Tag

Wire Fraud

All articles tagged with #wire fraud

technology2 hours ago•6 min saved

Google Engineer Charged in $1M Polymarket Insider Trading Case

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.

via WIRED|

#commodities-fraud #google #insider-trading

crime26 days ago•4 min saved

25 Convicted in $215 Million Global Business Email Compromise Scheme

A federal jury convicted 25 defendants in a cross-border business email compromise scheme that hacked victim email accounts to steal about $215 million from more than 1,000 victims across 47 states and 19 countries. Notable convictions include Oluwafemi Awoyemi, Aruan Drake, and Peter Reed for wire fraud conspiracy, with Awoyemi and Drake also guilty of money laundering conspiracy. The case involved a network of Nigerian-linked fraud operations, laundered funds through shell accounts, and the illicit proceeds included cash, cryptocurrency, cashier’s checks, luxury items, and a Georgia residence. Investigations were led by the FBI, USPS, and Border Patrol; sentencing will occur after consideration of various factors for each defendant.

via Department of Justice (.gov)|

#business-email-compromise #crime #cybercrime

crime27 days ago•5 min saved

New Jersey father-daughter admit guilt in $2M counterfeit-art scheme

A New Jersey-based father and daughter pleaded guilty to wire fraud conspiracy and misrepresenting Native American–produced goods after selling more than 200 counterfeit artworks—including pieces attributed to Warhol, Picasso, Banksy and others—by fabricating provenance. The scheme defrauded victims of at least $2 million across galleries and auction houses in the U.S., and the pair faces up to 20 years in prison with restitution potentially up to $1.9 million.

via Fox News|

#art-fraud #counterfeit-art #crime

sports28 days ago•5 min saved

First Guilty Plea Sparks New Chapter in NBA Gambling Probe

Damon Jones pleaded guilty to two counts of conspiracy to commit wire fraud in a federal gambling case, admitting he provided non-public NBA information to bettors and helped recruit participants for rigged poker games; prosecutors say the inquiry also involves Terry Rozier, who is facing possible new charges, with Jones's sentencing scheduled for January while Rozier's case proceeds.

via Defector|

#damon-jones #gambling #nba

sports29 days ago•2 min saved

Damon Jones Pleads Guilty in Insider-Info NBA Gambling Case

Former NBA player and assistant coach Damon Jones pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud in connection with an insider-information-based gambling scheme, admitting he used information obtained through his former-player relationships and discussed players like LeBron James and Anthony Davis; sentencing is set for January 6, 2027, with guidelines indicating a penalty of 21 to 27 months in prison.

via NBC Sports|

#damon-jones #gambling #insider-information

law1 month ago•12 min saved

SPLC Indictment Under Fire for Vague Charges and Legal Gaps

The piece argues that the DOJ’s 11-count indictment of the Southern Poverty Law Center is frail, with a weak theory that donors were misled about supporting hate groups, lacking specific misrepresentations, and failing to meet the standards required to prove fraud beyond a reasonable doubt. It critiques the wire and bank fraud counts as poorly developed, notes ambiguities around “fictitious” companies and the use of “false and misleading” statements, and compares the case to other indictments to highlight its gaps. The author calls for a Bill of Particulars and warns the government may face serious legal and tactical challenges, suggesting the indictment may not withstand scrutiny or succeed on appeal.

via Just Security|

#bank-fraud #doj-indictment #law

crime1 month ago•1 min saved

Man jailed for 3 years for stealing Kristi Noem's handbag in DC restaurant

A 50-year-old man, Mario Bustamante Leiva, was sentenced to three years in prison for stealing former Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem's Gucci handbag from a Washington, DC restaurant last April; the bag contained about $3,000 in cash and he pleaded guilty to three counts of wire fraud and one count of first-degree theft, with investigators tracing him via a stolen credit-card gift card. He faces deportation after serving his sentence.

via BBC|

#crime #handbag-theft #kristi-noem

crime1 month ago•3 min saved

Federal Grand Jury Indicts SPLC Over Alleged Donor Fraud Linked to Extremist Groups

A federal grand jury indicted the Southern Poverty Law Center on 11 counts, including wire fraud, false statements to a federally insured bank, and conspiracy to commit concealment money laundering, alleging the nonprofit diverted more than $3 million in donations to individuals tied to violent extremist groups via fictitious entities and concealed the transfers; the case seeks forfeiture of the ill-gotten gains.

