, contacted elderly victims requesting that they pay him large sums of money, which ultimately totaled over $100,000, to purportedly pay for lawyers and legal fees associated with various fictitious lawsuits. After the Defendant was arrested for his criminal conduct, he continued to use the Virgin Islands Bureau of Corrections telephone to contact victims of his fraudulent schemes on a recorded line. He also told the victims not to cooperate with the federal authorities in their investigation of the matter. He instructed the victims to delete text messages between himself and the victims.

The Defendant was sentenced to 33 months in prison, followed by 3 years supervised release. He was also ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $ 120,650 to the victims and a special assessment of $ 200.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

Source:

CONARTIST WHO IMPERSONATED VARIOUS GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS SENTENCED TO 33 MONTHS IN FEDERAL PRISON

Parkland Man Gets 7 Years in Prison For Bilking Elderly Investors

Isaac Grossman

By Kevin Deutsch

A Parkland man who conned elderly investors out of millions of dollars was sentenced Thursday to 87 months in federal prison, according to the Department of Justice.

Isaac Grossman, 47, of Heron Bay, directed an elder fraud scheme in which he sold stock in his South Florida-based technology company to senior citizens across the U.S., then misappropriated their money for his own personal use, federal prosecutors said.

U.S. District Judge Raag Singhal sentenced Grossman in Fort Lauderdale federal court after Grossman had previously pleaded guilty to wire fraud, mail fraud, and money laundering charges. Grossman had faced up to 50 years in prison for his crimes.

He was also ordered to pay nearly $3 million in restitution, court records show.

Grossman will be credited with about seven months served and must surrender to the federal Bureau of Prisons no later than April 8, according to the records.

From September 2014 through April 2018, Grossman raised around $2.4 million in investor funds for his company, Dragon-Click Corp., by soliciting investments from elderly retirees across the country, prosecutors said.

Grossman’s pitch to investors: Dragon-Click was developing a revolutionary internet application, and they had a chance to get in on the ground floor. He told them the new shopping app would allow users to post a photo of any item they might want to purchase, immediately recognize all retailers who sell the item, and provide price comparisons and links to buy.

Grossman admitted he falsely told investors they would double, triple, or quadruple their money. According to DOJ, he even claimed Dragon-Click was on the verge of being sold to a large technology company like Google, Apple, or Amazon for over $1 billion.

Before raising funds for Dragon-Click, he concealed from investors that the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority had permanently barred him from acting as a broker or associating with brokerage firms.

He also hid the fact he had been permanently banned from commodities trading by the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission.

With investors’ money in hand, Grossman spent $1.3 million of his fraudulent gains on gambling, diamond jewelry, luxury cars, home mortgage payments, tuition payments for his children’s private school education, and other personal expenditures, including a McLaren MP4-12C, a Chevrolet Corvette and a 4.81-carat diamond ring, prosecutors said.

In addition to his criminal case, the government also filed a parallel civil enforcement action against Grossman.

Full Article & Source:

Parkland Man Gets 7 Years in Prison For Bilking Elderly Investors 

 

See Also: 

Parkland Man Arrested for Bilking Elderly in Money Laundering Scheme

FBI: Albuquerque Couple Sentenced To Prison For Crimes Committed In Connection With Ayudando Guardians Case

Submitted by Carol A. Clark

FBI News:

ALBUQUERQUE — Susan K. Harris, 74, and William S. Harris, 60, both of Albuquerque, were sentenced Friday in Federal Court for conspiracy to defraud the United States and other financial crimes committed in connection with the operation of Ayudando Guardians, Inc., a non-profit corporation that previously provided guardianship, conservatorship and financial management to hundreds of people with special needs.

Susan Harris was sentenced to 47 years in prison, followed by three years of supervised release. William Harris was sentenced to 15 years in prison, followed by three years of supervised release. Both will be required to pay the entire amount of stolen funds as restitution to the victims. 

A superseding indictment filed Dec. 5, 2017, charged Susan Harris, William Harris, Sharon A. Moore, 64, and Susan Harris’ son, Craig M. Young, 53, with various financial crimes, including conspiracy to defraud the United States, mail fraud, aggravated identity theft and money laundering.

