Police Officer From Accokeek Filed Fake Reports, Vandalized Cars For Insurance Payouts: Feds Police Officer From Accokeek Filed Fake Reports, Vandalized Cars For Insurance Payouts: Feds
Police Officer From Accokeek Filed Fake Reports, Vandalized Cars For Insurance Payouts: Feds Two former police officers in Maryland used their badges to file fake theft reports, vandalize cars, and collect payouts—with one even taking a $1,000 Cash App bribe, prosecutors said. Now, they face justice. Michael Anthony Owen Jr., 36, of Accokeek, and Jaron Earl Taylor, 31, of Fort Washington, pleaded guilty to federal charges in connection with a wide-ranging insurance fraud scheme, according to the US Attorney’s Office on Tuesday, June 3. Owen admitted to falsifying records, while Taylor pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud.  Both were working as officers—Owen with…
$2.6M Refund Scam Funded Lamborghini Huracan For Bethlehem Man: DOJ $2.6M Refund Scam Funded Lamborghini Huracan For Bethlehem Man: DOJ
$2.6M Refund Scam Funded Lamborghini Huracan For Bethlehem 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…
Melville Exec Stole $1.6M To Fund Lavish Wedding, Failed Restaurant, DOJ Says Melville Exec Stole $1.6M To Fund Lavish Wedding, Failed Restaurant, DOJ Says
Melville Exec Stole $1.6M To Fund Lavish Wedding, Failed Restaurant, DOJ Says A former Long Island credit supervisor is accused of stealing over $1 million from customer refund accounts to pay for his wedding, luxury travel, and launch a failed restaurant venture, prosecutors said. Tony Ream, 33, of Greenville, South Carolina, was arraigned on wire fraud and money laundering charges in Central Islip federal court on Friday, May 30. During his time as a credit supervisor for a Melville-based medical and dental supply company, Ream used his position to secretly divert corporate funds into a personal bank account he controlled, prosecutors alleged. As supervisor, he ha…
Randolph Duo Admits To $3.2M Ponzi Scheme That Took Locals' Life Savings: Feds Randolph Duo Admits To $3.2M Ponzi Scheme That Took Locals' Life Savings: Feds
Randolph Duo Admits To $3.2M Ponzi Scheme That Took Locals' Life Savings: Feds Dozens of people — including some who handed over their life savings — were defrauded out of more than $3 million by a Randolph couple who now admit to running a Ponzi scheme, according to federal officials. Milendophe Duperier, 33, and Vanessa Joseph, 26, have agreed to plead guilty to one count each of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, the US Attorney for Massachusetts said.  Court dates for their plea hearings have not yet been set. According to prosecutors, Duperier posed as an investment advisor, convincing locals to hand over money with the promise it would be used to buy securiti…
$900K Covid Loan Fraud, Westfield Man Learns Fate: Feds $900K Covid Loan Fraud, Westfield Man Learns Fate: Feds
$900K Covid Loan Fraud, Westfield Man Learns Fate: Feds A 54-year-old Westfield man was recently sentenced to two years in prison after he fraudulently obtained a Payroll Protection Program loan for $900,000, authorities said. Joseph McKeon pleaded guilty last November in Newark federal court to wire fraud and money laundering, U.S. Attorney Alina Habba said. From February 2021 through February 2022, McKeon submitted fraudulent PPP loan and forgiveness applications for $900,000 on behalf of a New Jersey company he owned, Habba said. In support of those applications, McKeon lied about the number of employees the business employed and the income t…
Ex-Library Staffer From Hawthorne Admits Embezzling $3.2M From Couple Who Trusted Him, Feds Say Ex-Library Staffer From Hawthorne Admits Embezzling $3.2M From Couple Who Trusted Him, Feds Say
Ex-Library Staffer From Hawthorne Admits Embezzling $3.2M From Couple Who Trusted Him, Feds Say A Passaic County man and former tech administrator at a Bergen County library admitted to embezzling more than $3.2 million from a local couple who had hired him as a part-time personal assistant, federal prosecutors said. Charles Gallo, 34, of Hawthorne, pleaded guilty in Newark federal court to one count of wire fraud, U.S. Attorney Alina Habba said Friday, May 2. Gallo began working for the victims in 2018, helping manage their bills, banking, emails, and tech issues, court documents say. From March 2022 to March 2023, Gallo used his access to steal millions, including making ATM withdra…
