All articles tagged with #fraud
At a Milwaukee fraud-crackdown event, Vice President JD Vance highlighted a photo of a convicted fraudster, but stage lighting washed out the image. Acyn Torabi of MeidasTouch pointed out the glare, and the White House quickly accused the editor of shielding a criminal—an accusation that backfired and revealed a gaffe by the Trump team rather than any concealment by the editor.
A Montgomery County jury found Janey Sears guilty of theft scheme over $100,000, securities fraud, and misappropriation of funds by a fiduciary after she manipulated a Silver Spring man into a $400,000 investment scheme, used the money for personal expenses (including a car) and casino gambling, and moved into his home; sentencing is set for Aug. 28, 2026, with a potential penalty of up to 23 years in prison.
A TikTok video shows two sealed French’s Mustard bottles bought from Walmart; one weighed about 1 lb 5.6 oz and the other 1 lb 0.6 oz, a roughly 16% difference, prompting questions whether shrinkflation or fraud is at play. Commenters note that bottle plastic weight and measurement variations could explain the difference, and the brand has not yet commented, with no independent verification of the claim.
Federal prosecutors unsealed an indictment accusing Kerr Kriisa of a years-long online fraud totaling over $2.2 million, using fake personas and lies about family emergencies to persuade victims to send money; the scheme spanned his time at Arizona, West Virginia, Kentucky, and Cincinnati. He was arrested in Lexington on July 3, 2026, and will be extradited to West Virginia; prosecutors seek forfeiture of at least $2.2 million if convicted.
Former NCAA basketball standout Kerr Kriisa was arrested by the FBI in Lexington, KY, over an alleged multimillion-dollar fraud scheme tied to his senior year at West Virginia; extradition to WV is expected as federal authorities handle the case. Kriisa played for Arizona, West Virginia, Kentucky and Cincinnati, and was set to compete in The Basketball Tournament before his arrest.
Delaware Chancery Court ruled JPMorgan Chase must continue paying Charlie Javice’s legal defense costs, now above $70 million, rejecting the bank’s bid to stop advancement. The ruling requires JPMorgan to cover roughly $10.1 million of Javice’s fees for January–September 2025, and about $11.3 million in disputed fees for co-defendant Olivier Amar; the total for Javice (and Amar) exceeds $136 million. Javice, convicted of defrauding JPMorgan in the Frank deal, remains appealing the conviction and sentence.
Democrats on the House Natural Resources Committee released an interim report accusing Freedom250 of misleading donors who believed they were supporting America250, including sharing Freedom250’s routing numbers with donors intended to contribute to America250. The report, titled “From Vanity to Insanity,” argues the project hijacked the semiquincentennial to push Christian nationalist, Trump-aligned aims and describes fundraising abuses and nonprofit manipulation that could constitute fraud, though prosecutors have not declared a crime established.
House Democrats say whistleblower accounts and newly obtained documents indicate donors who intended to support America250, a bipartisan 250th-anniversary effort, were misled and steered to Trump-backed Freedom 250, with funds diverted and programming affected.
Two suspected Costco shoplifters, Brittany A. Howard and Kasheem M. Williams, were arrested in South Windsor, CT after attempting to pay with fraudulent credit cards. Police say they had active out-of-state warrants (Williams from Suffolk County, NY for burglary, strangulation and assault; Howard from Hudson County, NJ for credit card theft) and face 28 counts of payment card theft plus related charges; officers also found 28 stolen financial documents in their vehicle and linked them to a prior Enfield Costco theft. They are being held on $250,000 bonds and scheduled to appear in Manchester Superior Court.
Director Carl Rinsch was sentenced to 2.5 years in prison for defrauding Netflix of $11 million related to an original sci‑fi series, following a letter from Keanu Reeves advocating leniency; prosecutors say he diverted the funds to a personal account for speculative crypto trading and spending, with $11 million in forfeiture and three years of supervised release.
Hollywood director Carl Rinsch was sentenced to 2.5 years in prison after being convicted of defrauding Netflix of about $11 million for an unfinished sci‑fi series called White Horse. Prosecutors said he diverted funds to a personal account and then spent on luxury cars, watches, clothes, and even $638,000 on two mattresses, later moving some money into crypto; his defense cited mental health issues. He owes roughly $11 million in restitution and is due to report to prison in September.
A US federal court sentenced exiled Chinese tycoon Guo Wengui to 30 years in prison after he was found guilty on nine of 12 counts for defrauding thousands of investors of more than $1 billion, with an $889 million forfeiture. The case centers on Guo’s use of a dissident persona to lure funds for his lavish lifestyle, despite his insistence that the money funded political aims.
Director Carl Erik Rinsch was sentenced to 30 months in prison after being convicted of defrauding Netflix of about $11 million. Netflix had funded a $55 million sci‑fi project, Conquest (formerly White Horse), that produced no episodes; prosecutors say Rinsch used the funds for stock market and cryptocurrency bets and to buy luxury items, including Rolls‑Royces and a Ferrari. He cited health issues, but the judge said deceit persisted and emphasized deterrence against fraud.
Carl Rinsch, director of 47 Ronin, was sentenced to 30 months in federal prison for defrauding Netflix of about $11 million through wire fraud and money laundering, including using funds for risky securities trades and then suing Netflix for more money to finish the show; the court noted an untreated mental health condition and potential influence of improper medication, and he was ordered to pay $11 million restitution and three years of supervised release.
Chinese billionaire Guo Wengui, a critic of the CCP who fled to the US, was sentenced in Manhattan to 30 years in federal prison after being found guilty of securities fraud, wire fraud and money laundering, with prosecutors saying the scheme harmed more than 1,000 victims worldwide and $889 million in restitution was ordered.