Joran Van Der Sloot Pleads Guilty And Is Sentenced for Extortion And Wire Fraud

The Justice Department released the below information: 

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Dutch citizen Joran van der Sloot (seen in the above Peruvian mugshot) pleaded guilty on October 18^th and was sentenced for his role in a scheme to obtain $250,000 from Elizabeth (“Beth”) Ann Holloway, the mother of Natalee Holloway, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona and Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent in Charge Carlton Peeples.

The guilty plea and sentencing of Joran Andreas Petrus van der Sloot, 36, occurred before U.S. District Court Judge Anna M. Manasco.  Van der Sloot pleaded guilty to extortion and wire fraud and was sentenced to 20 years in prison. 

According to the plea agreement, in 2010, van der Sloot solicited money from Beth Holloway, Natalee Holloway’s mother, on promises he would reveal the location of her daughter’s remains in Aruba and the circumstances of her 2005 death. However, after being paid a total of $25,100, van der Sloot provided information that he later described as “worthless.”

According to the sentencing memorandum and plea agreement, van der Sloot agreed to provide full, complete, accurate, and truthful information regarding Natalee Holloway’s disappearance in exchange for a sentence of 20 years. 

“Today, the United States held Joran van der Sloot accountable for his scheme to exploit a mother looking for information about her missing daughter,” U.S. Attorney Escalona said. “The United States hopes that the information regarding Natalee Holloway’s disappearance provides some important answers for the family and the community that has followed this family’s tragedy. Today’s result would not have been possible without the help of the FBI, Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs, and the Government of Peru, the Netherlands and Aruba, U.S. Marshals Service, and Shelby County Sherriff’s Office, who assisted in this process.  I am grateful for their hard work and dedication.  May this long-awaited day finally bring justice for Beth and for Natalee’s family and friends.”

“Today’s sentence holds Joran van der Sloot accountable for the pain he has caused the family and friends of Natalee Holloway,” said FBI Birmingham SAC Carlton Peeples.  “After more than a decade of uncertainty, hopefully this will bring them and this community some closure.  During this lengthy investigation, the FBI remained committed in aggressively pursuing and holding this individual accountable for the crimes he committed against US persons. I would like to thank our local, state, federal, and foreign partners who assisted in this investigation and a special thanks to all the FBI personnel, past and present, who worked tirelessly in bringing this individual to justice.”

The FBI investigated the case.  Criminal Chief Lloyd C. Peeples and Assistant U.S. Attorney Catherine L. Crosby prosecuted the case. 

Former President Of Philadelphia Wholesale Produce Market Sentenced To More Than 10 Years In Prison For Stealing $7.8 Million From The Company

The U.S. Attorney’s Office Eastern District of Pennsylvania released the below information:

PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney Jennifer Arbittier Williams announced that Caesar DiCrecchio, 60, of Voorhees, NJ, was sentenced to ten years and one month in prison, three years of supervised release and ordered to pay more than $8 million in restitution by United States District Court Judge Cynthia M. Rufe for defrauding the Philadelphia Wholesale Produce Market of over $7.8 million. 

In April 2021, the defendant pleaded guilty to two counts of wire fraud, one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, one count of money laundering conspiracy, one count of aggravated identity theft, and four counts of tax evasion, all of which allegedly caused more than $7.8 million in losses to the wholesale produce business in South Philadelphia.

DiCrecchio, the former President and CEO of the Produce Market, defrauded the Market by using company funds to pay $1.9 million in rent on his Stone Harbor, New Jersey shore house; converting into cash $1.1 million in checks drawn on the Market’s bank account and using the cash for his own benefit; causing $1.7 million in checks to be issued from the Market operating account payable to his friends or relatives; causing the Market to pay for the defendant’s personal credit card expenditures; converting $320,000 in checks that were payable to the Market and cashing them for his own benefit; skimming $2.6 million in cash from the pay gate at the Market’s parking lot, which he used to pay Market employees ‘under the table’ while keeping a substantial portion for his own use; and using Market funds to provide a $180,000 loan to a Market vendor, which the vendor repaid directly to DiCrecchio. The defendant concealed these expenditures in the Market’s books and records by directing that these payments be reflected as legitimate business expenditures, for example: notated as maintenance, snow removal, insurance, legal fees and other false expenditure entries.

DiCrecchio committed aggravated identity theft by cashing checks at a currency exchange using the name of an unwitting victim as the payee. Further, DiCrecchio conspired to engage in money laundering by agreeing with two unnamed individuals to conduct repeated money laundering transactions using money orders drawn on Market accounts and cashed at a currency exchange so that he could pay the rent at his shore house. In total, DiCrecchio laundered approximately $319,736 by purchasing money orders at the currency exchange using Market funds.

DiCrecchio also willfully evaded federal income tax over several years, by failing to report more than $2.1 million in income for tax years 2014 through 2017. DiCrecchio failed to report as income the proceeds of his fraud on the Market, as well as a car allowance, a pension allowance, and consulting income that he received from the Market. 

“As the President and CEO, DiCrecchio had a fiduciary duty to steward the Philadelphia Wholesale Produce Market honestly,” said U.S. Attorney Williams. “Instead, he stole small amounts here and there from various sources over many years in an attempt to hide the enormous scale and severity of his fraud: a more than $7.8 million loss. Our Office is committed to prosecuting this type of complicated financial fraud so that justice can be served for all victims.”

“For years, Caesar DiCrecchio used the Philadelphia Wholesale Produce Market like his own ATM, to the tune of almost $8 million,” said Jacqueline Maguire, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Philadelphia Division. “I’d call that wholesale fraud. Holding DiCrecchio responsible for his crimes is imperative, to send the message that stealing business funds for personal use isn’t such easy money after all.”

“Instead of accurately filing and paying his fair share of taxes, Mr. DiCrecchio chose to hide his income and use his business as his personal ATM,” said IRS Criminal Investigation Special Agent in Charge Yury Kruty. “Justice has been served today, as Mr. DiCrecchio is sentenced to federal prison.”

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Organized Crime Task Force, the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation, and the Pennsylvania State Police, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael T. Donovan. 