Susan Harris pleaded guilty July 11, 2019, to conspiracy, mail fraud, aggravated identity theft, money laundering and conspiracy to commit money laundering. William Harris pleaded guilty June 25, 2019, to conspiracy to defraud the United States and to commit money laundering.

Both Susan Harris and William Harris were originally scheduled to be sentenced March 2, 2020, but failed to appear for their sentencing hearing. A bench warrant was issued for their arrest and the U.S. Marshals Service arrested them April 15, 2020, in Shawnee, Okla., after they fled New Mexico.

According to their plea agreements and other court records, Susan Harris acted as president and was the 95-percent owner of Ayudando, while Moore acted as chief financial officer and was a five-percent owner. They engaged in a pattern of criminal conduct from November 2006 to July 2017 that included unlawfully transferring money from client accounts to a comingled account without any client-based justification.  They wrote and endorsed numerous checks, often of more than $10,000, from these comingled accounts to themselves, family members, cash and other parties where payment would benefit their families.

Susan Harris took steps to maintain Ayudando’s appearance of legitimacy, including submitting a proposal to the New Mexico Office of Guardianship that contained numerous false representations, including a false claim that Young was a nationally certified guardian at the time of the submission.

William Harris, who worked as a guardian, admitted that he knew that Moore was siphoning payments to clients from the Department of Veterans Affairs and Social Security Administration and using the money to benefit herself, Harris, and their co-conspirators. Harris specifically admitted receiving, endorsing, and depositing dozens of checks drawn on Ayudando accounts for his own personal benefit. Harris admitted to his involvement in a money laundering scheme, using an Ayudando corporate credit card for personal expenses, knowing that it would be paid for with client money. He also admitted his role in a loan application for the stated purpose of expanding the Ayudando business with the actual intent of using the money to “pay back” clients whose money had been taken without authorization.

The stolen funds were used to fund an extravagant lifestyle, including the purchases of homes, vehicles, luxury RVs and cruises, as well as a private box at “the Pit” at the University of New Mexico. The stolen funds also were used to pay for more than $4.4 million in American Express charges incurred by the defendants and their families.

“The sentences that the defendants have received today are just, and the defendants are fully deserving of them,” said Fred J. Federici, Acting U.S. Attorney for the District of New Mexico. “The defendants’ conduct in preying upon individuals with special needs, who they were entrusted to protect, was both loathsome and contemptible. We hope that these sentences serve as a warning to others that we will seek to hold accountable anyone who chooses to violate federal law by abusing any similar position of trust for personal enrichment.”

“Taking advantage of disabled veterans and other vulnerable Americans deserves a harsh penalty, especially when those entrusted with their finances instead use the money for vacations and other expensive perks,” said Raul Bujanda, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office. “The FBI will never stop trying to hold such criminals accountable and making sure their victims get justice.”

“This final phase of the investigation will hopefully give some closure to the many victims who have suffered as a result of the selfish acts of the defendants,” said Sonya K. Chavez, United States Marshal for the District of New Mexico. “We at the United States Marshals Service will continue to work diligently with our partners to protect the citizens of New Mexico, particularly those who are most vulnerable.”

“The criminal actions by these defendants were truly brazen and egregious,” stated IRS – Criminal Investigation Special Agent in Charge Albert Childress. “Instead of helping people who placed their trust in them, the defendants were greedy and helped themselves to their clients’ money. They must now pay the consequences for their bad deeds.”

“Today’s sentencing reflects the egregious crimes committed by the defendants, who not only violated the public’s trust but also the trust of a vulnerable population who relied upon them to manage their benefits. We will continue to join our law enforcement partners in investigating organizations and individuals who misuse Social Security benefits that they agreed to manage on behalf of beneficiaries,” said Adam Schneider, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Social Security Administration Office of the Inspector General, Dallas Field Division. “I thank our law enforcement partners for their outstanding investigative work and the District of New Mexico U.S. Attorney’s Office for their efforts in bringing these individuals to justice.” 

