SoCal man used dating apps to swindle matches out of more than $2 million, feds say
Christopher Earl Lloyd, 39, was charged with 13 counts of wire fraud and one count of engaging in a monetary transaction in property derived from fraud, according to the U.S. attorney's office for the Central District of California. If convicted, he faces a maximum possible sentence of 20 years in federal prison for each wire fraud count and up to 10 years for the monetary transaction count.
Between April 2021 and February 2024, authorities say Lloyd used dating apps and websites to find and contact alleged victims, lying about his financial success and knowledge in investing. Prosecutors also allege Lloyd lied about being a financial manager, the vice president of a company called Planet 13 Holdings and that he worked for an investment company called Landmark Associates.
Lloyd allegedly convinced people to invest by telling them he knew of investment opportunities that could help them, according to a statement from prosecutors. He also allegedly told them they would get regular returns and could withdraw their investments at any time.
Lloyd allegedly signed contracts; set up a fake schedule of investment returns; and collected money in the form of cash, wire transfers and by using CashApp and Zelle, authorities said.
In May 2023, Lloyd allegedly withdrew $40,000 that someone had sent him to write a check at a Lexus dealership in Mission Viejo. Lloyd's alleged scheme cost his victims more than $2 million in losses, officials said.
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Indianapolis Star
2 days ago
- Indianapolis Star
Police won't file charges against Indy Councilor Nick Roberts after sexual assault accusation
Fishers police have decided not to file charges against Indianapolis City-County Councilor Nick Roberts after a younger woman accused him of sexual assault. An 18-year-old woman alleged that Roberts, 24, groped her during a kiss while she tried to push him away during a July 12 date in downtown Fishers, she told IndyStar in an interview after the allegations were made public by Mirror Indy. Roberts has admitted that he kissed her but denied her account of the events, insisting he did "absolutely nothing wrong." The case was closed the morning of July 30 and Roberts faces no charges, said Angela Adle, a records manager for the Fishers Police Department. IndyStar has filed a public records request for the department's full report on the alleged incident but has not yet received the documents. Roberts, a Democrat representing northeast Marion County who took office in January 2024, said he fully cooperated with the police investigation and is pleased with the outcome. "As I had expected and hoped, the Fishers Police Department, because of their thorough investigation and after looking at all the evidence and facts, have closed the case against me and are not pressing charges," Roberts said in a written statement. "The past 24 hours have been a whirlwind and I am very grateful to law enforcement for looking into serious issues like this and for their professionalism throughout the process. I look forward to continuing my work in the city and serving our district as we enter our budget season." The woman's allegation was first reported by Mirror Indy on July 29. In a July 30 phone interview with IndyStar, the woman reiterated her accusations and called the police department's decision a "letdown." IndyStar does not normally name people who say they are victims of sexual assault. "I knew that there wasn't much that could be done, period, considering there was no witness proof or video proof," said the woman. "It's just been my word against his since the beginning." The allegation against Roberts — lauded by the Indiana Democratic Party as the youngest councilor to win in any major American city in 2023 after his election at just 23 years old — is the latest in a series of sexual misconduct claims made against men involved in city and state government. Most recently, City-County Councilor Keith Graves was accused of physical and sexual assault by a woman 30 years younger than him, according to an IndyStar investigation. Council Democrats have promised to spearhead reforms to the city's sexual harassment policies and reporting systems, including an overhaul of the human resources department and the creation of an inspector general to independently investigate alleged policy violations. Roberts and the woman, who graduated from high school this May, agreed to meet for a first date on July 5 after they matched on the dating app Hinge. After a kiss on their second date a week later in Fishers, the woman filed a police report that same night, she told IndyStar. Both say the first date went well. As they prepared to leave a café in Carmel, Roberts hugged her and kissed her on the cheek. The woman later texted him to say "I especially appreciate the kiss on the cheek," and that she wanted to meet up again soon, according to text messages obtained by IndyStar. "You can get another (and maybe more) next time," Roberts responded, by which he says he meant a kiss on the lips. After two hours had passed, the woman replied, "I hope so, I'd like that:)." She told IndyStar that Roberts' comment had made her uncomfortable, and she had been taken aback by the initial kiss on the cheek. She said she is unfamiliar with dating norms because she was homeschooled and "very sheltered" throughout her teenage years, so she followed his lead. They met a week later, on July 12, for an ice cream date followed by an evening walk along the Nickel Plate Trail in downtown Fishers. She heard no "red flags" during the initial conversation, she said. But during the walk, the woman says that Roberts pulled her off onto a side trail, where he began kissing and groping her while she pushed him away and told him to stop. She claims he grabbed her breasts and her butt and held onto her tightly. He eventually loosened his grip, she said, apparently because someone walked by along the main trail. "He suggested that we have a kiss, but he said it and then it all happened," the woman said. "He didn't give me time to think and so I couldn't do anything. And even if I did have time to think, I'm a freezer and so I wouldn't have been able to do anything." Roberts denies her account of those events, he said. He said he kissed her for only a few seconds and put his hands on her hips. "During the kiss, she did not push me away or ask me to stop," Roberts said in a written statement. "If she had done either, I would have stopped immediately. We then walked for approximately another 30 minutes, and we had a conversation with nothing out of the ordinary." The two walked back to their cars, where Roberts said "she leaned in so I could give her a kiss on her cheek and we said goodnight." The woman says Roberts never hugged her or kissed her at the end of that second date because she stepped back from his attempts. When the woman got home, she says she broke down. Her stepmother encouraged her to call police. Roberts said that officers showed up to his home that same night to pursue her allegations. This story will be updated.