One American And One Chinese National Indicted In Tennessee For Conspiracy To Commit Theft Of Trade Secrets And Wire Fraud

The Justice Department released the below information:

A grand jury sitting in Greeneville, Tennessee has returned an indictment against Xiaorong You, a/k/a Shannon You, 56, of Lansing, Michigan, and Liu Xiangchen, 61, of Shandong Province, China for conspiracy to steal trade secrets related to formulations for bisphenol-A-free (BPA-free) coatings.  You was also indicted on seven counts of theft of trade secrets and one count of wire fraud.

Assistant Attorney General National Security John C. Demers, U.S. Attorney J. Douglas Overbey of the Eastern District of Tennessee, FBI Executive Assistant Director for the National Security Branch Jay Tabb, and Special Agent in Charge Troy Sowers of the FBI’s Knoxville Field Office made the announcement.

“The conduct alleged in today’s indictment exemplifies the rob, replicate and replace approach to technological development,” said Assistant Attorney General Demers.  “Xiaorong You is accused of an egregious, premediated theft and transfer of trade secrets worth more than $100 million for the purpose of setting up a Chinese company that would compete with the American companies from which the trade secrets were stolen.  Unfortunately, China continues to use its national programs, like the ‘Thousand Talents,’ to solicit and reward the theft of our nation’s trade secrets and intellectual property, but the Justice Department will continue to prioritize investigations like these, to ensure that China understands that this criminal conduct is not an acceptable business or economic development practice.” 

“Our office is committed to working closely with our federal, state and local partners to identify and prosecute those who engage in illegal and deceptive practices to steal trade secret and protected information from companies who spend millions of dollars to develop it,” said U.S. Attorney Overbey.  “Not only can theft of this information be potentially devastating to our American companies, it could also pose a threat to our overall national and economic security.”

“The facts laid out in this indictment show the conspirators engaged in blatant criminal activity,” said Executive Assistant Director Tabb.  “They didn't stop at going after technical secrets belonging to just one company.  They allegedly targeted multiple companies and made off with trade secrets at an estimated value of almost 120 million dollars.  As this case demonstrates, the FBI is determined to do everything possible to bring to justice those who try to steal secrets belonging to American companies.”

"As this indictment highlights, theft of trade secrets from American companies is an emerging economic threat, even here in East Tennessee," said Special Agent in Charge Sowers.  "The tireless work of our agents and prosecutors in this case underscores the FBI's commitment to protecting American ingenuity."

The BPA-free trade secrets allegedly stolen by these individuals belonged to multiple owners and cost an estimated total of at least $119,600,000 to develop.  Until recently, bisphenol-A (BPA) was used to coat the inside of cans and other food and beverage containers to help minimize flavor loss, and prevent the container from corroding or reacting with the food or beverage contained therein.  However, due to the discovered potential harmful effects of BPA, companies began searching for BPA-free alternatives. These alternatives are difficult and expensive to develop.

From December 2012 through Aug. 31, 2017, You was employed as Principal Engineer for Global Research by a company in Atlanta, which had agreements with numerous companies to conduct research and development, testing, analysis and review of various BPA-free technologies.  Due to her extensive education and experience with BPA and BPA-free coating technologies, she was one of a limited number of employees with access to trade secrets belonging to the various owners.  From approximately September 2017 through June 2018, You was employed as a packaging application development manager for a company in Kingsport, Tennessee, where she was one of a limited number of employees with access to trade secrets belonging to that company.

Details of the conspiracy are included in the indictment on file with the U.S. District Court.  The indictment alleges that You, Liu, and a third co-conspirator formulated a plan in which You would exploit her employment with the two American employers to steal trade secrets and provide the information for the economic benefit of trade secrets the Chinese company that Liu managed, which would manufacture and profit from products developed using the stolen trade secrets.  In exchange, Liu would cause the Chinese company to reward You for her theft, by helping her receive the Thousand Talent and another financial award, based on the trade secrets she stole, and by giving You an ownership share of a new company that would “own” the stolen trade secrets in China.  The conspirators also agreed to compete with U.S. and foreign companies, including some of the owners of the stolen stolen trade secrets, in China and elsewhere, by selling products designed, developed and manufactured using the stolen trade secrets.

The charges contained in this indictment are merely allegations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. 

The case is being investigated by the FBI’s Knoxville Field Office.

The government’s case is being prosecuted by the Eastern District of Tennessee and the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section.

Chinese Telecommunications Conglomerate Huawei And Huawei CFO Wanzhou Meng Charged With Financial Fraud

The U.S. Justice Department released the below information:

A 13-count indictment was unsealed earlier today in federal court in Brooklyn, New York, charging four defendants,^[1] including Huawei Technologies Co. Ltd. (Huawei), the world’s largest telecommunications equipment manufacturer, with headquarters in the People’s Republic of China (PRC) and operations around the world.  The indicted defendants include Huawei and two Huawei affiliates — Huawei Device USA Inc. (Huawei USA) and Skycom Tech Co. Ltd. (Skycom) — as well as Huawei’s Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Wanzhou Meng (Meng).

The defendants Huawei and Skycom are charged with bank fraud and conspiracy to commit bank fraud, wire fraud and conspiracy to commit wire fraud, violations of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) and conspiracy to violate IEEPA, and conspiracy to commit money laundering.  Huawei and Huawei USA are charged with conspiracy to obstruct justice related to the grand jury investigation in the Eastern District of New York.  Meng is charged with bank fraud, wire fraud, and conspiracies to commit bank and wire fraud.

Acting U.S. Attorney General Matthew G. Whitaker, Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Secretary Wilbur Ross of the U.S. Department of Commerce, U.S. Attorney Richard P. Donoghue for the Eastern District of New York, FBI Director  Christopher A. Wray, Assistant Attorney General Brian A. Benczkowski of the Justice Department's Criminal Division and Assistant Attorney General John C. Demers of the National Security Division, announced the charges.

“Today we are announcing that we are bringing criminal charges against telecommunications giant Huawei and its associates for nearly two dozen alleged crimes," said Acting Attorney General Whitaker.  "As I told Chinese officials in August, China must hold its citizens and Chinese companies accountable for complying with the law.  I’d like to thank the many dedicated criminal investigators from several different federal agencies who contributed to this investigation and the Department of Justice attorneys who are moving the prosecution efforts forward.  They are helping us uphold the rule of law with integrity.”