“Criminal acts by would-be fiduciaries are most heinous because they violate veterans’ trust and put in jeopardy the benefits on which they are dependent,” said Special Agent in Charge Rebeccalynn Staples, Veterans Affairs, Office of Inspector General. “This sentence should send a clear message that the VA OIG will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to ferret out those who would defraud VA and steal the benefits of deserving veterans.”

Young pleaded guilty Nov. 12, 2019, and was sentenced June 11, 2020, to five years and 11 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release. Young was ordered to pay approximately $6.8 million in restitution to the victims of the fraud scheme.

Moore pleaded guilty July 11, 2019, and was sentenced March 2, 2020, to 20 years in prison, followed by three years of supervised release. Moore was ordered to pay the entire amount of stolen funds as restitution to the victims. 

The Albuquerque Field Office of the FBI and the Phoenix Field Office of IRS Criminal Investigation conducted the investigation with the assistance of the Complex Assets Unit and the U.S. Marshals Service, the Criminal Investigations Division of the Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General, and the Dallas Field Division of the Social Security Administration Office of Inspector General. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jeremy Peña and Brandon L. Fyffe prosecuted the case.

Full Article & Source:

FBI: Albuquerque Couple Sentenced To Prison For Crimes Committed In Connection With Ayudando Guardians Case

Albuquerque couple sentenced to federal prison in Ayudando Guardians case

Department of Justice

U.S. Attorney’s Office

District of New Mexico

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Thursday, July 15, 2021

 

Albuquerque couple sentenced to federal prison in Ayudando Guardians case

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Susan K. Harris, 74, and William S. Harris, 60, both of Albuquerque, were sentenced today in federal court for conspiracy  to defraud the United States and other financial crimes committed in connection with the operation of Ayudando Guardians, Inc., a non-profit corporation that previously provided guardianship, conservatorship and financial management to hundreds of people with special needs.

Susan Harris was sentenced to 47 years in prison, followed by three years of supervised release. William Harris was sentenced to 15 years in prison, followed by three years of supervised release. Both will be required to pay the entire amount of stolen funds as restitution to the victims. 

A superseding indictment filed on Dec. 5, 2017, charged Susan Harris, William Harris, Sharon A. Moore, 64, and Susan Harris’ son, Craig M. Young, 53, with various financial crimes, including conspiracy  to defraud the United States, mail fraud, aggravated identity theft and money laundering.

Susan Harris pleaded guilty on July 11, 2019, to conspiracy, mail fraud, aggravated identity theft, money laundering and conspiracy to commit money laundering. William Harris pleaded guilty on June 25, 2019, to conspiracy to defraud the United States and to commit money laundering. Both Susan Harris and William Harris were originally scheduled to be sentenced on March 2, 2020, but failed to appear for their sentencing hearing. A bench warrant was issued for their arrest and the U.S. Marshals Service arrested them in Shawnee, Oklahoma, on April 15, 2020, after they fled New Mexico.

According to their plea agreements and other court records, Susan Harris acted as president and was the 95-percent owner of Ayudando, while Moore acted as chief financial officer and was a five-percent owner. They engaged in a pattern of criminal conduct from November 2006 to July 2017 that included unlawfully transferring money from client accounts to a comingled account without any client-based justification.  They wrote and endorsed numerous checks, often of more than $10,000, from these comingled accounts to themselves, family members, cash and other parties where payment would benefit their families.

Susan Harris took steps to maintain Ayudando’s appearance of legitimacy, including submitting a proposal to the New Mexico Office of Guardianship that contained numerous false representations, including a false claim that Young was a nationally certified guardian at the time of the submission.

William Harris, who worked as a guardian, admitted that he knew that Moore was siphoning payments to clients from the Department of Veterans Affairs and Social Security Administration and using the money to benefit herself, Harris, and their co-conspirators. Harris specifically admitted receiving, endorsing, and depositing dozens of checks drawn on Ayudando accounts for his own personal benefit. Harris admitted to his involvement in a money laundering scheme, using an Ayudando corporate credit card for personal expenses, knowing that it would be paid for with client money. He also admitted his role in a loan application for the stated purpose of expanding the Ayudando business with the actual intent of using the money to “pay back” clients whose money had been taken without authorization.

