News from June 2017


Four Floridians Sentenced for Laundering Proceeds of a Costa Rican Sweepstakes Scheme

News Release: Orlando, Florida U.S. District Judge Paul G. Byron has sentenced Audrey Montserrate (50, Dania), Benancio Lopez (53, St. Cloud), Richard Ellis (30, Miami), and Donald S. Sutliff (42, Kissimmee) to federal prison terms for laundering proceeds from a fraudulent sweepstakes scheme. As part of the sentences, the Court also entered a money judgment for the proceeds of the charged criminal conduct. Each previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit money laundering.


Tax Preparers and Recruiter Who Preyed on Immigrants Sentenced to Prison

News Release: SAN DIEGO Two local tax preparers and their recruiter were sentenced today in federal court to 30 months in prison for their involvement in a tax preparation scam that resulted in the filing of hundreds of false returns, the theft of dozens of victims personal information and the receipt of more than $882,000 in bogus federal income tax refunds.


McKinney Man Pleads Guilty to Fraudulently Obtaining and Cashing $16 Million in U.S. Treasury Checks

News Release: DALLAS A McKinney, Texas, man, Moiz Mumtaz Ali, 36, appeared last week before U.S. District Judge Sidney A. Fitzwater and pleaded guilty to one count of failure to develop, implement, and maintain an anti-money laundering program, announced John Parker, U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas.


Six Defendants Charged in Card Cracking Scheme That Targeted U.S. Military Members

News Release: CHICAGO Six suburban men have been indicted on fraud charges for their alleged roles in a card cracking scheme that targeted members of the U.S. military and defrauded a federally-insured savings bank out of more than $830,000.


Georgetown Woman Pleads Guilty to Copying U.S. Money, Printing Counterfeit Versions

News Release: ALEXANDRIA, La. Acting U.S. Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook announced that a Georgetown woman pleaded guilty last week to making fake U.S. $20 bills.



Defendants Arrested for Methamphetamine Trafficking

News Release: Multi-jurisdictional Investigation Leads to Twenty-Four Arrests


California Man Admits Scheme to Steal 94,000 Debit and Credit Cards From Michaels Stores in 19 States

News Release: CAMDEN, N.J. A Riverside, California, man today admitted his role in a conspiracy to steal 94,000 credit and debit cards from customers at approximately 80 Michaels Stores and use that information to make fraudulent withdrawals from the customers bank accounts, Acting U.S. Attorney William E. Fitzpatrick announced.


Plant City Woman Sentenced in Identity Theft Scheme

News Release: Tampa, Florida U.S. District Judge Charlene Edwards Honeywell today sentenced Fontella James (37, Plant City) to two years and eight months in federal prison for conspiracy and aggravated identity theft. She pleaded guilty on April 11, 2017.



Leader Of Fraudulent Credit Card Scheme Sentenced To Five Years In Prison

News Release: Used the Personal Information of Victims to Fraudulently Obtain Credit, With Losses of More Than $225,000


Secret Service Buffalo Electronic Crimes Task Force Promotes Robust Partnerships Through Tabletop Exercise

News Release: (Buffalo, NY) The United States Secret Service Buffalo Electronic Crimes Task Force recently


Pekin Man Sentenced to 6 1/2 Years in Prison for Receiving, Possessing Child Pornography

News Release: PEORIA, Ill. Darin E. Eldridge, 55, of Pekin, Ill., has been sentenced to 80 months (6 years, 8 months) in prison for receiving and possessing child pornography. U.S. District Judge Michael M. Mihm sentenced Eldridge on June 23. Judge Mihm also ordered that Eldridge remain on supervised release for 10 ...


Moments in History: A Remarkable Story of a Secret Service Father and Son

News Release: (Washington, D.C.) As a child during World War I, Albert Routier was an orphan on


Staten Island Man Charged With Brokering Sale of Anti-Tank Rocket Launcher and Fifteen Ak-47 Rifles in Kosovo

News Release: Albert Veliu Among Eight Defendants Charged with Money Laundering, Extortion and International Arms Trafficking


Secret Service Investigation Results in Five Arrests for a $28 Million Credit Card and Idenity Theft Scheme

News Release: (New York, NY) A United States Secret Service investigation resulted in the arrest of five men