“As charged in the indictment, Huawei and its Chief Financial Officer broke U.S. law and have engaged in a fraudulent financial scheme that is detrimental to the security of the United States,” said Secretary Nielsen.  “They willfully conducted millions of dollars in transactions that were in direct violation of the Iranian Transactions and Sanctions Regulations, and such behavior will not be tolerated.  The Department of Homeland Security is focused on preventing nefarious actors from accessing or manipulating our financial system, and we will ensure that legitimate economic activity is not exploited by our adversaries.  I would like to thank ICE Homeland Security Investigations for their exceptional work on this case.”

“For years, Chinese firms have broken our export laws and undermined sanctions, often using U.S. financial systems to facilitate their illegal activities,” said Secretary Ross. “This will end.  The Trump Administration continues to be tougher on those who violate our export control laws than any administration in history.  I commend the Commerce Department’s Office of Export Enforcement, and our partners in the FBI, Justice Department, Department of Defense, and Department of Homeland Security for their excellent work on this case.”

“As charged in the indictment, Huawei and its subsidiaries, with the direct and personal involvement of their executives, engaged in serious fraudulent conduct, including conspiracy, bank fraud, wire fraud, sanctions violations, money laundering and the orchestrated obstruction of justice,” stated U.S. Attorney Donoghue.  “For over a decade, Huawei employed a strategy of lies and deceit to conduct and grow its business.  This Office will continue to hold accountable companies and their executives, whether here or abroad, that commit fraud against U.S. financial institutions and their international counterparts and violate U.S. laws designed to maintain our national security.”  Mr. Donoghue thanked the FBI, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), U.S. Department of Commerce Office of Export Enforcement (OEE) and the Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS) agents who are investigating this case for their tireless work and dedication.

“These charges lay bare Huawei’s alleged blatant disregard for the laws of our country and standard global business practices,” said FBI Director Wray.  “Companies like Huawei pose a dual threat to both our economic and national security, and the magnitude of these charges make clear just how seriously the FBI takes this threat.  Today should serve as a warning that we will not tolerate businesses that violate our laws, obstruct justice, or jeopardize national and economic well-being.”

* * * *

Overview of the Indictment

The charges in this case relate to a long-running scheme by Huawei, its CFO, and other employees to deceive numerous global financial institutions and the U.S. government regarding Huawei’s business activities in Iran.  As alleged in the indictment, beginning in 2007, Huawei employees lied about Huawei’s relationship to a company in Iran called Skycom, falsely asserting it was not an affiliate of Huawei.  The company further claimed that Huawei had only limited operations in Iran and that Huawei did not violate U.S. or other laws or regulations related to Iran.  Most significantly, after news publications in late 2012 and 2013 disclosed that Huawei operated Skycom as an unofficial affiliate in Iran and that Meng had served on the board of directors of Skycom, Huawei employees, and in particular Meng, continued to lie to Huawei’s banking partners about Huawei’s relationship with Skycom.  They falsely claimed that Huawei had sold its interest in Skycom to an unrelated third party in 2007 and that Skycom was merely Huawei’s local business partner in Iran.  In reality, Skycom was Huawei’s longstanding Iranian affiliate, and Huawei orchestrated the 2007 sale to appear as an arm’s length transaction between two unrelated parties, when in fact Huawei actually controlled the company that purchased Skycom. 

As part of this scheme to defraud, Meng allegedly personally made a presentation in August 2013 to an executive of one of Huawei’s major banking partners in which she repeatedly lied about the relationship between Huawei and Skycom. 

According to the indictment, Huawei relied on its global banking relationships for banking services that included processing U.S.-dollar transactions through the United States.  U.S. laws and regulations generally prohibited these banks from processing transactions related to Iran through the United States.  The banks could have faced civil or criminal penalties for processing transactions that violated U.S. laws or regulations.  Relying on the repeated misrepresentations by Huawei, these banks continued their banking relationships with Huawei.  One bank cleared more than $100 million worth of Skycom-related transactions through the United States between 2010 and 2014.

In furtherance of this scheme to defraud, and as alleged in the indictment, Huawei and its principals repeatedly lied to U.S. government authorities about Huawei’s business in Iran in submissions to the U.S. government, and in responses to government inquiries.  For example, Huawei provided false information to the U.S. Congress regarding whether Huawei’s business in Iran violated any U.S. law.  Similarly, as indicated in the indictment, in 2007 — months before Huawei orchestrated the purported sale of Skycom to another Huawei-controlled entity — Huawei’s founder falsely stated to FBI agents that Huawei did not have any direct dealings with Iranian companies and that Huawei operated in compliance with all U.S. export laws. 

After one of Huawei’s major global banking partners (identified as Financial Institution 1 in the indictment) decided to exit the Huawei relationship in 2017 because of Huawei’s risk profile, Huawei allegedly made additional misrepresentations to several of its remaining banking partners in an effort to maintain and expand those relationships.  Huawei and its principals are alleged to have repeatedly and falsely claimed that Huawei had decided to terminate its banking relationship with Financial Institution 1, when in fact it was Financial Institution 1 that had decided to terminate the banking relationship.  Through these misrepresentations, Huawei was able to continue its banking relationships with its other banks.

In 2017, when Huawei became aware of the government’s investigation, Huawei and its subsidiary Huawei USA allegedly tried to obstruct the investigation by making efforts to move witnesses with knowledge about Huawei’s Iran-based business to the PRC, and beyond the jurisdiction of the U.S. government, and by concealing and destroying evidence of Huawei’s Iran-based business that was located in the United States.

In December 2018, Canadian authorities apprehended Meng in Vancouver pursuant to a provisional arrest warrant issued under Canadian law.  The U.S. government is seeking Meng’s extradition to the United States.

The charges in the indictment are merely allegations, and the defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

The indictment unsealed today is assigned to U.S. District Judge Ann M. Donnelly of the Eastern District of New York.

The government’s investigation is ongoing. 