The stolen funds were used to fund an extravagant lifestyle, including the purchases of homes, vehicles, luxury RVs and cruises, as well as a private box at “the Pit” at the University of New Mexico. The stolen funds were also used to pay for more than $4.4 million in American Express charges incurred by the defendants and their families.

“The sentences that the defendants have received today are just, and the defendants are fully deserving of them,” said Fred J. Federici, Acting U.S. Attorney for the District of New Mexico. “The defendants’ conduct in preying upon individuals with special needs, who they were entrusted to protect, was both loathsome and contemptible. We hope that these sentences serve as a warning to others that we will seek to hold accountable anyone who chooses to violate federal law by abusing any similar position of trust for personal enrichment.”

“Taking advantage of disabled veterans and other vulnerable Americans deserves a harsh penalty, especially when those entrusted with their finances instead use the money for vacations and other expensive perks,” said Raul Bujanda, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office. “The FBI will never stop trying to hold such criminals accountable and making sure their victims get justice.”

“This final phase of the investigation will hopefully give some closure to the many victims who have suffered as a result of the selfish acts of the defendants,” said Sonya K. Chavez, United States Marshal for the District of New Mexico.  “We at the United States Marshals Service will continue to work diligently with our partners to protect the citizens of New Mexico, particularly those who are most vulnerable.”

“The criminal actions by these defendants were truly brazen and egregious,” stated IRS - Criminal Investigation Special Agent in Charge Albert Childress. “Instead of helping people who placed their trust in them, the defendants were greedy and helped themselves to their clients’ money. They must now pay the consequences for their bad deeds.”

“Today's sentencing reflects the egregious crimes committed by the defendants, who not only violated the public’s trust but also the trust of a vulnerable population who relied upon them to manage their benefits. We will continue to join our law enforcement partners in investigating organizations and individuals who misuse Social Security benefits that they agreed to manage on behalf of beneficiaries,” said Adam Schneider, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Social Security Administration Office of the Inspector General, Dallas Field Division. “I thank our law enforcement partners for their outstanding investigative work and the District of New Mexico U.S. Attorney’s Office for their efforts in bringing these individuals to justice.” 

“Criminal acts by would-be fiduciaries are most heinous because they violate veterans’ trust and put in jeopardy the benefits on which they are dependent,” said Special Agent in Charge Rebeccalynn Staples, Veterans Affairs, Office of Inspector General. “This sentence should send a clear message that the VA OIG will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to ferret out those who would defraud VA and steal the benefits of deserving veterans.”

Young pleaded guilty on Nov. 12, 2019, and was sentenced on June 11, 2020, to five years and 11 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release. Young was ordered to pay approximately $6.8 million in restitution to the victims of the fraud scheme.

Moore pleaded guilty on July 11, 2019, and was sentenced on March 2, 2020, to 20 years in prison, followed by three years of supervised release. Moore was ordered to pay the entire amount of stolen funds as restitution to the victims. 

The Albuquerque Field Office of the FBI and the Phoenix Field Office of IRS Criminal Investigation conducted the investigation with the assistance of the Complex Assets Unit and the U.S. Marshals Service, the Criminal Investigations Division of the Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General, and the Dallas Field Division of the Social Security Administration Office of Inspector General. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jeremy Peña and Brandon L. Fyffe prosecuted the case.

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Source:

Albuquerque couple sentenced to federal prison in Ayudando Guardians case

Couple involved in Ayudando Guardians case sentenced

by: KRQE Staff

*Editor’s note below

NEW MEXICO (KRQE) – An Albuquerque couple who stole millions of dollars from veterans and people with disabilities are finally facing their punishment Thursday. Susan and William Harris were sentenced to federal prison. Susan was sentenced to 47 years in prison, followed by three years of supervised release and William was sentenced to 15 years in prison, followed by three years of supervised release.

They plead guilty last year but then skipped town before sentencing. They were arrested a month later in Oklahoma.

Susan was the founder of Ayudando Guardians, a nonprofit contracted by the government to manage the finances of people with special needs, including disabled veterans and those with mental deficiencies. Susan Harris who was president at the time along with her husband used their client’s money as part of the fraud scheme and money laundering conspiracy. According to court records, the stolen funds were used to pay off more than $4.4 million in credit card charges incurred by the defendants and their families.

