Baltimore County man sentenced after pretending to be paralyzed to receive VA benefits

BALTIMORE, MD—A Baltimore County man who lied about needing a wheelchair for a service-related injury was sentenced to home confinement after prosecutors said he fraudulently obtained more than $750,000 in disability benefits. William Rich, 44, of Windsor Mill, was found guilty in June of wire fraud and theft of government property following a four-day trial. Rich, who served in the […]

Maryland man charged in $1 million unemployment benefits fraud scheme

BALTIMORE, MD—A federal grand jury charged a Maryland man with conspiracy, wire fraud, and aggravated identity theft for his role in a scheme to fraudulently obtain over $1 million in unemployment benefits, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Maryland. Mervyn Fombe Abiko, 35, also known as “Magic,” was indicted on May 22, 2024. The indictment was unsealed upon […]

Baltimore City employee admits to bribery, PPP fraud

BALTIMORE, MD—A former Baltimore City employee has admitted to taking bribes and defrauding the federal Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). Joseph Gillespie, 35, of Baltimore, was found to have stolen more than $250,000 in bribes and received more than $138,000 in fraudulent PPP loans. Gillespie pleaded guilty on Friday to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and bribery. He worked for the […]

Three men indicted over $3.5 million computer scam targeting vulnerable seniors

BALTIMORE, MD—Three men have been indicted for an alleged $3.5 million scheme that targeted older adults, making them believe their computers were infected with viruses and demanding payment for repairs. Amit Ahuja, 40, of Westminster, Maryland, is facing federal charges of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and wire fraud. The two other suspects, Kapil Gulati, 50, of Glen Burnie, Maryland, […]

Baltimore County man pleads guilty to VA fraud

BALTIMORE, MD—A Baltimore County man pleaded guilty to wire fraud after he lied and said he was paralyzed to receive more than $750,000 in benefits from the Department of Veterans Affairs, the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Maryland announced this week. William Rich, 43, of Windsor Mill, received $750,000 in special monthly compensation, caregiver assistance compensation, and medical equipment, according to […]

President of Baltimore County business convicted on wire fraud, bribery charges

BALTIMORE, MD—A Harford County man has been convicted for his role in a massive telecommunications project that could result in a potential years-long federal prison sentence. Wayne I. Kacher, Jr., 51, was found guilty this week by a federal jury after a seven-day trial for honest services wire fraud and bribery. He faces a maximum possible sentence of five years […]

Maryland woman convicted in scheme to obtain U.S. passports for children fathered by Ghanaian national

GREENBELT, MD—A Maryland woman has been convicted in a scheme to obtain U.S. passports for children who were fathered by a Ghanaian national, who prosecutors say posed as the absent parent. Charmaine Brown, 45, of Lusby, was found guilty of conspiracy to commit passport fraud, conspiracy to commit wire fraud, bankruptcy fraud and making a false statement in bankruptcy proceedings, […]

Former Maryland bank employee used position to commit identity theft, bank fraud

GREENBELT, MD—A former bank employee has been convicted in a federal court in Greenbelt for conspiracy to commit bank fraud, bank fraud, and aggravated identity theft. Jalen Craig McMillan, 30, of Jessup, faces a maximum prison sentence of 30 years for the conspiracy and for each count of bank fraud. He will also serve a mandatory prison sentence of two […]