The investigation is being jointly conducted by the FBI’s New York Field Office, HSI’s New York Field Office, OEE’s New York Field Office, and DCIS’s Southwest and Northeast Field Offices.  Agents from the FBI, HSI, and OEE offices in Dallas provided significant support and assistance.  The government’s case is being handled by the National Security and Cybercrime and Business and Securities Fraud Sections of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York, the Justice Department’s Criminal Division’s Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section (MLARS), and the Justice Department’s National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section (CES). 

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alexander A. Solomon, Julia Nestor, David K. Kessler, Kaitlin Farrell, and Sarah Evans, MLARS Trial Attorneys Laura Billings and Christian Nauvel, and CES Trial Attorneys Thea D. R. Kendler and David Lim are in charge of the prosecution, with assistance provided by Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Penley of the Northern District of Texas, Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brian Morris and Brendan King of the Eastern District of New York’s Civil Division and Trial Attorneys Andrew Finkelman and Margaret O’Malley of DOJ’s Office of International Affairs.  Additional Criminal Division and National Security Division Trial Attorneys and Assistant U.S. Attorneys within U.S. Attorney’s Offices for the Northern District of Texas, the Eastern District of Texas, and the Northern District of California have provided valuable assistance with various aspects of this investigation.

The Defendants:

Huawei Technologies Co. Ltd.

Huawei Device USA Inc.

Skycom Tech Co. Ltd.

Meng Wanzhou, also known as “Cathy Meng” and “Sabrina Meng”
Age: 46

Residence: People’s Republic Of China

E.D.N.Y. Docket No. 18-CR-457 (AMD)

---

[1] The indictment charges other individuals who have not yet been apprehended and whose names will not be publicly released at this time.

Operation WireWire: International Business E-Mail Compromise Takedown

The FBI released the below information:

Federal authorities—including the Department of Justice and the FBI—announced a major coordinated law enforcement effort to disrupt international business e-mail compromise (BEC) schemes that are designed to intercept and hijack wire transfers from businesses and individuals.

Operation WireWire—which also included the Department of Homeland Security, the Department of the Treasury, and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service—involved a six-month sweep that culminated in over two weeks of intensified law enforcement activity resulting in 74 arrests in the U.S. and overseas, including 42 in the U.S., 29 in Nigeria, and three in Canada, Mauritius, and Poland. The operation also resulted in the seizure of nearly $2.4 million and the disruption and recovery of approximately $14 million in fraudulent wire transfers.

A number of cases charged in this operation involved international criminal organizations that defrauded small- to large-sized businesses, while others involved individual victims who transferred high-dollar amounts or sensitive records in the course of business. The devastating impacts these cases have on victims and victim companies affect not only the individual business but also the global economy. Since the Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) began formally keeping track of BEC and its variant, e-mail account compromise (EAC), there has been a loss of over $3.7 billion reported to the IC3.

BEC, also known as cyber-enabled financial fraud, is a sophisticated scam that often targets employees with access to company finances and trick them—using a variety of methods like social engineering and computer intrusions—into making wire transfers to bank accounts thought to belong to trusted partners but instead belong to accounts controlled by the criminals themselves. And these same criminal organizations that perpetrate BEC schemes also exploit individual victims—often real estate purchasers, the elderly, and others—by convincing them to make wire transfers to bank accounts controlled by the criminals.

Foreign citizens perpetrate many of these schemes, which originated in Nigeria but have spread throughout the world.

During Operation WireWire, U.S. law enforcement agents executed more than 51 domestic actions, including search warrants, asset seizure warrants, and money mule warning letters. And local and state law enforcement partners on FBI task forces across the country, with the assistance of multiple district attorney's offices, charged 15 alleged money mules for their roles in defrauding victims.

The role of money mules, witting or unwitting, in BEC schemes is very important—they are used to receive the stolen money and then transfer the funds as directed by the fraudsters. The mules usually keep a fraction of the money for their trouble.

Today’s announcement highlighting this recent surge in law enforcement resources targeting BEC schemes “demonstrates the FBI's commitment to disrupt and dismantle criminal enterprises that target American citizens and their businesses,” according to FBI Director Christopher Wray.

And he added, “We will continue to work together with our law enforcement partners around the world to end these fraud schemes and protect the hard-earned assets of our citizens. The public we serve deserves nothing less.”

Awareness of BEC Schemes Can Safeguard Your Business

BEC schemes continue to evolve as criminals come up with new and inventive ways to scam businesses.

Here are the most current and frequent BEC scenarios identified by the FBI:

Business Executive: Criminals spoof or compromise e-mail accounts of high-level business executives, including chief information officers and chief financial officers, which result in the processing of a wire transfer to a fraudulent account

Real Estate Transactions: Criminal impersonate sellers, realtors, title companies, or law firms during a real estate transaction to ask the home buyer for funds to be sent to a fraudulent account

Data and W-2 Theft: Criminals, using a compromised business executive’s e-mail account, send fraudulent requests for W-2 information or other personally identifiable information to an entity in an organization that routinely maintains that sort of information

Supply Chain: Criminals send fraudulent requests to redirect funds during a pending business deal, transaction, or invoice payment to an account controlled by a money mule or bad actor

Law Firms: Criminals find out about trust accounts or litigation and impersonate a law firm client to change the recipient bank information to a fraudulent account.

If you think you may have been victimized in a BEC scheme, please file a complaint with the IC3. The more information law enforcement has on these scams, the better equipped we’ll be to combat them.

And to further educate yourself on BEC schemes to help protect your business, read more about how BEC schemes work and how you can avoid being victimized. You can also take a look at this IC3 public service announcement on BEC schemes.

Chief Executive Officer Of Armored Vehicle Company Convicted Of Defrauding The United States

The U.S. Justice Department released the below information:

A federal jury convicted the owner and chief executive officer of an armored vehicle company for his role in a scheme to provide the U.S. Department of Defense with armored gun trucks that did not meet ballistic and blast protection requirements set out in the company’s contracts with the United States.

Acting Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Blanco of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; Acting U.S. Attorney Rick A. Mountcastle of the Western District of Virginia; Special Agent in Charge Adam S. Lee of the FBI’s Richmond, Virginia Field Office and Special Agent in Charge Robert E. Craig Jr. of the Defense Criminal Investigative Service’s (DCIS) Mid-Atlantic Field Office, made the announcement.

