Texas Man Convicted on Hurricane Fraud Charges

Posted on February 15, 2012 by | Leave a comment

A Galveston, Louis vuitton outlet Texas man faces up to 30 years in federal prison over a Hurricane Ike fraud scheme involving his mother's house, according to the Courthouse News Service.

Patrick Adolf Prendergast Jr., 54, was convicted of fraud for knowingly submitting a claim for FEMA recovery assistance on a house he didn't own.  Prendergast received $90,000 in disaster relief funds based upon false claims of ownership.

Law enforcement officials say the house was his mother's second home and did not quality for Ike recovery funds. The son filed a claim pretending to the owner and resident of the home.  Prendergast remains in jail awaiting sentence on May 4.

Hurricane Ike made landfall near Galveston as a strong Category 2 hurricane on September 13, 2008.

→ Leave a comment

Posted in Fraud Detection, Housing, Investigative Techniques, Scams

Chicago Female Businesswoman Charged With Women/Minority Owned Contract Sham

Posted on February 15, 2012 by | Leave a comment

A woman who serves on an Illinois Department of Transportation task force that helps disadvantaged business enterprises has been arrested in a sting operation on charges that her woman-owned company was really a sham-front to receive government contracts intended for women and minority businesses, according to the Chicago Tribune.

According to the criminal complaint unsealed yesterday, Elizabeth Perino, 57, owned a carpentry and concrete business that was a subcontractor for McHugh, one of Chicago's most well-known construction companies. Perino was charged with mail fraud for acting as a "sham pass-through" subcontractor for work on a Chicago bridge and the "L" heavy rail train system.  Prosecutors allege that Perino "submitted bills for work her companies did not perform, allowing McHugh, identified only as "Prime Contractor A" in the charges, to meet its requirements for hiring disadvantaged businesses."

Prosecutors say that Perino has been cooperating with investigators since last July.Louis vuitton outlet  Her business has been designated as ineligible to do business with the city of Chicago as a result of the pending charges.

→ Leave a comment

Posted in Financial Investigations, Fraud Detection, Investigative Techniques, Scams, Uncategorized

Feds Recoup Over $4 Billion in Health Care Fraud Cases Last Year

Posted on February 14, 2012 by | Leave a comment

Bloomberg Businessweek just reported that the federal government has recovered approximately $4.1 billion in health care fraud judgments in 2011 alone.  This represents a whopping 50 percent jump in reclaimed funds since 2009.

In addition,Louis vuitton outlet Justice Department officials say that federal judges are also dispensing stiffer sentences for health care fraud crimes.  In particular, the average prison sentence in fraud cases in 2011 was 47 months compared to 42 months just one year earlier.

→ Leave a comment

Posted in Fraud Detection, Health Care, Investigative Techniques, Uncategorized

Physician/Owner of California Clinics Arrested for Fraud in Philippines

Posted on February 14, 2012 by | Leave a comment

Law enforcement officials in the Philippines have arrested a physician inside a military camp in Manila on charges he defrauded California's Medi-Cal program of more than $3 million, according to the Associated Press.

Dr. Eric Chan owned clinics in California and is a medical corp reservist for the Armed Forces of the Philippines.  He was arrested by way of a warrant issued by a Manila court.  U.S. law enforcement officials say Chan collected payments from the Medi-Cal system by submitting fraudulent medical claims.  He then evaded prosecution and arrest by fleeing to the Philippines, according to the article.

Chan is also known as Eric Uy Garchitorena. Louis vuitton outlet  He is now the subject of an extradition case back to the U.S.

http://www.mb.com.ph/articles/351373/doctor-linked-to-fraud-falls

→ Leave a comment

Posted in Fraud Detection, Investigative Techniques

Celebrated Portrait of Honest Abe's Wife, Mary Todd Lincoln, Labeled a Fraud

Posted on February 13, 2012 by | Leave a comment

A famous painting of Abraham Lincoln's wife, Mary Todd Lincoln, Louis vuitton outlet has been labeled a fraud, according to an article in the New York Times.

Abraham Lincoln Library and Museum curator James Cornelius says the painting of Mary Todd Lincoln which hung in the Illinois governor's mansion in Springfield for approximately 32 years is a fraudulent work.  Although the painting's original subject was an anonymous woman, Cornelius says he will nevertheless continue displaying the piece.

 

→ Leave a comment

Posted in Fraud Detection, Scams, Uncategorized

Fraud College?

Posted on February 13, 2012 by | 1 Comment

Louis vuitton outlet Although it might be a little far for some readers here on the East Coast to attend, the public is invited to participate in a free Fraud College this Wednesday at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City, according to an article in the Salt Lake Tribune.

The Fraud College is a half day event chock-filled with seminars and booths with information on how to spot fraudulent financial offers. Speakers include Utah Governor Gary Herbert and Michael Otterson, the managing director of public affairs for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  This is the first time a Mormon representative is speaking at "FC" since its inception in 2010.