According to a news release from the U.S. Department of Justice District of New Mexico, the superseding indictment filed on Dec. 5, 2017, charged Susan, William, Sharon A. Moore, 64, and Susan Harris’ son, Craig M. Young, 53, with various financial crimes, including conspiracy to defraud the United States, mail fraud, aggravated identity theft and money laundering.

According to the news release, Susan maintained Ayudando’s appearance of legitimacy, by submitting a proposal to the New Mexico Office of Guardianship that contained false representations, including a false claim that Young was a nationally certified guardian at the time of the submission.

The news release states that William, who worked as a guardian, admitted that he knew that Moore was siphoning payments to clients from the Department of Veterans Affairs and Social Security Administration and using the money for benefit. William admitted receiving, endorsing and depositing dozens of checks drawn on Ayudando accounts for his own personal benefit, according to the news release.

Susan and William will be required to pay the entire amount of stolen funds as restitution to the victims. 

The news release says Young pleaded guilty on Nov. 12, 2019, and was sentenced on June 11, 2020, to five years and 11 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release. He was ordered to pay approximately $6.8 million in restitution to the victims.

Moore pleaded guilty on July 11, 2019, and was sentenced on March 2, 2020, to 20 years in prison, followed by three years of supervised release and was ordered to pay the entire amount of stolen funds as restitution to the victims. 

The news release states that the Albuquerque Field Office of the FBI and the Phoenix Field Office of IRS Criminal Investigation conducted the investigation with the assistance of the Complex Assets Unit and the U.S. Marshals Service, the Criminal Investigations Division of the Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General, and the Dallas Field Division of the Social Security Administration Office of Inspector General and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jeremy Peña and Brandon L. Fyffe prosecuted the case.

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In a previous version of this story, it said $11 million in credit card charges were incurred, that is incorrect, $4.4 million in credit card charges was incurred by the defendants and their families.

Full Article & Source:

Couple involved in Ayudando Guardians case sentenced

Iowa woman gets prison for stealing $500,000 from aunt

An Iowa woman has been sentenced to nearly six years in federal prison for stealing roughly half a million dollars from her husband's ailing aunt. (Storyblocks image)

WATERLOO, Iowa (AP) - An Iowa woman has been sentenced to nearly six years in federal prison for stealing roughly half a million dollars from her husband's ailing aunt.

Kimberly Anny Henny was sentenced Friday to five years and 10 months in prison for taking advantage of her husband's aunt, who was blind and suffered from diminished cognitive abilities.

The 53-year-old Waterloo woman was also ordered to pay $494,724 in restitution.

Prosecutors said Henny claimed she took the money to help support the nonprofit she had started, but she actually used the money to pay for a family vacation, furniture, spa expenses and other personal items.

 

Full Article & Source:

Iowa woman gets prison for stealing $500,000 from aunt

Former Georgia Attorney Sentenced To Two Years In Federal Prison For Theft Of Client Funds

Stock Photo: U.S. Supreme Court is shown as the court (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images)

PRESS RELEASE:

Carla B. Gaines, an attorney formerly licensed in Georgia, has been sentenced to federal prison for stealing client money and lying about the theft.

“Gaines stole over $300,000 in client money and then repeatedly lied about it, including twice under oath,” said U.S. Attorney Byung J. “BJay” Pak.  “We hope that this prison sentence brings a measure of justice to the defendant’s victims, who were abused and had their trust violated.”

            “Gaines compounded her deceit by lying under oath and is another example of the FBI’s commitment to holding accountable anyone who violates their sworn oath to uphold the Constitution of the United States,” said Chris Hacker, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “Her actions not only violated her clients’ trust, but also insulted every lawyer who honors and respects the oath they took.”

According to U.S. Attorney Pak, the charges, and other information presented in court:  Carla B. Gaines was an attorney, licensed in Georgia, until she was disbarred on November 18, 2019.  From August 2014 through March 2016, she stole $337,400 that she had received from Clayton County, Georgia, government, to hold in escrow for payment to a Georgia business, Kelete, Inc., which owned a gas station and convenience store in College Park, Ga.  After the theft, Gaines lied to Clayton County and Kelete to lull them into believing that she still had the money and payment was on the way.