William Whyte, 72, of King City, Ontario, the owner and CEO of Armet Armored Vehicles of Danville, Virginia, was found guilty after a two-week trial of three counts of major fraud against the United States, three counts of wire fraud and three counts of criminal false claims.  Whyte was charged by an indictment in July 2012.  Following the verdict, Senior U.S. District Judge Jackson L. Kiser of the Western District of Virginia, who presided over the trial, remanded Whyte into custody pending a full bond hearing.  A sentencing date has not yet been scheduled.

Evidence at trial demonstrated that Whyte executed a scheme to defraud the United States by providing armored gun trucks that were deliberately underarmored.  According to the trial evidence, Armet contracted to provide armored gun trucks for use by the United States and its allies as part of the efforts to rebuild Iraq in 2005.  Despite providing armored gun trucks that did not meet contractual specifications, Whyte and his employees represented that the armored gun trucks were adequately armored in accordance with the contract, the evidence showed.  Armet was paid over $2 million over the course of the scheme, including an $824,000 advance payment that the United States made after Whyte personally promised the United States that he would use the money in furtherance of the contract, the evidence showed.

The case was investigated by DCIS and the FBI.  The case is being prosecuted by Trial Attorney Caitlin Cottingham of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Heather Carlton of the Western District of Virginia.  

Owner Of Costa Rican Call Center Sentenced To Nine Years In Prison For Defrauding Elderly Through Sweepstakes Scam

The U.S. Justice Department released the below information:

A dual U.S.-Costa Rican citizen was sentenced yesterday to 108 months in prison for his role in a $1.88 million sweepstakes fraud scheme that victimized hundreds of elderly U.S. residents, announced Assistant Attorney General Leslie R. Caldwell of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and U.S. Attorney Jill Westmoreland Rose of the Western District of North Carolina.

Geoffrey Alexander Ramer, 36, formerly of Falls Church, Virginia, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Max O. Cogburn Jr. of the Western District of North Carolina.  Ramer was also ordered to pay $2,871,430.35 in restitution and to forfeit $1,886,018.

On Sept. 15, 2014, Ramer pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, eight counts of wire fraud, one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering and four counts of international money laundering in connection with the telemarketing fraud scheme.   

According to the plea documents, from 2008 through December 2013, Ramer owned and operated call centers located in Costa Rica.  Ramer admitted that he and his co-conspirators called U.S. residents, many of whom were elderly, and falsely informed the victims that they had won a substantial cash prize in a sweepstakes, and that, in order to receive their prize money, the victims were to send money to Costa Rica for a purported refundable insurance fee.  After receiving the victims’ money, the co-conspirators would contact the victims to falsely inform them that the prize amount had increased and the victims needed to send additional money for more purported fees, Ramer admitted.  According to the plea, Ramer and his co-conspirators would continue these attempts to collect additional money until the victims went broke or discovered the fraud.  Ramer admitted that he and his co-conspirators utilized VoIP phones that displayed a Washington, D.C., area code in order to conceal that they were calling from Costa Rica, and sometimes falsely claim to be from a U.S. federal agency to give victims a false sense of security.  The co-conspirators kept the victims’ funds, never provided any winnings to the victims and used the funds to continue the call centers’ operation and for the co-conspirators’ personal benefit, Ramer admitted.

Plea documents state that, along with his co-conspirators, Ramer was responsible for causing more than $1.88 million in losses to hundreds of elderly Americans.

The U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation, the FBI, the Federal Trade Commission and the Department of Homeland Security are investigating the case.  Senior Litigation Counsel Patrick M. Donley and Trial Attorney William H. Bowne of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section are prosecuting the case.

Chicago-Area Resident Indicted In Stolen Identity Refund Fraud Scheme Involving Victims From The U.S. Air Force

The U.S. Justice Department released the below information:

A federal grand jury sitting in Chicago, Illinois returned an indictment on Feb. 11 against a resident of a Chicago suburb, charging him with 10 counts of wire fraud, 10 counts of aggravated identity theft and one count of access device fraud, announced Acting Assistant Attorney General Caroline D. Ciraolo of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney Zachary T. Fardon of the Northern District of Illinois. The defendant had his initial court appearance earlier today.

Jonathan Herring aka Byron Taylor, Marco Brown and Quang Dang of Harvey, Illinois, participated in a stolen identity refund fraud scheme, according to allegations in the indictment.  Herring obtained the means of identification of actual individuals, including their names and social security numbers and used this information to prepare false tax returns.  Herring is alleged to have obtained stolen identities of members of the U.S. Air Force, among others.  Herring used the stolen identities to electronically file false income tax returns seeking tax refunds with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).  Herring is alleged to have received the fraudulently obtained tax refunds in the form of direct deposits into various bank accounts that he controlled. 

If convicted, Herring faces a statutory maximum sentence of 20 years in prison for each count of wire fraud, 10 years in prison for one count of access device fraud and a mandatory sentence of two years in prison for aggravated identity theft, which will run consecutive to any other prison term he receives.  Herring also faces substantial monetary penalties, supervised release, and restitution.

An indictment merely alleges that crimes have been committed.  A defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

Acting Assistant Attorney General Ciraolo commended special agents of IRS Criminal Investigation, who investigated the case and Trial Attorneys Michael C. Boteler and Timothy M. Russo of the Tax Division, who are prosecuting this case. 

FBI: Financial Fraud: The Disney Resort That Never Was

The FBI released the below report:

Thomas W. Lucas, Jr. was such an effective liar that he was able to convince hundreds of investors—even members of his own family—that he had inside information about a Disney resort to be built in Texas that would make the nearby scrubland worth a fortune for those who bought it ahead of time.

Of course, there was no “Frontier Disney,” as Lucas claimed, but using false documents, forged signatures, and phony presentations, he was able to pocket nearly $450,000 in real estate fees over a four-year period and cause investors to lose approximately $20 million.

“Thomas Lucas Jr. fooled savvy investors and very intelligent people,” said Special Agent Rick Velasquez, who investigated the case from the FBI’s Dallas Division. “He was a very believable guy.”

