Lawyer Charged in Fraud Gave $6M to Non-Profits
A defunct South Florida law firm run by an attorney now charged with operating a huge Ponzi scheme gave more than $6 million in the past year to charities and nonprofit groups. A federal bankruptcy court filing details contributions by the firm Rothstein Rosenfeldt Adler to more than 100 organizations. Former firm CEO Scott Rothstein [...]
Two Mi. Brothers Sentenced for Investment Scam
Two Lansing, Mich.-area brothers have been sentenced to 10 years in prison and ordered to pay $21.6 million in restitution as part of what authorities described as an oil and gas investment scheme. Fifty-five-year-old Eric Riley Merkle and 53-year-old Jay Vernon Merkle were sentenced Wednesday in U.S. District Court in Grand Rapids. The Williamston men [...]
Dismissal Sought in Stanford Document Shredding Case
Attorneys for two former employees of disgraced financier Allen Stanford are seeking the dismissal of charges that they illegally shredded thousands of documents in Florida. A hearing on the issue is scheduled to take place in a Fort Lauderdale court Tuesday.
Lawyers for Thomas Raffanello and Bruce Perraud say prosecutors tried to intimidate a witness so [...]
Astor’s Son Steals Millions, Gets up to Three Years
The son of Brooke Astor, eighty-five-year-old Anthony Marshall, was sentenced to up to three years in prison on Monday for stealing millions of his mother’s dollars. Marshall also is expected to continue his appeals and might be able to stay free on bail indefinitely. He tried, but failed, to get the judge to throw out [...]
Rajaratnam Pleads Not Guilty
Hedge fun operator Raj Rajaratnam, one of the wealthiest men in the United States, has pleaded not guilty to charges in an insider trading case. He entered the plea Monday to charges in an indictment returned last week. Prosecutors say Rajaratnam played a key role in a $52 million insider trading case that has resulted [...]
Two Convicted in Mortgage Fraud
A federal jury convicted two New Jersey men who were involved in a mortgage fraud scheme. The two were convicted following a six-week trial. Prosecutors say they conspired with others to obtain millions of dollars of mortgage loans for unqualified borrowers from 2002 to 2005. They were convicted on charges including wire fraud and money [...]
Ex-Kennedy Aide Charged with Defrauding Senate
A former office manager for the late Senator Edward Kennedy has been charged with defrauding the Senate of over seventy-five thousand dollars in pay and bonuses. Authorities charge that 39-year-old Ngozi T. Pole filled out paperwork to improperly boost his salary and bonus payments. He has been charged with wire fraud and theft of government [...]
Medicare Fraud Busts in Three States
Federal agents arrested several suspects in a crackdown on Medicare fraud that spanned three states. More arrests are expected to come later. Federal authorities reported that a few dozen suspects in the areas of Miami, Brooklyn, and Detroit billed Medicare for over sixty million dollars. The bills were for bogus medical equipment, therapy, and HIV [...]
New Jersey Man Sentenced for $1.8M Investment Fraud
A New Jersey broker has been sentenced to eight years in prison for operating an investment scam through which he collected roughly $1.8 million. Jeffery Southard is also being forced to make full restitution, and has to serve three years of supervised release after his prison term. He pleaded guilty to charges of mail fraud [...]
Pastor Robbed after Answering Door
Lincoln, Nebraska police are investigating the armed robbery of a pastor who was held at knifepoint at his church. Police say that fifty-two-year-old Christopher Anderson opened the door to Glad Tidings Assembly of God for someone late Saturday night. The man asked for money, and Anderson said he didn’t have any to give. Anderson said [...]