via Department of Justice (.gov)|

#crime #forfeiture #indictment

crime1 month ago•4 min saved

Ex-Alabama Player Impersonations in $20 Million Loan Fraud

Former Alabama defensive lineman Luther Davis is charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and aggravated identity theft after disguising himself as NFL stars (Michael Penix, David Njoku, Xavier McKinney) to obtain loans totaling about $20 million, using fake IDs and accounts; he and partner CJ Evins are set for a April 27 hearing to plead guilty and face up to 20 years in prison.

via Fox News|

#cj-evins #crime #impersonation

crime1 month ago•2 min saved

SantaCon organizer accused of diverting charity funds for personal use

Stefan Pildes, a Hewitt, New Jersey man who runs the SantaCon bar crawl in New York City, is charged with one count of wire fraud for allegedly pocketing more than half of about $2.7 million raised from SantaCon tickets between 2019 and April 2026, using funds for a personal ‘slush fund’ and purchases such as renovating a New Jersey lakefront property and leasing a luxury Manhattan apartment, depriving charities including City Harvest, City Parks Foundation and the Children’s Heart Foundation of more than $1 million.

via NBC News|

#charity-funds #crime #new-jersey

crime1 month ago•5 min saved

SantaCon Promoter Indicted for Diverting Proceeds to Personal Use

U.S. authorities unsealed an indictment charging Stefan Pildes, president of SantaCon’s nonprofit PSI, with one count of wire fraud for allegedly diverting millions raised at SantaCon—more than half of proceeds from 2019–2024—into a private entity and for personal use, despite portraying the event as charitable; SantaCon drew about 25,000 attendees and involved host venues paying commissions; the case, assigned to Judge Colleen McMahon in SDNY, carries up to 20 years in prison.

via Department of Justice (.gov)|

#creative-opportunities-group #crime #participatory-safety-inc

healthcare1 month ago•3 min saved

Orange County Man Pleads Guilty in $270 Million Medi-Cal Fraud Scheme Tied to Monte Vista Pharmacy

An Orange County man pleaded guilty to leading a scheme that billed Medi-Cal from May 2022 to April 2023 for expensive, often unnecessary drugs via Monte Vista Pharmacy, totaling nearly $270 million with about $178 million paid; funds were laundered and kickbacks were used, and he faces a statutory maximum of 30 years in prison at sentencing on August 3.

via Department of Justice (.gov)|

#health-care-fraud #healthcare #kickbacks

politics1 month ago•59 min saved

Maryland GOP official charged in yacht-refinance scheme

A Maryland GOP official, James Appel, was indicted on three counts each of wire fraud and money laundering for routing $200,000 from a politician’s campaign accounts and a local tennis nonprofit into his own accounts to refinance a 65-foot yacht, while falsely inflating campaign asset balances; he pleaded not guilty as the indictment was unsealed on March 26. Appel, longtime Maryland GOP comptroller, has since left the party; Del. Kathy Szeliga described the case as a betrayal and called for jail time and asset seizure.

via thebanner.com|

#federal-court #money-laundering #politics

crime-and-public-safety3 months ago•11 min saved

Orlando crypto CEO’s $328M Ponzi scheme alleged to fund lavish life and real estate

The DOJ accuses Christopher Delgado, 34, founder/CEO of Orlando-based Goliath Ventures, of running a $328 million Ponzi scheme from 2023 to 2026 that misused investor funds—only about $1 million went into a crypto liquidity pool while the rest paid earlier investors, financing lavish events and four luxury homes in Windemere, Winter Park, Kissimmee, and Sanford; Delgado was arrested on wire fraud and money-laundering charges and had public ties to charities and local politics.

via Orlando Sentinel|

#crime-and-public-safety #cryptocurrency #money-laundering

crime3 months ago•3 min saved

Michigan judge among four indicted in ward-fund embezzlement scheme

A sitting Michigan judge, Andrea Bradley-Baskin of the 36th District Court, and three Detroit-area residents were indicted on conspiracy to commit wire fraud and related charges for allegedly siphoning hundreds of thousands from wards’ estates through Guardian and Associates and related entities. Alleged schemes included using about $70,000 to buy a stake in a bar, diverting roughly $203,000 from a ward’s settlement, and a two-year lease on a Ford Expedition for the judge, with money laundering counts and a false-statement charge also tied to Bradley-Baskin. FBI and U.S. Attorney officials described the case as fiduciary abuse of vulnerable individuals in probate matters.

via FOX 2 Detroit|

#crime #embezzlement #guardianship