According to its website, Fraud College is a non-profit organization "dedicated to helping others become more aware of frauds and scams across the world."

Utahns have fallen victim to $2 billion in purported fraudulent schemes, including many affinity scams, in which "con artists exploit bonds of trust that form in groups of people who share beliefs or interests," according to the Associated Press.

http://www.fraudcollege.org/

→ 1 Comment

Posted in Fraud Detection, Investigative Techniques, Ponzi Schemes, Scams, Uncategorized

Kardashian Must State Marriage Was a Fraud, Says Jilted Humphries

Posted on February 10, 2012 by | Leave a comment

Louis vuitton outlet Since it's Friday and it does relate, albeit tangentially, to our overarching topic of fraud, today's second blog entry involves Kris Humphries' insistence that as a condition of his divorce to Kim Kardashian, the sex symbol and Hollywood star must admit their 72 day marriage was made under false pretenses, according to Newsday.

Although the New Jersey Nets forward told Access Hollywood that he viewed his nuptials as real, media outlets are reporting that Humphries is adamant that Kardashian state the marriage was a fraud as a condition of her divorce request.

Perhaps we will hear more about Kim's take on this issue when Kardashian's sister's show, Khloe & Lamar, airs on February 19th?

 

→ Leave a comment

Posted in Uncategorized

Houston Dad Gets Eight Years on Medicaid Fraud Conviction While Son Sentenced to 12 last December.

Posted on February 10, 2012 by | Leave a comment

Louis vuitton outlet A family that commits crimes together can serve the time…well, at the same time.

A 60 year-old Houston man will be joining his son in federal prison following a conviction on charges including conspiracy to commit health care fraud, 14 counts of health care fraud and four counts of aggravated identity theft in a $2.3 million Medicaid fraud scheme, according to the Associated Press.

Bassey Essien was sentenced to more than eight years in prison and must make $1.5 million in restitution.  He was formerly the co-owner of two medical equipment companies, Logic World Medical and Roben Medical.  His 34 year-old son, Benjamin, pleaded guilty to similar charges and was sentenced in December to 12 years in prison.  Bassey's 31 year-old daughter, Rose, awaits sentencing as well after being convicted last year of fraud and aggravated identity theft.

→ Leave a comment

Posted in Fraud Detection, Health Care, Investigative Techniques, Scams

NYC Murder Suspect Also Accused of Being Mastermind Behind Complex Check Fraud Scheme

Posted on February 9, 2012 by | Leave a comment

A suspect in a NYC murder case who was arrested in North Carolina in November 2010 after being seen on camera at a Charlotte Bobcats basketball game has now been accused of being a mastermind of a 37 person check fraud ring that stole approximately $150,000, according to the Wall Street Journal.

Louis vuitton outlet Earl Barranco, 25, has been remanded in custody for the last 15 months on the murder charge.  Prosecutors say that Barranco and others ringleaders in an unrelated case offered money to people willing to let their bank accounts be used in the scheme.  Counterfeits checks were then drawn "on at least 30 unwitting victims' bank accounts into other accounts held by accomplices," said prosecutors.  Barranco and others then used codefendants' ATM cards to withdraw the money or debit cards to purchase money orders.

Barranco is expected to be arraigned today.

The Manhattan District Attorney's Office has brought several complex cases in the last three months involving cybercrime, identity theft and fraud, according to the article.

 

→ Leave a comment

Posted in Banking, CyberCrime, Financial Investigations, Fraud Detection, Investigative Techniques, Scams

NJ Attorney Pleads Guilty to Bank Fraud and Faces Lengthy Prison Sentence

Posted on February 8, 2012 by | Leave a comment

A Bergen County, N.J. attorney yesterday pleaded guilty in federal court in Camden to an information charging him with bank fraud, according to a press release from the U.S. Attorney's Office-District of New Jersey.

Law enforcement Louis vuitton outlet officials say that between 2004 and 2006, an accomplice of attorney Michael Senick scouted real estate properties to buy and recruited the "straw buyers" to purchase them.  Although the said "straw buyers" had good credit, they lacked financial resources to purchase the homes.  Senick's accomplices submitted fraudulent mortgage applications on behalf of the "straw buyers" with inflated income and assets to secure the loans.

Senick, 63, acted as the attorney at the closing of these properties.  Before and during the execution of the real estate closings, Senick "caused the HUD-1 Settlement Statements, settlement disbursement sheets, and other documents to be manipulated, to show that the straw purchasers brought their own funds to the closings when, in fact, the straw purchasers had not."   Senick then submitted the false HUD-1 Settlement Statements to the lenders, some of which were insured by the Federal Housing Administration. Senick also "provided sales proceeds from the closings on the properties to his accomplice even though the accomplice was neither a buyer nor seller of the properties."

Senick faces up to 30 years in prison when sentenced in May and a fine of $1 million.

→ Leave a comment

Posted in Banking, Financial Investigations, Fraud Detection, Housing, Investigative Techniques, Scams, Uncategorized