In 2014, Clayton County entered into an agreement with Kelete for Kelete to sell a right of way or easement through Kelete’s property to the County, for $712,400.  Gaines was retained to serve as the escrow agent for this real estate transaction.  Clayton County transferred $712,400 to Gaines for her to hold in escrow and complete the transaction. 

In November 2015, Clayton County and Kelete closed the real estate deal.  Gaines paid $375,000 to Kelete and its bank at the time of closing.  Under the settlement agreement, Gaines was required to hold the remaining $337,400 in escrow until Kelete removed certain trade fixtures and improvements on the property.  In March 2016, Kelete completed the removal and requested the remaining payment of $337,400.  But Gaines never paid, despite repeated demands.  Instead of holding the $337,400 in escrow as required, Gaines had diverted the funds to pay for personal and law firm expenses.

Beginning in March 2016, when payment was demanded, Gaines repeatedly made false representations to Clayton County and Kelete about whether she had the money and whether payment was on the way.  For example, Gaines falsely claimed that the wire was “pending,” that the wire was “stuck,” that she had a check ready for Kelete, that she was “awaiting a call from the bank,” that “the bank was holding the wire,” that she had “straightened out the issue,” and that the “wire should be processed Monday.”  These representations were false.  No wires were stuck, pending, held, or on their way; and no check was ready.  Gaines had far less than $337,400 in her bank accounts at the time she made these misrepresentations.  

Kelete sued Gaines to recover the $337,400 it was owed.  As part of that civil proceeding, Gaines lied in two depositions, in March 2017 and June 2018.  Gaines testified that she had paid a portion of Kelete’s funds to another client, a pastor, in error.  Gaines also testified that she had called the pastor and informed him of the mistake, and that he had promised to pay the money back to Gaines.  Those representations were false. 

Gaines, 61, of Mableton, Georgia, was sentenced to two years in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay $330,900 in restitution.  She was convicted after pleading guilty to theft from a local government that receives federal funding. 

            This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

Full Article & Source:
Former Georgia Attorney Sentenced To Two Years In Federal Prison For Theft Of Client Funds

‘She could do it again’: Serial nursing home killer released, moves to SC

by: Ken Kolker

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WOOD) — More than 30 years after she helped kill at least five elderly women in a West Michigan nursing home, serial killer Catherine Wood walked out of prison on Thursday.

Wood, now 57, walked out of the federal prison in Tallahassee, Florida, released over the objections of her victims’ relatives. They fear she’ll kill again.

Conditions of Wood’s parole show she won’t be returning to West Michigan to live, at least for now. Instead, WOOD learned, the Alpine Manor Nursing Home killer will live with her sister in Fort Mill, South Carolina, a city of 17,000 people just outside Charlotte, North Carolina.

“I’m glad she’s not coming back here, but on the other side of the coin, I sympathize with the people that are going to be living around her, wherever she goes,” said John Engman, son-in-law of victim Mae Mason.

He helped lead the fight against Wood’s release.

“If I was a neighbor, I would want to definitely know that we have a serial killer living next door,” Engman said.

In 1987, Wood and Gwendolyn Graham killed at least five patients — and possibly as many as a dozen — at the Alpine Manor Nursing Home, where the women were nurse’s aides. They did it for fun and to bind their love.

The Michigan Parole Board had denied Wood’s release eight times before, finding she was a potential danger and wasn’t remorseful, but that changed in September 2018. Victims’ family members tried to stop it, but a Kent County judge ruled in October 2019 that she should be released.

Retired Walker Police Department Sgt. Roger Kaliniak, who helped investigate the murders at Alpine Manor in 1987, said he fears Wood could kill again.

“She’s a serial killer and she could do it again, and most of them do,” Kaliniak said.

The federal prison in Tallahassee, Florida, that held
Alpine Manor serial killer Catherine Wood.
(Jan. 16, 2020)

Wood spent most of her adult life in the Federal Correctional Institution in Tallahassee, kept separate from Graham, her accomplice, who is serving life without parole in Michigan.