From 2006 to 2010, Lucas defrauded more than 250 investors. He claimed to have insider information regarding a Disney resort and theme park planned for a rural area about 50 miles north of Dallas. He was giving investors a chance to buy surrounding land outright, or to purchase options to buy the land near the supposed resort. The 65 investors who purchased options lost every cent they invested—more than $8 million. Some investors, including Lucas’ father and uncle in the family real estate business, purchased land outright, believing the Disney story.

“There was not one grain of truth in Lucas’ presentations,” Velasquez said, “but his pitch was very elaborate, and it fooled a lot of people. He duped his own family.”

Lucas claimed to have letters between Disney and a management firm saying that the company had acquired enough land to make the deal happen. He included the letters—complete with forged Disney officials’ signatures—in his presentations to investors, along with detailed maps, concept plans, and images that were later discovered to be lifted from the Internet, some from Disney websites.

According to Lucas, Disney planned to make the big announcement about the resort at a Dallas Cowboys football game on Thanksgiving in 2006. When that didn’t happen, he told investors there were delays. “Then the announcement was going to be Super Bowl 2007, 2008. Then it was Fourth of July at the Beijing Olympic games,” Velasquez said. “He was just trying to keep investors and potential investors on the hook.”

With each delay, Lucas would sweeten the pot with some new bogus e-mail from a Disney executive or other bit of tantalizing information meant to persuade people the project was still on track. Eventually, investors became suspicious, and one made a complaint to the FBI.

Velasquez, who specializes in financial fraud cases, says the scheme went on for so long because Lucas was believable—and also because investors could not resist the temptation of making large returns on their money.

When confronted by investigators about his claims, Lucas falsely blamed the supposed Disney information he received on a man he met at a methadone rehab clinic, who had since died. In 2014, Lucas was indicted by a federal grand jury on seven counts of wire fraud and one count of lying to the FBI.

Last September, after a jury trial in which Lucas maintained his innocence but was found guilty on all charges, a judge sentenced the 35-year-old to 17.5 years in prison. “That was a stiff sentence for a white-collar crime,” Velasquez noted, “but he defrauded a lot of people and showed no remorse.”

Former Cable News Commentator Arrested And Charged With Fraud

The U.S. Justice Department released the below information:

ALEXANDRIA, VA—Wayne Shelby Simmons, 62, of Annapolis, Maryland, a former occasional on-air commentator who appeared on a cable news network, was arrested today after being indicted by a federal grand jury on charges of major fraud against the United States, wire fraud, and making false statements to the government.

According to the indictment, Simmons falsely claimed he worked as an “Outside Paramilitary Special Operations Officer” for the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) from 1973 to 2000, and used that false claim in an attempt to obtain government security clearances and work as a defense contractor, including at one point successfully getting deployed overseas as an intelligence advisor to senior military personnel. According to the indictment, Simmons also falsely claimed on national security forms that his prior arrests and criminal convictions were directly related to his supposed intelligence work for the CIA, and that he had previously held a top secret security clearance. The indictment also alleges that Simmons defrauded an individual victim out of approximately $125,000 in connection with a bogus real estate investment.

Simmons will make his initial appearance at 2 p.m. today in front of Magistrate Judge John F. Anderson at the federal courthouse in Alexandria.

If convicted, Simmons faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison on the wire fraud counts, 10 years in prison on the major fraud against the U.S. counts, and five years in prison on the false statements count. The maximum statutory sentences are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Dana J. Boente, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; and Paul M. Abbate, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office, made the announcement. Simmons will have his initial appearance later today before U.S. Magistrate Judge John F. Anderson. Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul J. Nathanson is prosecuting the case.

A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1: 15-cr-293.

An indictment contains allegations that a defendant has committed a crime. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent until and unless proven guilty in court.

Russian National Admits Role In Largest Known Data Breach Conspiracy Ever Prosecuted

The U.S. Justice Department released the below information:

A Russian national today admitted his role in a worldwide hacking and data breach scheme that targeted major corporate networks, compromised more than 160 million credit card numbers and resulted in hundreds of millions of dollars in losses –  the largest such scheme ever prosecuted in the United States.

Assistant Attorney General Leslie R. Caldwell of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Paul J. Fishman of the District of New Jersey and Director Joseph P. Clancy of the U.S. Secret Service made the announcement.

Vladimir Drinkman, 34, of Syktyvkar, Russia, and Moscow, pleaded guilty before Chief U.S. District Judge Jerome B. Simandle of the District of New Jersey to one count of conspiracy to commit unauthorized access of protected computers and one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud.  Drinkman was arrested in the Netherlands on June 28, 2012, and was extradited to the District of New Jersey on Feb. 17, 2015.  Sentencing is scheduled for Jan. 15, 2016.

“This hacking ring’s widespread attacks on American companies caused serious harm and more than $300 million in losses to people and businesses in the United States,” said Assistant Attorney General Caldwell.  “As demonstrated by today’s conviction, our close cooperation with our international partners makes it more likely every day that we will find and bring to justice cyber criminals who attack America – wherever in the world they may be.  As law enforcement around the world responds to the cyber threat that affects us all, I am confident that this type of international cooperation that led to this result will be the new normal.”

“Defendants like Vladimir Drinkman, who have the skills to break into our computer networks and the inclination to do so, pose a cutting edge threat to our economic well-being, our privacy and our national security,” said U.S. Attorney Fishman.  “The crimes to which he admitted his guilt have a real, practical cost to our privacy and our pocketbooks.  Today’s guilty plea is a tribute to the skill and perseverance of the agents and prosecutors who brought him to justice.”

“This cyber case highlights the effectiveness of global law enforcement partnerships in the detection and dismantling of criminal enterprises targeting U.S. citizens,” said Director Clancy.  “The support of U.S. Attorney’s offices and the resulting plea enhances the Secret Service’s commitment to vigorously pursue transnational threats to the U.S. financial infrastructure.”

