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Texas Man Jon Briceno Faces 20 Years in Jail for Multimillion-dollar Money Laundering Scheme

By
TCS
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Jon Briceno, 42, of Katy, Texas, pleaded guilty July 19 to conspiracy to commit money laundering, relating to his laundering of more than $8,751,523.07 in proceeds of various frauds, such as romance schemes and business email compromise schemes.  

The guilty plea was announced by Erek L. Barron, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland; Special Agent in Charge Christina Bentham of the United States Secret Service (USSS), Baltimore Field Office; and Sheriff Matt Crisafulli of the Worcester County Sheriff’s Office.

According to the plea agreement, beginning around June 2020, at the latest, and continuing through the date of his arrest by federal law enforcement on February 20, 2024, Briceno entered into an illegal agreement with the individuals referred to as Person A and Person B in the Indictment and numerous other co-conspirators to conduct and attempt to conduct financial transactions affecting interstate and foreign commerce that constituted the fraud schemes. 

The conspiracy involved using numerous shell companies formed by Briceno and his co-conspirators and the opening of multiple bank accounts in the name of the shell companies that concealed his receipt and transfer of fraud proceeds.  These shell companies assisted the conspiracy by allowing Briceno to receive and transfer fraud proceeds while concealing Briceno’s identity and that of his co-conspirators. 

In connection with the scheme, Briceno and his co-conspirators each took a percentage of the proceeds from schemes, with Briceno often taking 10-25% of the fraud proceeds.

Briceno was an organizer or leader of the money laundering conspiracy, which involved multiple participants around the nation.  Indeed, the Briceno routinely directed co-conspirators across the county in connection with the scheme, including by recruiting them to open bank accounts in their names or in the names of various purported businesses (shell companies) to launder the fraud proceeds, informing them when proceeds of schemes of defraud were deposited into bank accounts they controlled, directing the co-conspirators regarding the intermediate accounts to which the proceeds were to be transferred; and directing the co-conspirators to confirm to him that the co-conspirators had received and then transferred the proceeds as requested, including photographs of online bank statements and online wire transfer confirmations, mobile device screenshots of confirmations of transfers of funds via Zelle and mobile device screenshots of online bank statements.  

Among the financial transactions Briceno directed with his co-conspirators was their receipt of funds from a victim, the Worcester County Treasurer’s Office in Worcester County, Maryland—referred to as Victim 1 in the Indictment—on 12 separate instances beginning on November 20, 2020, and ending on January 21, 2021, in amounts ranging in size from $16.60 to $41,471.94. 

In total, Worcester County was fraudulently convinced to provide $167,745.18 in funds to a bank account controlled by Briceno as a result of a business email compromise scheme in which an accounting manager employed by Worcester County received fraudulent emails directing that payments be made in response to a bill be made to the account controlled by Briceno. 

Moreover, during the broader timeframe of June 2020 to February 20, 2024, Briceno and his co-conspirators used numerous accounts opened by Briceno and co-conspirators throughout the United States) to launder fraud proceeds obtained by numerous victims across the United States (including victims from California, Illinois, Virginia, Iowa, North Carolina, Texas, Missouri, Florida, New Jersey, New York, Indiana, South Carolina, Ohio, Alabama), as well as international victims Australia, Singapore, Luxembourg, Peru, the Dominican Republic and Thailand.

In total, Briceno laundered at least $8,751,523.07 in funds that were proceeds of wire fraud, and he personally received in excess of $1,250,000 as his share of the fraudulently obtained funds.

Briceno used the fraudulently obtained funds he received to purchase, among other things, numerous pieces of jewellery from Tiffany & Co., Cartier, Van Cleef & Arpels and others, numerous luxury items from designers such as Louis Vuitton, Gucci, Dior, and Christian Louboutin, and at least nine Rolex watches (valued at more than $10,000 each). 

He invested in crypto-currency using the funds and likewise frequently gambled with large amounts of it. Moreover, Briceno used the funds to lease office space, which he used as a space for running a poker room in Texas.

