(New York, NY) A United States Secret Service investigation resulted in the arrest of five men
for their involvement in a sophisticated credit card and identity theft scheme.
A nationwide operation that involved the Secret Service New York Field Office, Miami Field
Office, Orlando Field Office and Atlantic City Resident Office led to the arrests of James Beckish,
Richard Witcher, James Toner, Peter OBrien and Joseph Anthony Demaria. Each were arrested
for their role in operating a series of companies used as cover to place approximately $28 million
of unauthorized charges on thousands of consumers credit cards.
The websites of the defendants companies purported to sell products like dietary supplements
but, in reality, were primarily used to repeatedly bill consumers who never ordered their
products, or even if they did, almost never received them. All of the defendants were arrested
today and presented before Magistrate Judges in the District of New Jersey, the Middle District
of Florida, and the Southern District of Florida.
The Secret Service is committed to aggressively investigating these offenses said Dave Beach,
Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Secret Service New York Field Office. Emerging technologies
and cyber capabilities enable criminal networks to evolve and significantly impact financial
markets. This case is another example of the transnational investigative capabilities of the
United States Secret Service. Our developed partnerships with other federal, state and local law
enforcement agencies and private sector stakeholders, enables us to focus our resources to
uncover, investigate and prevent these crimes more effectively.
Acting Manhattan U.S. Attorney Joon H. Kim said: These defendants allegedly created and
operated more than 100 companies that specialized in one service: ripping off consumers and
credit card companies. By allegedly billing consumers for dietary supplements they didnt order
or receive, the defendants reaped millions of dollars, affecting thousands of consumers and
leaving credit companies holding the bag. Thanks to the U.S. Secret Service, this scheme is over.
Beckish, Witcher, Toner, OBrien, and Demaria are each charged with one count of conspiring to
commit wire fraud and one count of wire fraud, each of which carries a maximum sentence of 20
years in prison. In addition, they each are charged with one count of aggravated identity theft,
which carries a mandatory consecutive sentence of two years in prison.
Source: U.S. Secret Service