Information for Victims in Large Cases
| Case Name | Familiar Names and Terms | District or Division | Overview |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States v. Malcolm, Ross III, and Brantley | Income tax refund scheme, Obama Stimulus money, Biggest refund taxes | USAO - Connecticut |
Between November 2012 and May 2013, MALCOLM, BRANTLEY, ROSS and others conspired to file false federal income tax returns in the names of individuals without the individuals’ knowledge. As part of the scheme, BRANTLEY, ROSS and others advertised to victims that they were eligible for “Obama stimulus money” or “government funding” through a prepaid debit card, and then obtained personal identifying information from the victims. MALCOLM, who operated a business in Arizona called “Biggest Refund Taxes,” used the victims’ names, dates of birth, and Social Security Numbers to prepare and file false federal income tax returns. MALCOLM then directed tax refunds totaling more than $2.5 million to be deposited partially into bank accounts controlled by MALCOLM, her family members, her employees, and ROSS, and partially into bank accounts linked to prepaid debit cards that were sent to the victims. |
| United States v. Angela Santillano, et al | Angelica Santillano, Frank Robert King, Alexander Saul King and Manuel Velasquez | USAO - Colorado |
Beginning in and around October 25, 2014, and continuing through on or about April 26, 2015, the defendants stole mail which included checks. The defendants then attempted to cash stolen checks. This was accomplished through the production of counterfeit mail keys which enabled them to gain access. The purpose of this crime was for the conspirators to enrich and support themselves and their methamphetamine use. |
| United States v. Kristi Louise Johnson et al | TAC/The Achievement Community | USAO - North Carolina, Western |
Troy Barnes and Kristi Johnson operated a fraudulent Pyramid/Ponzi scheme through Work With Troy BARNES, Inc. (WWTB), an entity they founded and which did business as “The Achieve Community” (TAC). They enticed victim-investors to buy “positions” and earn returns of 700 percent, generating more than $6.8 million. Victims bought $50 “positions” and were to receive $400 in return for each $50 position. Success depended on new investors to “retire” early investors positions. |
| United States v. Viet Quoc Nguyen and Giang Hoang Vu/United States v. David-Manuel Santos Da Silva | USAO - Georgia, Northern |
Between approximately February 2009 and June 2012, at least eight Email Service Providers (ESPs) all over the United States, including two ESPs based in the Northern District of Georgia, were hacked and confidential information, including proprietary marketing data containing over one billion email addresses, was stolen. The stolen email addresses were then subjected to “spam” attacks, which involved the receipt of unsolicited emails that enticed the recipients by promoting specific products and providing hyperlinks for the recipients to purchase the products. The hyperlinks directed the recipients to affiliate marketing websites associated with Marketbay.com. |
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| United States v. Adrian Rubin, et al | Doing business as Platinum trust Cards | USAO - Pennsylvania, Eastern |
Adrian Rubin, in the Philadelphia area was recently charged with running a multi-million dollar telemarketing scam. According to the information, the defendants duped more than 70,000 people into buying what they falsely marketed as a general-purpose credit card that customers could use to buy merchandise over the internet and improve their credit. |
| United States v. Chad Klingman | Doing business as Platinum trust Cards | USAO - Pennsylvania, Eastern |
Chad Kligman, 31, in the Philadelphia area was recently charged with running a multi-million dollar telemarketing scam. According to the information, the defendants duped more than 70,000 people into buying what they falsely marketed as a general-purpose credit card that customers could use to buy merchandise over the internet and improve their credit. |
| United States v. Brian Howard, 14-CR-00537 | FAA Fire, Chicago Air Route Traffic Control Center | USAO - Illinois, Northern |
On September 26, 2014, Brian Howard set fire to the Chicago Air Traffic Control Center in Aurora, Illinois. The fire resulted in widespread cancellations and delays in air travel throughout the country.
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| United States v. Neil Godfrey | Check Site | USAO - Pennsylvania, Eastern |
This case involves a third-party data processor (Godfrey), who helped fraudulent merchants make small, unauthorized withdrawals from the bank accounts of hundreds of thousands of victims. Godfrey did this through his business, Check Site, which worked directly with banks that would not have worked with the fraudulent merchants directly. Godfrey also helped the fraudulent merchants to conceal their activity from the banks through various means. |
| U.S. v. Oladimeji Seun Ayelotan, et al. (AKA Scams R Us) | Scams R Us | USAO - Mississippi, Southern |
Operation Scams-R-Us involves a transnational organized crime enterprise operating numerous financial fraud schemes via the internet. This case involves mass marketing fraud over job and dating websites, including romance scams, re-shipping of merchandise purchased with stolen credit cards, using fraudulent U.S. postal and other carrier labels, counterfeit and fraudulent check scams, work-at-home and secret shopper scams. Victims believed they were conducting legitimate work such as at-home payroll services or remailing of electronic items for charities to South Africa and Nigeria. Victims were asked to withdraw money at ATMs using prepaid cards and forward money to others via MoneyGram and Western Union. U.S. citizens identities, personal information, bank and financial information were stolen and used to obtain credit cards that were used to take cash advances and purchase mobile phones and other electronic devices. |
| United States v. Tulving Company, et al. | Hannes Tulving Jr, Alan Tulving, Costa Mesa California, Tulving Co, coins, gold and silver coins, gold bars, silver, emerald-colored gemstone, Canadian paper money | USAO - North Carolina, Western |
From in or about August 2013 through in or about January 2014, the defendants HANNES TULVING, JR. (“Tulving”) and THE TULVING COMPANY, INC, (“TULVING CO.”) executed a scheme to defraud individuals by inducing customers to place orders for gold and silver coins, among other things, and wire money for those goods knowing that those orders could not be fulfilled as advertised and promised, resulting in a loss of over $15,000,000 to over 400 victims. |