Information for Victims in Large Cases
| Case Name | Familiar Names and Terms | District or Division | Overview |
|---|---|---|---|
| US v. Conagra Grocery Products Company, LLC | Conagra, tainted peanut butter, a salmonella outbreak, Peter Pan peanut butter | USAO - Georgia, Middle |
This case relates to a 2006-2007 nationwide outbreak of salmonella poisoning connected with tainted peanut butter. |
| U.S. v. Bryon Fisher | Byron Fisher | USAO - Indiana, Southern |
Bryon (Pronounced Brian) Fisher, was caught stealing mail from several Post Office Boxes in Indianapolis, Indiana, belonging to utility companies and other businesses that received regular payments. As a result, customers their companies may have been assessed late fees, or had services disconnected. |
| United States v. Dimitry Belorossov, a/k/a Rainerfox | Citadel malware | USAO - Georgia, Northern |
Citadel is a sophisticated form of malicious software or “malware” known as a “banking Trojan” designed to steal online banking credentials, credit card information, and ultimately funds through unauthorized electronic transfers. It electronically infects the computers of unsuspecting individuals and financial institutions, creating “bots”, which cyber criminals remotely control through command and control servers. Once the victim computers are infected and under control, cybercriminals remotely access the infected computers, without authorization, and steal the victims’ personal and financial information. Used by a global syndicate of cybercriminals, Citadel is believed to have infected approximately 11 million computers worldwide and be responsible for over $500 million dollars in losses. |
| U.S. vs. Brandon Bourrett and Athanasios Andrianakis | Photobucket, Photofucket, Brandon Bourret, Athanasios Andrianakis | USAO - Colorado |
Between July 2012 and August 2013, the defendants allegedly developed, marketed, and sold a software application called “Photofucket” which allowed unauthorized persons to circumvent the privacy settings of the image and video hosting website at Photobucket.com and to access and copy users’ private and password protected information, images, and videos without Photobucket or those users’ authorization. |
| U.S. v. Dennis P. Farrell, et al, and related cases | Dennis P. Farrell, William E. Tis, Charles E. Herzing, Gary Southern, Freedom Industries, Inc., Michael E. Burdette, Robert J. Reynolds | USAO - West Virginia, Southern |
Freedom Industries, Inc. as well as former corporate officers, employees and agents, allegedly violated environmental laws in connection with the January 9, 2014, chemical spill. One defendant also faces additional charges stemming from bankruptcy proceedings related to the spill. Pending charges are merely accusations and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt |
| United States v. Max Joseph Chilson, et. al. | Resorts Condos Management, Timeshare Goldline, JAMS Management, Vision Ventures Inc, Timeshare Services Today, Vacation Equity Marketing Inc., Maximum Properties, Universal Processing Services of Wisconsin LLC also known as Newtek Merchant Solutions, HES Merchant Services, Interval Equity Marketing, Vacations And Resorts, Visionary Investments LLC | USAO - Texas, Northern |
Between March 2009 and March 2011, the defendants allegedly engaged in a scheme to fraudulently induce timeshare property owners to send them money. The telemarketers obtained lists containing contact information for timeshare property owners (victims) and during the telemarketing telephone call to the victim, promised buyers for their timeshares. To consummate the promised sale of the property, the telemarketer instructed the victim to pay “closing costs” for the sale, usually between $900 to $3,000. Once the victim sent the money, either by check, credit card, or wire transfer, the telemarketer or customer service representative would make excuses and delay the promised “closing” for approximately 90 days, so as to prevent the victim from successfully stopping payment on the check or obtaining a charge back on the credit card. |
| United States v. Aleksandr Andreevich Panin, a/k/a Harderman, a/k/a Gribodemon, and Hamza Bendelladj, a/k/a Bx1 | SpyEye malware | USAO - Georgia, Northern |
SpyEye is a sophisticated malicious computer code designed to automate the theft of confidential personal and financial information, such as online banking credentials, credit card information, usernames, passwords, PINs, and other personally identifying information. SpyEye facilitates this theft of information by secretly infecting victims’ computers, enabling cyber criminals to remotely control the infected computers (or bots) through command and control (C2) servers. Once the victims’ computers are infected and under control, cyber criminals remotely access the infected computers, without authorization, and steal the victims’ personal and financial information through a variety of techniques, including web injects, keystroke loggers, and credit card grabbers. The victims’ stolen personal and financial data is then surreptitiously transmitted to C2 servers, where it is used to steal money from the victims’ financial accounts. Until dismantled, SpyEye was the preeminent malware banking Trojan from 2010-2012. |
| United States vs. Brian C. Rose, et al. | New Century Coal | USAO - Tennessee, Eastern |
Brian C. Rose, acting through the defendants and others, diverted funds received from New Century Coal investors to multiple entities which were represented to investors as legitimate vendors or suppliers to New Century Coal. New Century Coal falsely and fraudulently moved investor funds to bank accounts in the name of ghost vendor companies and diverted those funds to the personal benefit and use of the defendants. |
| U.S. v. Bernard L.Madoff and Related Cases | Ernica Cotellessa-Pitz, Frank DePascali, Jr., David Friehling, Eric Lipkin | USAO - New York, Southern |
Criminal information was filed in Manhattan federal court chargin Bernard L. Madoff with eleven felony charges including securities fraud, investment adviser fraud, mail fraud, wire fraud, three counts of money laundering. |
| U.S. v. Thomas Anderson Bowdoin, Jr. (a/k/a Andy Bowdoin) | AdSurfDaily, Inc., ASD, Andy Bowdoin | USAO - District of Columbia |
The indictment alleges that from in or around August 2006 through in or around August 2008, Bowdoin operated a "Ponzi" scheme through a company |