On June 15, 2022, Briceno’s residence, at the time located in Katy, Texas, was searched pursuant to a federal search warrant.  During the search, law enforcement identified and seized numerous bank records, money order receipts, pawn shop receipts, several bankcards and articles of incorporation documents for various shell businesses used in connection with money laundering conspiracy, along with various electronic devices. 

One of these devices contained numerous WhatsApp messages and audio recordings of evidentiary value, including messages with co-conspirators concerning the money laundering conspiracy and numerous bank accounts used by Briceno, Person A, Person B, and others to launder fraud scheme funds, and numerous shell entities that were founded and used in connection with the conspiracy. 

On February 20, 2024, law enforcement executed another search warrant at Briceno’s new home, also located in Katy, Texas, and Briceno was arrested. Numerous items of evidentiary value were seized during the search, including electronic devices with content reflecting the money laundering conspiracy with Person A, Person B, and others. 

Briceno faces a maximum possible sentence of 20 years in prison followed by up to three years of supervised release. U.S. District Judge Matthew J. Maddox has scheduled sentencing for October 24, 2024, at 10:00 a.m.

Bastrop Man to Spend 25 Years in Prison for Sexual Exploitation of a Child

By
TCS
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0

A Bastrop man was sentenced in federal court to 300 months in prison for sexual exploitation of a minor.

According to court documents, Stuart Mitchell Pieper, 41, was a member of a private chat group on a social networking application. In July and August 2023, Pieper used the account to post multiple images depicting the sexual abuse of children.

Pieper also discussed, in the group chat and direct messages, how he was “grooming” female children for sexual activity.

A search warrant executed on August 12, 2023, resulted in the seizure of phones and laptops. A preliminary search of Pieper’s cell phone revealed images and videos depicting child sexual abuse.

Pieper was arrested that day by state authorities in Bastrop County and was transferred into federal custody on November 13, 2023.

He was indicted for one count of sexual exploitation of a minor and pleaded guilty to the charge on April 18, 2024.

Jose Alejandro Zuñiga Cano Convicted in Transnational Scheme to Defraud Spanish-Speaking U.S. Consumers

By
TCS
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0

A Peruvian national pleaded guilty Tuesday for participating in a transnational mail and wire fraud conspiracy. 

Jose Alejandro Zuñiga Cano, 40, of Lima, Peru, was the operator of a Peruvian call centre that defrauded and extorted Spanish-speaking U.S. residents by falsely threatening them with arrest, court proceedings and immigration consequences. Zuñiga was extradited from Peru in March to face charges related to the scheme.

Zuñiga is the 12th defendant convicted in connection with a $15 million transnational fraud scheme that defrauded and threatened Spanish-speaking U.S. consumers, claiming they would suffer legal consequences if they did not pay for English-language learning products they never requested. The scheme was responsible for defrauding more than 30,000 Spanish-speaking residents of the United States. Many of the victims were recent immigrants who had expressed interest in learning English.   

The 12 defendants include eight Peruvian call centre owner-operators and four distribution centre owner-operators who processed payments, distributed products and facilitated the fraud in the United States. Many of the defendants shared strategies on how to defraud Spanish-speaking residents of the United States. 

“The long arm of the American justice system has no limits when it comes to reaching fraudsters who prey on our nation’s most vulnerable populations, including the elderly and recent immigrants,” said U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida. 

“The Justice Department’s Consumer Protection Branch is dedicated to protecting vulnerable U.S. consumers from fraudsters, including those who reside beyond our borders,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division.

“This investigation attests that justice will be pursued relentlessly to protect U.S. consumers,” said Inspector in Charge Juan A. Vargas of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) Miami Field Division.

According to court documents, Zuñiga owned and operated a call centre in Lima that placed unsolicited calls to Spanish-speaking consumers in the United States and falsely claimed that they had won or qualified for free products, including computer tablets and English language courses.