Wood testified against Graham, saying Graham suffocated the victims with washcloths as she acted as a lookout.

But investigators said they believe Wood was more involved and there could have been as many as a dozen victims.

“I believe that Cathy Wood was the mastermind, she was the one that was pulling strings on Gwendolyn Graham,” Kaliniak, the retired detective said. “Gwendolyn Graham handled the dirty work and Cathy Wood was the brains behind it. “

The pair at first tried to spell ‘MURDER’ with their victims’ initials.

Graham was ultimately convicted of first-degree murder in the deaths of Mae Mason, 79, Edith Cook, 98; Marguerite Chambers, 60; Myrtle Luce, 95; and Belle Burkhard, 74. The victims all suffered from dementia or Alzheimer’s disease.

Under the terms of a plea agreement, Wood pleaded to second-degree murder in Chambers’ death and was sentenced to 20 to 40 years in prison.

Kaliniak’s partner in the investigation, retired Detective Sgt. Tom Freeman, said he believes Wood has earned her freedom in exchange for her testimony against Graham.

“If it wasn’t for that deal, Gwen Graham would probably have been loose today,” Freeman said.

He said he doesn’t believe Wood is a threat.

Kaliniak disagrees.

“It’s a horrific crime that these two people were involved in, and I think that both of them should be in prison forever,” Kaliniak said.

“My fear is that she will find some old person, old people, incorporate herself into their family, take their property, take their lives and move on and do it again,” said Engman, the son-in-law of a victim.

The South Carolina parole board said Wood’s parole will keep her from caring for the elderly, for children and for vulnerable adults. But those conditions end when her parole ends in June 2021.

Full Article & Source:
‘She could do it again’: Serial nursing home killer released, moves to SC

Kids-for-cash judge seeks clemency

SCRANTON — Disgraced former kids-for-cash Judge Michael T. Conahan seeks clemency on the 17½-year federal prison sentence he is serving.

Conahan, 66, pleaded guilty to racketeering conspiracy charges in the scandal and has been behind bars since he was sentenced in September 2011. A searchable database on the Department of Justice’s website that was made public in March shows Conahan has a pending request for a sentence commutation, or reduction.

The database does not provide any information about the reason for the request. Justice Department spokeswoman Nicole Navas Oxman said the pardon attorney’s office does not disclose where in the process a case is pending.

Michael Conahan

Conahan and fellow Judge Mark A. Ciavarella Jr. were convicted of accepting kickbacks in exchange for funneling juvenile defendants to detention centers built by developer Robert K. Mericle’s construction firm and operated by companies controlled by former local attorney Robert Powell.

Ciavarella went to trial and was initially convicted of 12 of 39 charges, receiving a sentence of 28 years in prison. But he appealed and saw a federal judge reverse three of the most serious convictions earlier this year.

Conahan, however, reached a plea deal with prosecutors. He initially had a deal that would have put him in prison for just over seven years, but a federal judge rejected it because Conahan refused to accept full responsibility for the kids-for-cash scheme.

He ended up being sentenced to 17½ years in prison — more than a decade longer than called for under his initial deal.

Conahan is serving his time at Federal Correctional Institution, Miami, while Ciavarella is at Federal Correctional Institution-Ashland in Kentucky.

Full Article & Source:
Kids-for-cash judge seeks clemency

Woman who bilked elderly man out of millions is sentenced

CHICAGO (AP) — A woman who pleaded guilty to bilking an elderly suburban Chicago man out of more than $4 million over six years has been sentenced to five years in federal prison.

The Chicago Tribune reports that Corrine Dziesiuta (zee-SEW’-tah) was sentenced on Tuesday by U.S. District Judge Thomas Durkin. She pleaded guilty in August to federal fraud charges.

Prosecutors have said the 39-year-old Dziesiuta persuaded the widower who is now 88 years old to wire funds from his U.S. bank account to banks in Nicaragua and Costa Rica. She told him he’d won millions of dollars in prize money but needed to pay insurance, taxes and fees.

She was arrested after making arrangements to fly him to New York so he could deliver a check for more than $3.7 million.

Full Article & Source:
Woman who bilked elderly man out of millions is sentenced