Reports

BOSTON – The owner of a Massachusetts-based food truck business has been arrested and charged in connection with allegedly filing fraudulent loan applications in order to obtain $1.5 million in pandemic relief under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act and the American Rescue Plan Act.

Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Steven D. Merryday has sentenced Rolanda Wingfield (39, Tampa) to three years in federal prison for access device fraud and aggravated identity theft. As part of her sentence, the court also ordered Wingfield to pay $135,576 in restitution to the various state workforce agencies she defrauded. Wingfield had pleaded guilty on April 26, 2022.

Tampa, FL – U.S. District Judge William F. Jung has sentenced Randy Xavier Jones (34, Sarasota) to five years and one month in federal prison for wire fraud and aggravated identity theft. The court also ordered Jones to forfeit proceeds traceable to the offense, including 12 fraudulently obtained prepaid debit cards containing unemployment insurance benefits to which Jones was not entitled. Jones had pleaded guilty on March 24, 2022.

A San Fernando Valley certified public accountant pleaded guilty today to a federal criminal charge for helping a long-time client fraudulently obtain a $1.2 million COVID-19 business loan by knowingly preparing a false corporate tax return on the client’s behalf.

Fort Myers, Florida – U.S. District Judge Thomas P. Barber has sentenced Amber Rewis Bruey (35, Lehigh Acres) to four years in federal prison for conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, conspiracy to commit money laundering, and illegal monetary transactions. Her husband and co-conspirator, Anthony James Bruey, was sentenced to four years and three months in federal prison for the same offenses. Mr. and Ms. Bruey had pleaded guilty on February 4, 2022, and March 16, 2022, respectively.

Sylvester Atekwane, age 32, of Hyattsville, Maryland, pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to commit wire fraud in relation to a CARES-Act unemployment insurance fraud scheme. As part of his guilty plea, Atekwane will be required to pay at least $250,000 in restitution.

U.S. District Judge Theodore D. Chuang sentenced Oluwaseyi Akinyemi, a/k/a “Paddy Linkin”, a/k/a “Joseph Kadin”, age 35, of Hyattsville, Maryland, yesterday to eight years in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release for two counts of mail fraud relating to a social media advanced fee fraud scheme that targeted elderly victims. Judge Chuang also ordered Akinyemi to pay $486,119.07 in restitution to his victims.