All articles tagged with #wire fraud
Lawrence Mayor Brian DePeña was arrested on federal charges—wire fraud and unlawful monetary transactions—allegedly diverting more than $1.5 million in COVID-19 relief loans from his tire business to fund his campaign and pay personal debts; the arrest, carried out by the FBI and tied to an ongoing inquiry into Lawrence City Hall, marks a significant turn in the investigation of the mayor and city operations.
Phoebe Gates and Sophia Kianni’s AI shopping platform Phia is under scrutiny after Bloomberg reports that the company knowingly pushed for features that earned commissions on sales it didn’t drive, via “cookie stuffing.” Internal Slack messages show awareness of the practice since at least December 2025, contradicting Phia’s earlier bug explanation. Cookie stuffing can be prosecuted as wire fraud, carrying potential penalties, casting a harsh light on Phia’s business practices and raising questions about founder accountability.
Carmine Agnello, John Gotti’s grandson, reported to federal prison to serve a 15-month sentence for wire fraud after asking for delays to donate a kidney to his mother, Victoria Gotti. A judge briefly allowed a Sept. 18 deferral to accommodate a possible transplant, but ordered surrender when no imminent surgery was on the horizon. Prosecutors noted Agnello’s loans fraud involved about $1.1 million from a COVID relief program, with funds later used for other ventures.
A Metro Detroit pair, Shawn Carter and Danielle Thomas, are charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and aggravated identity theft after allegedly filing hundreds of fraudulent unemployment-insurance claims across 32 states totaling about $4.12 million. Investigators linked the claims by shared digital footprints and note debit-card withdrawals tied to Bank of America accounts. Text messages recovered by investigators show coordination of card use and a rapid panic when police arrived. Arrests followed a Dearborn incident in 2021 and a home search in 2023, with a preliminary hearing scheduled for Aug. 7, 2026.
Canadian financier and producer Jason Cloth was indicted in Chicago on seven counts of wire fraud for allegedly diverting over $100 million from investors through Creative Wealth Media and related entities, funds used for other projects and to repay prior investors. Cloth had stepped down as co-head of C2 Motion Picture Group in 2024 amid fraud allegations and was arrested in Los Angeles; the case ties to Bron Studios’ bankruptcy and several lawsuits accusing him of shuffling investments. He faces up to 20 years in prison on each count and potential forfeiture of at least $12.25 million.
Hollywood producer Jason Cloth, a financier behind Joker projects and head of Creative Wealth Media, was arrested in Los Angeles on seven counts of wire fraud in a federal indictment alleging a years-long $100 million Ponzi scheme that defrauded investors by misrepresenting investment performance and diverting funds to personal ventures, including a Canadian real estate project. Prosecutors say new investor money was used to pay earlier investors; Cloth previously faced a $19.6 million Florida verdict in 2024 over a related fraud case. The indictment seeks at least $12.25 million in forfeiture and carries up to 20 years in prison per count; the FBI is probing potential victims.
Elaine Angene Escoe, 41, is accused of a $32 million COVID-19 relief fraud scheme; after fleeing to Jamaica under the alias Harley Newman, she was captured and returned to South Florida to face charges including conspiracy to commit wire fraud and money laundering. Her arrest marks the fourth 'Most Wanted Fraudster' captured in five weeks as the FBI's crackdown has returned more than 30 high-value targets and nearly $1.8 billion in fraud proceeds.
A House Democratic interim report claims donors intended for the bipartisan America250 celebration were redirected, without their knowledge, to Freedom 250—a Trump-aligned group—raising potential wire fraud and charitable solicitation concerns. The 41-page document says Freedom 250, led by Trump aides, sought to sideline America250 and center the president in the fundraising, while disputes over federal funding for the celebration continue. America250 says most support comes from private sources, and a spokesperson for Freedom 250 denies the allegations as partisan. The committee says it will pursue further investigations if Democrats win the House in November.
Democrats allege that the Trump-backed Freedom 250 defrauded donors intended for America250 by redirecting funds via wire instructions, as the Great American State Fair draws sparse crowds and raises questions about turnout for July 4 events, prompting calls for investigation.
Hollywood director Carl Rinsch, 48, was sentenced to 30 months in prison for looting about $11 million from Netflix and funding a luxury lifestyle; Keanu Reeves testified in support of leniency, citing potential mental-health issues. Rinsch must repay the $11 million, enter outpatient mental-health treatment, and halt narcotics use.
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.
Director Carl Rinsch, known for 47 Ronin, was sentenced in federal court to 30 months in prison for wire fraud and money laundering tied to defrauding Netflix of about $11 million during the production of the never-completed sci-fi series White Horse (Conquest); the judge cited his mental-health issues and letters from Reeves and others, and ordered roughly $11 million in restitution, outpatient mental-health treatment, and drug abstinence, with Rinsch to surrender on Sept. 1.
A Brooklyn federal indictment charges six individuals, including former NBA players Malik Beasley and Edward Davis and a current NBA player agent, with wire fraud conspiracy, bribery in sporting contests, honest services wire fraud conspiracy, and money laundering conspiracy for a scheme to fix Beasley’s performance and use non-public information to place fraudulent bets, detailing three games (Jan 26, Feb 27, and Mar 10, 2024) and alleging hundreds of thousands of dollars in wagers; if convicted, defendants face up to 20 years on wire fraud and money laundering counts and up to 5 years on bribery.
Federal prosecutors added bribery in sporting contests and honest services wire fraud conspiracy charges to the case against former NBA player Terry Rozier, accusing him of agreeing to a $100,000 bribe to influence a game. Rozier’s lawyers say the new charges reflect shifting theories, and note a Supreme Court ruling that could affect the fraud counts, underscoring the ongoing fallout of gambling-related investigations in the era of legalized sports betting.
A Google security engineer, Michele Spagnuolo, was arrested in New York and charged with commodities fraud, wire fraud, and money laundering for using confidential Google data to place bets on Polymarket, earning more than $1 million—including a $1.2 million win predicting Google’s most‑searched person of 2025. Prosecutors say trades were made Oct–Dec 2025 with insider information. Google says the employee is on leave and violated policies, while Polymarket cooperated with investigators. The case underscores heightened scrutiny of insider trading on prediction markets.