Elderly Ponzi Scheme Runners Face 80 Years in Prison Two elderly San Fernando Valley residents have been convicted for running a Ponzi scheme for 13 years, which netted them $100 million, and now potentially 80 years in prison. Joel Barry Gillis, 74, and Edward Wishner, 76, face up to 80 years in prison each for the Ponzi scheme charges. Both men pleaded guilty in federal court to two counts of mail fraud, one count of wire fraud, and conspiracy charges related to their long-running and very successful Ponzi scheme. Investors in the … [Read more...]
Former Georgia Tech Professor Faces Racketeering Charges
April 14, 2020 by Leave a Comment
Former Professor at Georgia Tech Indicted on Racketeering Charges for Funneling $1 Million Into His Company On December 30th, a former professor at Georgia Tech was indicted on racketeering charges for using the college’s funds to funnel $1 million in equipment into his personal business. Joy Laskar faces two counts of racketeering for allegedly stealing $1 million from Georgia Tech. He was indicted by a Fulton County Grand Jury. Laskar worked as the director of the Georgia Electronic Design Center (GEDC) at Georgia Tech, and began … [Read more...]
Federal Racketeering Charges Trial Begins in Atlanta Public Schools Case
April 13, 2020 by Leave a Comment
Cheating Scandal Leads to Federal Racketeering Charges for Defendants in Atlanta Public Schools Trial Over one year after 35 educators, test administrators, and principals in the Atlanta Public School System were linked to a massive cheating scam to change students’ test scores, 12 of those accused are now standing trial on federal racketeering charges. Prosecutors allege that the Atlanta Public Schools testing scam dates back as far as 2005, when school administrators began to put pressure on teachers and test administrators to change … [Read more...]
Couple Divided on Plea Deal for Federal Charges in Erica Parsons Case
April 10, 2020 by Leave a Comment
Casey Parsons Takes Plea Deal for Federal Charges, Sandy States that He Will Go to Court The adoptive father of missing North Carolina teenager Erica Parsons stated on Tuesday, October 7th, that he will go to court to face his federal fraud charges, despite the fact that, for the same charges, his wife has accepted a plea deal for federal charges. Sandy and Casey Parsons each faced 76 federal charges involving defrauding the federal government by accepting adoption program money although Erica Parsons had run away from home. In the first … [Read more...]
“The Situation” and Brother Plead Not Guilty to Tax Fraud Charges
March 29, 2020 by Leave a Comment
Reality Star “The Situation” and Brother Plead Not Guilty to Tax Fraud Charges Michael Sorrentino, famous under the moniker “The Situation” on MTV’s popular reality show “Jersey Shore,” and his brother Marc Sorretino, pleaded not guilty to tax fraud charges and conspiracy – serious federal charges – on Wednesday, September 24th. The brothers were indicted on federal charges for allegedly failing to pay income taxes on $8.9 million earned through The Situation’s promotional activities. “Jersey Shore” ran from 2009 to 2012, and showcased … [Read more...]
Warners Bros Faces Racketeering Lawsuit for “The Conjuring”
March 28, 2020 by Leave a Comment
Major Hollywood Producing Studio Warners Bros Faces Racketeering Lawsuit Warner Bros and New Line Cinema, two major Hollywood production companies, face a racketeering lawsuit filed by a film producer over “The Conjuring” and its sequels. Producer Tony DeRosa-Grund has been battling Warner Bros for the past year over a rights dispute in “The Conjuring,” and has now added racketeering charges to the lawsuit against the Hollywood giant, filed in Texas. The racketeering charges claim that New Line Cinema LLC, a subsidiary of Warner Bros, … [Read more...]
Former Charlotte Mayor Guilty Plea to One Charge of Wire Fraud, Sentenced to Federal Prison
March 20, 2020 by Leave a Comment
Former Charlotte, NC Mayor Sentenced to Federal Prison for Pleading Guilty to One Charge of Wire Fraud In June, former Charlotte, NC mayor Patrick Cannon pleaded guilty to one charge of wire fraud, which stemmed from numerous bribery, extortion, and other federal charges that cropped up during his tenure as mayor. On Tuesday, October 14th, Cannon was sentenced to 44 months in federal prison. Cannon was also sentenced to 2 years of supervised release, and a $10,000 fine. Federal prosecutors wanted Cannon in jail for 37 months, or just over 3 … [Read more...]
New Suspects Indicted on Federal Charges in Ponzi Scheme
March 18, 2020 by Leave a Comment
Two New Suspects In Ponzi Scheme Indicted on Federal Charges in South Carolina The wife and brother of a convicted Ponzi scheme ringleader have been indicted on federal charges related to the scam. Cassandra Kendall Wilson, 66, and Timothy L. Wilson, 60, have both been indicted on indicted on federal charges including conspiracy to defraud the US government, for assisting Ron “Ronnie” Wilson hide gold and other assets after he was convicted for creating a Ponzi scheme. Ronnie Wilson is currently serving a 19-year sentence for mail … [Read more...]
Silk Road Federal Criminal Trial Begins
March 16, 2020 by Leave a Comment
Silk Road Owner’s Federal Criminal Trial for Trafficking and Other Charges Has Begun The notorious Deep Web trafficking website, the Silk Road, was seized by federal investigators in October 2013, after the 29-year-old founder was arrested on serious federal criminal charges for murder-for-hire, drug trafficking, and others. After more than a year of waiting, the Silk Road founder’s trial began on January 13th. Ross William Ulbricht, 30, stands accused of operating the “Deep Web” site, the Silk Road, an online bazaar that sold everything … [Read more...]
Qui Tam Leads to Federal Kickback Charges For Hilton Head Hospital Exec
March 15, 2020 by Leave a Comment
Qui Tam Lawsuit Results in Federal Kickback Charges In a separate filing stemming from the whistleblower lawsuit against Tenet Healthcare and its federal kickback scheme with Clinica de la Mama in Hilton Head, SC, a former executive from Hilton Head Hospital now faces federal kickback charges for his role in the financial fraud. Gary W. Lang, the vice president of business development at Hilton Head Hospital from 2004 to 2006, was indicted on federal kickback charges on July 23rd. The original whistleblower lawsuit contended that Hilton … [Read more...]