On later calls, Zuñiga and his co-conspirators falsely claimed that victims were contractually obligated to pay large sums to receive the products. Zuñiga and his co-conspirators impersonated lawyers, court officials, police officers and representatives of a supposed “minor crimes court” to intimidate victims and force them to send payments.

Zuñiga and his co-conspirators threatened victims with court proceedings, arrest and immigration consequences if they did not pay. 

Victims who paid were later re-victimized by Zuñiga and his co-conspirators with a related restitution scheme. According to court documents, the defendant and his co-conspirators placed additional calls to victims who had already paid and, while posing as lawyers for a U.S. court, falsely represented that victims were entitled to restitution payments and would receive their money back if they paid the lawyer who purportedly brought the case on their behalf.

In reality, there was no lawyer, no restitution order and no funds returned to the victims who made those additional payments. Instead, Zuñiga kept those additional victim payments for himself. 

On June 13, Zuniga pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud. A sentencing hearing is scheduled for October 10. Zuniga faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Zuñiga is the eighth defendant to be extradited from Peru and plead guilty in federal court to conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud related to Peruvian call centres. In 2021 and 2022, U.S. District Judge Robert N. Scola, Jr. sentenced Henrry Milla, Carlos Espinoza, Jerson Renteria, Fernan Huerta, Omar Cuzcano, Evelyng Milla and Josmell Espinoza to sentences ranging from 88 to 110 months in prison.

Additionally, four other co-conspirators who facilitated the operations of these call centres have also been sentenced. Most recently, in March 2023, U.S. District Judge Patricia A. Seitz sentenced Luis Rendon, the operator of a U.S. distribution centre that facilitated a substantial part of the fraud scheme, to 65 months in prison.  

Fake Concert Promoter Terronce Morris Jailed 57 Months for Multimillion-dollar Fraud, Identity Theft, Bogus Music Concerts

By
Samuel Nwite
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0

On July 17, Terronce Morris, 42, the leader of a two-man fraud scheme, was sentenced to 57 months in federal prison on conspiracy to commit mail fraud and wire fraud and aggravated identity theft charges.  

Morris, of Missouri City, Tex., pled guilty on Feb. 13 to conspiring with Blake Kelly, 37, of Los Angeles, Calif., in a fraud scheme involving bogus music concerts with famous artists, including J.B., B.E., and P.M. Kelly had previously pleaded guilty to the same conspiracy, on Jan. 9. Morris and Kelly also pleaded guilty to aggravated identity theft for forging the signature and using the identity of music artist J.B. on false and fraudulent concert contracts.

According to the factual proffer and other court documents, between December 2019 and March 2020, Morris and Kelly fraudulently obtained approximately $1,350,000 from victim J.R. Morris and Kelly persuaded the victim to give them the money for the purported production of a music festival featuring J.B., P.M., B.E., and other music recording artists. Morris and Kelly created several false and fraudulent concert performance contracts, forging the signatures of the music recording artists.

Morris also created false and fraudulent email accounts that he used to pose as if the music recording artists had sent the signed contracts to Kelly and himself. During a video call with the victim, Morris and Kelly had an accomplice pose as J.B. to trick the victim into believing that J.B. had agreed to perform at the concert series.

Morris continued his fraud scheme after receiving several cease-and-desist letters from the recording artists’ attorneys. Just a few months after stealing victim J.R.’s $1,350,000, in October 2020, Morris used more fake and forged J.B. contracts that he created to trick another victim, A.M., out of $500,000. On November 19, 2020, Morris sent victim A.M. a false, fake, and fraudulent B.E. contract from his email account. Relying on these bogus contracts, victim A.M. sent Morris a $250,000 check for the anticipated performance, and Morris quickly deposited those funds. As in the case of victim J.R., Morris used those funds on himself and not for a concert featuring musical artists.  

