Man Stole $600,000, Arrested for Orchestrating Financial Fraud

A man from South Carolina faces federal charges of financial fraud, including conspiracy charges, after masterminding a scheme that, for three years, faked store refund transactions to Walmarts in South Carolina and Georgia, and landed the man $600,000.

Robert Michael Milton, 49, from Blacksburg, SC, was arrested earlier in May.

A Department of Homeland Security investigator in Charlotte, NC says that Milton’s financial fraud operation included $115,000 in fraudulently returned computer software, $95,000 in DVDs, and $46,000 in cheap fishing rods, exchanged for much more costly ones.

According to investigators, a break in the case came when Milton left his storage unit in Cleveland County open, and a worker looked inside.

Milton’s attorney in Charlotte did not return phone calls regarding the financial fraud charges on Tuesday.

Financial Fraud and Conspiracy Charges Defense in South Carolina

Financial fraud is defrauding a business or the federal government of money, and is often tied to charges of mail fraud, bank fraud, or wire fraud.

To secure a conviction of mail fraud, the government must establish:

• that you utilized the US postal system
• “for the purpose of executing” the fraudulent scheme.

To prove their case, the government only needs to prove that the mailing was incidental to an essential part of the scheme.

The law broadly defines wire fraud as devising or intending to devise a scheme to defraud others of money or property under false or fraudulent pretenses, representations or promises by means of electronic communications, or “wires.” Because they typically involve interstate matters, most wire fraud cases are considered federal crimes with convictions carrying heavy fines, prison sentences of up to 20 years, or both.

Common federal bank fraud allegations include:

• making a false statement to a loan officer or bank official
• deceiving a bank
• falsifying loan documents
• check fraud
• forging check signatures
• ATM fraud
• Embezzlement

Federal bank fraud cases can also center on the wiring of money or information used to deceive individuals, businesses, or customers.

A conspiracy is a mutual understanding to accomplish some common criminal objective, or to work together for a common criminal purpose.

In other words, if you agree with one or more people to commit some crime (or a series of crimes), you a considered a ”co-conspirator” and can be charged with conspiracy.

In state court, this is often charged as a “Party to A Crime.” These are closely related concepts, except the latter is more broad.  To prove that you are a party to a crime requires the prosecutor to show that you merely assisted someone in committing a crime, not that you necessarily were an active full-fledged participant.

Often federal prosecutors will use conspiracy to charge multiple people for the same offense.  The harsh reality is that if you are arrested on conspiracy charges you may likely be held accountable for more than the actions than you actually committed.

The Strom Law Firm Defends Against Federal Financial Fraud and Conspiracy Charges

As a former U.S. Attorney, Pete Strom handled these types of criminal fraud cases, from RICO violations to financial fraud and wire fraud. If you have been charged with financial, bank, mail, or wire fraud, or conspiracy to commit federal crimes, contact the Strom Law Firm, LLC today for a free consultation to discuss the most effective defense to your case and how to avoid further personal and professional damage. We handle your case with utmost discretion, exploring every viable strategy to secure a most favorable outlook. 803.252.4800.