According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court, Drinkman and four co-defendants allegedly hacked into the networks of corporate victims engaged in financial transactions, retailers that received and transmitted financial data and other institutions with information that the conspirators could exploit for profit, including the computer networks of NASDAQ, 7-Eleven, Carrefour, JCP, Hannaford, Heartland, Wet Seal, Commidea, Dexia, JetBlue, Dow Jones, Euronet, Visa Jordan, Global Payment, Diners Singapore and Ingenicard.

According to the indictment in this case and statements made in court, the five defendants each played specific roles in the scheme.  Drinkman and Alexandr Kalinin, 28, of St. Petersburg, Russia, allegedly specialized in penetrating network security and gaining access to the corporate victims’ systems.  Drinkman and Roman Kotov, 34, of Moscow, allegedly specialized in mining the networks to steal valuable data.  The hackers hid their activities using anonymous web-hosting services allegedly provided by Mikhail Rytikov, 28, of Odessa, Ukraine.  Dmitriy Smilianets, 32, of Moscow, allegedly sold the information stolen by the other conspirators and distributed the proceeds of the scheme to the participants.

Drinkman and Kalinin were previously charged in New Jersey as “Hacker 1” and “Hacker 2” in a 2009 indictment charging Albert Gonzalez, 34, of Miami, in connection with five corporate data breaches, including the breach of Heartland Payment Systems Inc., which at the time was the largest ever reported.  Gonzalez is currently serving 20 years in federal prison for those offenses.  Kalinin is also charged in two federal indictments in the Southern District of New York: the first charges Kalinin in connection with hacking certain computer servers used by NASDAQ and the second charges him and another Russian hacker, Nikolay Nasenkov, with an international scheme to steal bank account information from U.S.-based financial institutions.  Rytikov was previously charged in the Eastern District of Virginia in an unrelated scheme.

Drinkman and Smilianets were arrested at the request of the United States while traveling in the Netherlands on June 28, 2012.  Smilianets was extradited on Sept. 7, 2012, and remains in federal custody.  Kalinin, Kotov and Rytikov remain at large.

The Attacks

According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court, the five defendants penetrated the computer networks of several of the corporate victims and stole user names and passwords, means of identification, credit and debit card numbers and other corresponding personal identification information of cardholders.  The conspirators allegedly acquired more than 160 million card numbers through hacking.

The initial entry was often gained using a “SQL injection attack.”  SQL, or Structured Query Language, is a type of programming language designed to manage data held in particular types of databases; the hackers allegedly identified vulnerabilities in SQL databases and used those vulnerabilities to infiltrate a computer network.  Once the network was infiltrated, the defendants allegedly placed malicious code (malware) in the system.  This malware created a “back door,” leaving the system vulnerable and helping the defendants maintain access to the network.  In some cases, the defendants lost access to the system due to companies’ security efforts, but were allegedly able to regain access through persistent attacks.

Instant message chats obtained by law enforcement revealed that the defendants allegedly targeted the victim companies for many months, waiting patiently as their efforts to bypass security were underway, sometimes leaving malware implanted in multiple companies’ servers for more than a year.

The defendants allegedly used their access to the networks to install “sniffers,” which were programs designed to identify, collect and steal data from the victims’ computer networks.  The defendants then allegedly used an array of computers located around the world to store the stolen data and ultimately sell it to others.

Selling the Data

According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court, after acquiring the card numbers and associated data – which they referred to as “dumps” – the conspirators sold it to resellers around the world.  The buyers then sold the dumps through online forums or directly to individuals and organizations.  Smilianets was allegedly in charge of sales, selling the data only to trusted identity theft wholesalers.  He allegedly charged approximately $10 for each stolen American credit card number and associated data, approximately $50 for each European credit card number and associated data and approximately $15 for each Canadian credit card number and associated data – offering discounted pricing to bulk and repeat customers.  Ultimately, the end users encoded each dump onto the magnetic strip of a blank plastic card and cashed out the value of the dump by withdrawing money from ATMs or making purchases with the cards.

Covering Their Tracks

According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court, the defendants allegedly used a number of methods to conceal the scheme.  Unlike traditional Internet service providers, Rytikov allegedly allowed his clients to hack with the knowledge he would never keep records of their online activities or share information with law enforcement.

Over the course of the conspiracy, the defendants allegedly communicated through private and encrypted communications channels to avoid detection.  Fearing law enforcement would intercept even those communications, some of the conspirators allegedly attempted to meet in person.

To protect against detection by the victim companies, the defendants allegedly altered the settings on victim company networks to disable security mechanisms from logging their actions.  The defendants also allegedly worked to evade existing protections by security software.

As a result of the scheme, financial institutions, credit card companies and consumers suffered hundreds of millions of dollars in losses – including more than $300 million in losses reported by just three of the corporate victims – and immeasurable losses to the identity theft victims in costs associated with stolen identities and false charges.

The charges and allegations contained in indictments are merely accusations and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

The case is being investigated by the U.S. Secret Service’s Criminal Investigations Division and Newark, New Jersey, Division.  The case is being prosecuted by Trial Attorney Richard Green of the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section, Chief Gurbir S. Grewal of the District of New Jersey’s Economic Crimes Unit and Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew S. Pak of the District of New Jersey.  The Criminal Division’s Office of International Affairs, public prosecutors with the Dutch Ministry of Security and Justice and the National High Tech Crime Unit of the Dutch National Police also provided valuable assistance.

Two Contractors And One Former Civilian Employee Sentenced In Bribery Scheme At Georgia Military Base

The U.S. Justice Department released the below information:

A former civilian employee and a former contractor of the Marine Corps Logistics Base (MCLB) in Albany, Georgia, as well as one outside contractor were sentenced today to prison terms for bribery and fraud arising from their handling of military trucking contracts and theft of surplus military equipment.

Assistant Attorney General Leslie R. Caldwell of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and U.S. Attorney Michael J. Moore of the Middle District of Georgia made the announcement.