After stealing victim A.M.’s money in May 2021 to as late as December 2023 (post-arrest), Morris stole an additional $850,000 from two more victims, W.P. and S.H. On July 27, 2021, Morris sent victim W.P. an email with another forged and bogus J.B. contract, this time claiming that Morris secured the musical artist’s signature in person.  

Morris wrote in the email, “I told you I was going to get it done!!!!” And just like victim J.R., victim W.P., drawing upon his and victim S.H.’s money, sent Morris a check made payable to “J.B.,” in the amount of $250,000. Without any authority, Morris signed the back of the check, deposited it in his own checking account, and spent it on himself.  

Morris, free on bond, met with victim W.P. in December 2023 (post-arrest) and promised him that the J.B. concert would go on someday in the near future. In yet another separate yet related instance, in November 2021, Morris met with victim M.P. and received a $350,000 cashier’s check in the name of J.B. on behalf of victims N.V. and J. F.  

Morris again claimed that he represented artist J.B. and that the $350,000 was to procure his performance on a live-streaming event during the Covid-19 pandemic. Morris then committed the aggravated identity theft of a second J.B. in that in December 2021, he opened a bank account in Texas, using the personal identifying information of a victim named J.B., who shares the same name as the musical artist, J.B. 

The total fraud loss from Morris’ musical artist fraud scheme is nearly $3,000,000. Morris and Kelly used the fraudulently obtained money to enrich themselves and finance a lavish lifestyle for themselves and their accomplices, which included travelling, purchasing luxury goods, paying for luxurious services, and dining at high-priced restaurants.

On March 13, Kelly was sentenced to 13 months in federal prison.

Kingsport Man Eric Eugene Robinson Sentenced to 262 Months in Prison

By
TCS
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0

On July 22, 2024, Eric Eugene Robinson, 55, of Kingsport, Tennessee, was sentenced to 262 months imprisonment by J. Ronnie Greer, United States District Judge, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee at Greeneville. 

Following his incarceration, Robinson will be on supervised release for five years. 

Robinson was convicted by a federal jury of being a felon in possession of a firearm in violation of 18 U.S.C. §922(g)(1) following a two-day trial in April 2024.  

The evidence and testimony presented during the trial showed that in early September 2020, surveillance was conducted at the Dorothy Street residence, which determined that Robinson, a convicted felon, was in possession of a firearm. 

A search warrant was executed at the residence by the Kingsport Police Department. During the search, a 9mm pistol with a loaded magazine was located beneath a couch in the living room of the residence.

An agent with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives testified that the firearm was manufactured in Brazil and imported into Bainbridge, Georgia, before ultimately arriving in Tennessee.

United States Attorney Francis M. Hamilton, III of the Eastern District of Tennessee, made the announcement.

Kingsport Police Department officer Mike Slater, formerly a Task Force Officer assigned to the ATF, led the investigation with assistance from the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation and the ATF.

Making Assistive Technology Available and Affordable for Persons with Disabilities in Nigeria

By
Deborah Ojuade
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0

By Deborah T. Ojuade

Assistive technology is tools, equipment, and systems that assist and support individuals with disabilities, restricted mobility, or other impairments to perform tasks they might otherwise find difficult or impossible.

These technologies can be simple or complex, aiming to enhance the functional capabilities of individuals with disabilities. Examples of assistive technology are electric wheelchairs, screen readers, hearing aids, braces, crutches, scooters, walkers, and prosthetic devices. 

Over the years, individuals with disabilities have found it difficult and impossible to perform specific tasks because their disabilities limit them.

The world is evolving. Technology has made it a lot easier through innovation and the creation of tools and equipment to perform tasks for people. Assistive technology has transformed and changed the lives of individuals with disabilities and individuals without disabilities in the area of performing difficult or impossible tasks such as mobility.

It has also helped them to reach their full potential in education, vocational training skills and the workplace.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) estimates that about 2.5 billion (one in three)people in the world need at least one or more assistive technology (AT).