Greenwich Hedge Fund Owner Admits To Stealing $3.4M From Investors: DOJ Greenwich Hedge Fund Owner Admits To Stealing $3.4M From Investors: DOJ
Greenwich Hedge Fund Owner Admits To Stealing $3.4M From Investors: DOJ A Connecticut businessman who ran a hedge fund based in Greenwich has admitted to stealing millions from investors in a years-long scam. Justin C. Murphy, 50, of Stamford, pleaded guilty in federal court to wire fraud and money laundering, the US Attorney for Connecticut said. He faces up to 30 years in prison.  Prosecutors say he misled clients, faked financial statements, and used their money to fund his lifestyle, including investing in a relative’s startup. Murphy owned and operated Mara Investment Group, also known by similar names, claiming it was a hedge fund that used a smart,…
Lyin’ King George Santos Sentenced To Prison In Final Act Of Political Circus Lyin’ King George Santos Sentenced To Prison In Final Act Of Political Circus
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…
$10M Fraud: Port Jefferson Dad, Son Sentenced For Spending Investor Money On Lavish Lifestyle $10M Fraud: Port Jefferson Dad, Son Sentenced For Spending Investor Money On Lavish Lifestyle
$10M Fraud: Port Jefferson Dad, Son Sentenced For Spending Investor Money On Lavish Lifestyle A New York father and son will spend years behind bars for conning investors out of millions of dollars that funded their lavish lifestyle. Long Island resident Eugene Austin, age 62, of Port Jefferson, was sentenced to 18 years in prison in Brooklyn federal court on Wednesday, April 23, following a jury conviction for wire fraud and money laundering. Austin’s 29-year-old son, Brandon Austin, of Coram, was previously sentenced to four years behind bars for his role in the scheme. The men offered to serve as a broker for sales of large quantities of cryptocurrency at below-market exchange r…
Lake George Inventor Defrauded Investors, Dodged Taxes While Living Large, Jury Finds Lake George Inventor Defrauded Investors, Dodged Taxes While Living Large, Jury Finds
Lake George Inventor Defrauded Investors, Dodged Taxes While Living Large, Jury Finds A New York man who promised big returns on patented inventions defrauded investors and failed to file tax returns, a federal jury found. Michael Conner, 56, of Lake George, was convicted on 22 counts of wire fraud and related charges following an eight-day trial in Albany federal court on Thursday, April 10. Conner portrayed himself as a successful inventor of household products such as a heated-blade knife, a paint bucket called the “Paint Caddy,” and a rotatable refrigerator shelf. But in reality, he never sold a single patent and hadn’t earned a dime in revenue from any of them, accordin…
'Pathological Liar' George Santos Deserves 'Significant Prison Sentence,' Feds Say 'Pathological Liar' George Santos Deserves 'Significant Prison Sentence,' Feds Say
'Pathological Liar' George Santos Deserves 'Significant Prison Sentence,' Feds Say Disgraced former New York congressman George Santos will sit in federal prison for more than a half decade if prosecutors get their way. In a sentencing memo filed in Central Islip on Friday, April 4, the US Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District urged Judge Joanna Seybert to impose an 87-month prison term–over seven years–describing Santos as a “pathological liar and fraudster” who “made a mockery of our election system.” Santos, 36, represented Long Island’s 3rd Congressional District, covering parts of Nassau County and Queens, until he was expelled from Congress in December 2023, as…
FBI In Manhattan Still Searching For ‘Cryptoqueen’ Missing After $4B Scam FBI In Manhattan Still Searching For ‘Cryptoqueen’ Missing After $4B Scam
FBI In Manhattan Still Searching For ‘Cryptoqueen’ Missing After $4B Scam 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…