Christopher Whitman, 48, of Sylvester, Georgia, co-owner of United Logistics, an Albany-based trucking company and freight transportation broker, was sentenced to 22 years in prison for his conviction of 43 counts of honest services wire fraud, five counts of bribery, five counts of obstructing justice and one count of theft of government property.  Shawn McCarty, 36, of Albany, Georgia, a former employee at the MCLB-Albany, was sentenced to 10 years in prison for his conviction of 15 counts of honest services wire fraud, one count of bribery and one count of obstructing justice.  Bradford Newell, 43, of Sylvester, a former contractor at the MCLB-Albany, was sentenced to five years in prison for his conviction of 13 counts of honest services wire fraud, one count of bribery, and one count of theft of government property.  All three were found guilty by a jury in the Middle District of Georgia on March 3, 2015, following a five-week trial.

In addition to imposing the prison terms, the court ordered each defendant to forfeit assets reflecting losses to the government attributable to the bribery and fraud schemes.  Whitman was ordered to forfeit $18,860,313.75; McCarty was ordered to forfeit $15,410,151.55; and Newell was ordered to forfeit $513,600.  Whitman was specifically ordered to surrender assets derived from the schemes, including more than 100 parcels of real property, several boats and vehicles, and rental income estimated to be worth more than $14 million.

According to the evidence presented at trial, between 2008 and 2012, Whitman paid more than $800,000 in bribes to three former officials of the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) at the MCLB-Albany, including McCarty, to obtain commercial trucking contracts from the base.  The evidence showed that contracts included unnecessary costly provisions, such as expedited service, expensive trailers and exclusive use (i.e., a requirement that freight be shipped separately from other equipment).  Evidence presented at trial and in a post-trial forfeiture hearing established that Whitman’s company grossed more than $37 million, and resulted in government losses and an improper benefit to Whitman of more than $20 million.

The evidence further demonstrated that Whitman paid nearly $200,000 in bribes to Newell and the former inventory control manager of the Distribution Management Center at MCLB-Albany, both of whom used their official positions to help Whitman steal from the base more than $1 million in surplus military equipment, including bulldozers, cranes and front-end loaders.  According to the trial evidence, in exchange for the bribe payments, Newell and the inventory control manager removed the surplus items from Marine Corps inventory and arranged to have them transported off the base by Whitman’s company.  The evidence showed that, after having the equipment refurbished, Whitman sold it to private purchasers.  

Five other individuals have pleaded guilty to their roles in the corruption and fraud schemes.  In October 2013, Kelli Durham, the former manager of Whitman’s company, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud, admitting to intentionally overbilling the United States for services the company did not perform, resulting in losses ranging from $7 million to $20 million.  In May 2013, Mitchell Potts and Jeffrey Philpot pleaded guilty to bribery for collectively accepting more than $700,000 in bribes from Whitman.  In February 2013, Shelby Janes pleaded guilty to bribery for receiving nearly $100,000 in bribes from Whitman.  These defendants have not yet been sentenced.  In February 2014, C.W. Smith, a Whitman associate who helped arrange the sale of the surplus military equipment Whitman stole from the base, pleaded guilty to theft of government property. 

The case was investigated by the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, with assistance from the Dougherty County, Georgia, District Attorney’s Office; Defense Criminal Investigative Service; DLA Office of the Inspector General; and the Department of Labor Office of the Inspector General.  The case is being prosecuted by Deputy Chief J.P. Cooney and Trial Attorney Richard B. Evans of the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney K. Alan Dasher of the Middle District of Georgia.  The forfeiture is being handled by Assistant Deputy Chief Darrin McCullough of the Asset Forfeiture and Money Laundering Section and the U.S. Attorney’s Office of the Middle District of Georgia.

Two Former Civilian Military Employees And One Military Contractor Convicted In Bribery Scheme At Georgia Military Base

The U.S. Justice Department released the below information:

Two former civilian employees at the Marine Corps Logistics Base (MCLB) in Albany, Georgia, and one military contractor were convicted by a federal jury today of bribery and fraud charges related to military trucking contracts, announced Assistant Attorney General Leslie R. Caldwell of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and U.S. Attorney Michael J. Moore of the Middle District of Georgia.

Christopher Whitman, 48, co-owner of United Logistics, an Albany-based trucking company and freight transportation broker, was convicted of 43 counts of honest services wire fraud, five counts of bribery, five counts of obstructing justice and one count of theft of government property.

Shawn McCarty, 36, of Albany, Georgia, a former employee at the MCLB-Albany, was convicted of 15 counts of honest services wire fraud, one count of bribery and one count of obstructing justice.  Bradford Newell, 43, of Sylvester, Georgia, also a former employee at the MCLB-Albany, was convicted of 13 counts of honest services wire fraud, one count of bribery and one count of theft of government property.

According to evidence presented at trial, Whitman paid more than $800,000 in bribes to three former officials of the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) at the MCLB-Albany, including the head of the DLA Traffic Office and McCarty, to obtain commercial trucking business from the base. The transportation contracts were loaded with unnecessary premium-priced requirements, including expedited service, expensive trailers and exclusive use, which requires that freight be shipped separately from other equipment, even if that results in a truck not being filled to capacity.  As a result of these contracts, Whitman’s company grossed more than $37 million over less than four years.

The evidence further demonstrated that Whitman paid approximately $200,000 in bribes to the former inventory control manager of the Distribution Management Center at MCLB-Albany, Newell and others, who used their official positions to help Whitman steal more than $1 million in surplus equipment from the base, including bulldozers, cranes and front-end loaders.  In exchange for the bribes, Newell and the inventory control manager removed the surplus items from Marine Corps inventory and arranged to have them transported off the base by Whitman’s company.  Whitman then arranged to improve and paint the stolen equipment, and sell it to private purchasers.  

One former United Logistics employee, a business partner of Whitman’s, two former DLA officials and another MCLB official previously pleaded guilty for their roles in the fraud and corruption scheme.

The case was investigated by the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, with assistance from the Dougherty County District Attorney’s Office Economic Crime Unit, Defense Criminal Investigative Service, DLA Office of the Inspector General, and the Department of Labor Office of the Inspector General.  The case is being prosecuted by Deputy Chief J.P. Cooney and Trial Attorney Richard B. Evans of the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney K. Alan Dasher of the Middle District of Georgia.  The associated forfeiture litigation is being handled by Assistant Deputy Chief Darrin McCullough of the Asset Forfeiture and Money Laundering Section and the Middle District of Georgia.