Yet, only one in ten persons can access the AT they need. A lot of people, especially individuals with disabilities, do not have access and can’t afford the AT device for themselves because it is expensive.

Most people and individuals with disabilities don’t know and have an idea of what assistive technology is all about or looks like, so how do you expect such a person to know how to use an AT device?

This is why we need to consistently advocate and create awareness of why assistive technology (AT) is important in the lives of individuals with disabilities, especially because it will enlighten them.

I met Mr and Mrs Ogah, whose child has a disability. One of her legs was amputated, and she needs crutches, but they cannot afford it because it is way too expensive, so she had to use a cane to support her mobility.

I also met Rebecca.

She is 26 years old of age and has a disability of deafness.

I asked how her hearing aids have helped her. She told me that hearing aids have transformed her life, especially during lectures in school, and that she can hear clearly what the lecturers are teaching and dictating to them. 

Most parents of individuals with disabilities are poor, which is why most of them do not have access and can’t afford to buy AT devices for their children.

The federal government is encouraged to partner non-governmental organisations and companies that supply assistive technology devices that are more accessible and more affordable for individuals with disabilities.

Assistive technology devices can help and support individuals with disabilities in growth and development, allowing them to reach their full potential without hindrance. 

Greenville Resident William Gilchrist Indicted for Impersonating Deputy U.S. Marshal

By
TCS
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0

U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that William Gilchrist, a resident of Greenville, Mississippi, was indicted on July 19, 2024, for impersonating a deputy United States Marshal in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 912.

According to the indictment, on or about June 19, 2024, Gilchrist falsely assumed and pretended to be a Fugitive Task Force Officer with the United States Marshals Service.

Gilchrist faces a sentence of up to three years’ imprisonment, up to 1 year of supervised release, up to a $250,000 fine, and a $100 mandatory special assessment fee. 

U. S. Attorney Evans reiterated that the indictment is merely a charge and that the guilt of the defendant must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.

U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of Homeland Security Investigations and the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office in investigating this matter. 

Assistant United States Attorney Paul J. Hubbell of the General Crimes Unit is in charge of the prosecution.

Kentucky Man Melvin P. Litteral III Charged with Hate Crime, Threatening Muslim Palestinian-American with Gun

By
TCS
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0

A Kentucky man was arrested today and charged with federal hate crime and firearms offenses for threatening a Palestinian-American man with a loaded gun.

According to the indictment that was unsealed this morning, on or about March 28, Melvin P. Litteral III used force or the threat of force to intimidate and interfere with the victim – a Palestinian-American man and practising Muslim identified in the indictment by the initials O.S. – because of O.S.’s race, colour, religion and/or national origin, and because O.S. was enjoying the goods, services and facilities of a local restaurant.

The indictment also includes a weapons charge, alleging that the defendant brandished a firearm during the offence.

If convicted of the hate crime offence, Litteral faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000.

If convicted of the firearms charge, Litteral faces a mandatory minimum penalty of seven years in prison, to run consecutively to any sentence imposed for the hate crime offense.

A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

People Worldwide Spent $5.3tn on Food Delivery Apps Since 2017

By
TCS
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0

Although the explosive growth seen during the pandemic has levelled off, the online food delivery industry continues growing, with no signs of stopping any time soon.  With the market’s largest players continuously innovating and expanding their services, people are spending more and more money on food delivery services, which proves them to be the number one choice for meal and grocery orders.

According to data presented by Stocklyics.com, people worldwide have spent a shocking $5.38 trillion on food and grocery delivery since 2017, and this figure will practically double in the next four years.

Only a few industries have seen explosive growth amid the COVID-19 pandemic, such as online food delivery. What started as a must-do during the lockdowns became a trillion-dollar industry with billions of users worldwide.

The pandemic not only accelerated the adoption of food delivery apps but also changed consumer behaviour, making online food delivery a regular part of people’s lives. In 2024, roughly three billion people will use mobile apps to order meals and groceries, three times more than in 2017. This massive user base has spent a shocking amount of money in the past eight years.

