Reports

NEW ORLEANS – United States Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that CELINA BOLTON-FULTZ (“BOLTON-FULTZ”), age 35, of Slidell, Louisiana, pled guilty on October 3, 2024 to thirty counts of assisting in filing false tax returns under 26 U.S.C. § 7206(2), five counts of filing her own false tax returns under 26 U.S.C. § 7206(1), four counts of making false statements under 18 U.S.C. § 1001, and two counts of theft of government funds under 18 U.S.C. § 641. The Honorable Eldon E. Fallon set sentencing for January 23, 2025.

Fort Myers, FL – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the arrest of Lester John Parker, Jr. (55, Lehigh Acres) on a 15-count indictment related to his alleged involvement in a multi-million-dollar COVID-19 relief fraud scheme. Parker’s charges include one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, five counts of wire fraud, one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering, one count of access device fraud, four counts of aggravated identity theft, and three counts of engaging in monetary transactions in criminally derived property. If convicted, Parker faces up to 20 years in...

Fort Myers, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the return of an indictment charging Thakur Sukhdeo (38, Lehigh Acres) with wire fraud and illegal monetary transactions. If convicted, Sukhdeo faces a maximum penalty of 30 years in federal prison for each wire fraud count and up to 10 years in federal prison for each illegal monetary transaction count. The indictment also notifies Sukhdeo that the United States intends to forfeit a 2018 Jaguar F-Pace, 2020 GMC Sierra 3500 HD, and $414,000, which are alleged to be traceable to proceeds of the offense.

Baltimore, Maryland – David Epstein, age 46, of Owings Mills, Maryland, pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud, relating to the submission of fraudulent CARES Act loan applications. The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (“CARES”) Act was a federal law enacted in March 2020 to provide emergency financial assistance to Americans suffering from the economic effects caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Baltimore, Maryland – A federal grand jury has returned an indictment charging a Maryland man on federal charges related to a scheme to fraudulently obtain more than $1 million dollars in unemployment benefits. On May 22, 2024, a grand jury returned an indictment of Mervyn Fombe Abiko, a/k/a “Magic,” a 35-year-old Maryland man with conspiracy, wire fraud, and aggravated identity theft. The indictment was unsealed today upon the arrest of the defendant.

SAN DIEGO – A federal jury convicted San Diego restaurant owner Leronce Suel of wire fraud, conspiracy, and tax crimes for providing bogus information in applications for COVID relief programs and failing to report more than $1.7 million in revenue to the IRS.