According to a Statista survey, consumers worldwide have spent $5.38 trillion on online food delivery since 2017, more than the GDP of Japan or Germany. Almost 60% of that value, or $3.21 trillion, was spent on grocery delivery, and the remaining $2.17 trillion on meal delivery. Furthermore, statistics show that annual spending on food delivery apps skyrocketed by 415% in this period, rising from $240 billion in 2017 to $1.23 trillion this year.

When it comes to total spending on food delivery apps, Americans lead the global pack. Between 2017 and 2024, they outspent other nations, reaching a total of $2.06 trillion on online meal and grocery orders, nearly half a trillion dollars more than the Chinese. The UK market, while smaller, still saw significant spending, with Britons contributing close to $240 billion. However, Statista’s projections show all three markets will see even more substantial spending in the next four years.

On a global level, people are forecasted to spend a further $5 trillion on food delivery apps by 2028, only 6% less than in the past eight years. Americans will increase their spending by 6% to $2.2 trillion in this period. The Chinese food delivery market will see even more significant growth. Between 2025 and 2028, the Chinese are forecasted to spend $1.93 trillion on online food delivery, or 33% more than in the past eight years. The UK market will see a much smaller increase of 3% and $246 billion spent in this period.

With the market’s largest players like Uber Eats, Just Eat, Deliveroo, and Doordash improving and expanding their services and even offering subscription models and loyalty programs, the number of users in the food delivery segment will skyrocket in the following years.

Since 2017, around 2.1 billion people started using food delivery apps, pushing the total number of users in the market to over three billion, or 37% of the world’s population. Statista expects another 700 million consumers to flock to food delivery apps in the next four years, helping the total number of users in the market to rise to 3.7 billion.

Central Europe Plagued with Shortage of Skilled Workers; German Workforce to Shrink By 8.3 Million By 2040

By
TCS
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0

Despite the continuous decline in European unemployment, the challenge of finding and retaining skilled workers is escalating for employers across Europe. This issue has reached a critical level in Europe’s largest economy, Germany, which is facing a severe shortage of qualified workers. The scale of this problem will only grow in the future.

According to data presented by Stocklytics.com, the number of skilled workers in Germany is expected to drop by 23.3 million by 2040, showing a massive 8.3 million plunge in two decades.  

According to a German Economic Institute report, the shortage of skilled workers will significantly impact Central Europe’s industry over the next fifteen years. By 2025, the region will be grappling with a tight labour market, seeing job vacancy rates rising and unemployment falling to historic lows.

By the end of 2040, the situation will worsen as more workers retire. As Europe’s largest economy, Germany has been especially hit by this problem.

The country has been experiencing a shortage of skilled workers across various sectors, driven by an ageing population, low birth rates, and increasing demand for highly qualified professionals, eventually becoming the second-largest business risk for German companies.

According to the report, the number of skilled workers in Germany is expected to drop by 1.6 million between 2020 and 2025. While this figure is enormous, the following years will bring an even bigger decline. 

By 2035, the German labour market is expected to lack another 4.3 million skilled workers, with their total number falling to 25.7. Looking 16 years ahead, the problem will become even more severe. By 2040, Germany is expected to have only 23.3 million skilled workers, or 26% less than in 2020. This massive decline will cause the total German workforce to shrink by 5.5 million by 2040 despite an increase in the number of high-degree employees.

The survey also revealed this trend is similar across Central Europe, with many other markets facing the same problem due to a declining working-age population, low birth rates, and emigration to Western Europe.

These shocking figures prove that labour and skills shortages are a long-term challenge for the European economy.  While the most recent ones have been driven by economic conditions related to the end of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Old Continent is also facing a future where over a quarter of its population will be past retirement age.

At the same time, education and training systems have not focused on the skills needed to replace retiring workers or meet labour demand in growing industries like information technology and artificial intelligence. Solving these issues is essential to tackle staff shortages and secure Europe’s international competitiveness.

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