Indianapolis Star
2 days ago
- Indianapolis Star
Indianapolis councilor Nick Roberts denies claims he groped 18-year-old woman against her will
Another Indianapolis city councilor is pushing back on accusations of sexual misconduct after a woman alleged that he groped her while she tried to push him away during a second date. An 18-year-old woman filed a report with Fishers police accusing City-County Council member Nick Roberts, 24, of grabbing her breasts and butt as she tried to pull away during a kiss on July 12 in downtown Fishers, according to allegations reported by Mirror Indy. Roberts, who has not been charged with a crime, denied the allegations in a Facebook video posted July 29, saying he did "absolutely nothing wrong." "I just wanted to completely deny the allegation of doing anything inappropriate," said Roberts, a Democrat. "Quite frankly, I'm not sure why this slanderous post was made about me, but it's incredibly hurtful not just to me but to my entire family and everyone who knows my character. I was raised to respect all people and I would never engage in unwanted physical contact with a woman without her consent." The allegation against Roberts — lauded by the Indiana Democratic Party as the youngest councilor to win in any major American city after his election in 2023 at just 23 years old — is the latest in a series of sexual misconduct claims made against Democrats in city and state politics. Roberts represents District 4, comprising parts of Castleton and Geist in northeast Marion County. Perhaps the most salient allegations are three women's accounts to IndyStar that Thomas Cook, a former top aide to Indianapolis Mayor Joe Hogsett, pressured them into unwanted sexual encounters while dangling career growth before them as their superior. Two of the women have also criticized Hogsett himself for sending text messages that made them uncomfortable and allowing Cook to work as an unpaid adviser during a 2023 mayoral campaign despite his knowledge of past issues. More recently, City-County Council member Keith Graves was accused of physical and sexual assault by a woman 30 years younger than him, according to an IndyStar investigation. Council Democrats have promised to make reforms to the city's sexual harassment policies and reporting systems, including an overhaul of the human resources department and the creation of an inspector general to independently investigate alleged policy violations. Critics have said they doubt their intentions, however, after Council President Vop Osili ordered the forcible removal of one Cook accuser from a council meeting. Indy politics: Joe Hogsett wants to move past harassment scandal. Many aren't sure he can The accounts from Roberts and the woman, whom Mirror Indy did not name because she claims she's a victim of sexual assault, are aligned in some respects. But what differs starkly is their interpretation of a kiss during a second date. The two agreed to meet for brunch on July 5 after they matched on the dating app Hinge, Roberts said. Both say the first date went well, according to her text messages and comments to Mirror Indy. As they prepared to leave, Roberts hugged her and kissed her on the cheek. She later texted Roberts to say she "had a really good time" and "especially appreciate[d] the kiss on the cheek," according to Roberts. Roberts responded that she could get another "(and maybe more)" next time, by which he says he meant a kiss on the lips. Although the woman told Mirror Indy the remark made her uncomfortable, she responded, "I hope so, I'd like that :)" — meaning another kiss on the cheek. The two met in downtown Fishers a week later, on July 12, for ice cream and an evening stroll along the Nickel Plate Trail. During that walk, Roberts admits that he kissed her on the lips for a few seconds. The woman claims that Roberts pulled her off onto a side trail, where he began kissing and groping her while she pushed him away and told him to stop. He eventually loosened his grip, she said, apparently because someone walked by along the main trail. Roberts denies her account of those events, he said. He told Mirror Indy that the pair walked onto a side trail and kissed for a few seconds. He claims only to have put his hands on her hips. "While on our walk, because of those text messages, I kissed her on the lips for a few seconds," he said in a written statement reviewed by IndyStar. "During the kiss, she did not push me away or ask me to stop. If she had done either, I would have stopped immediately. We then walked for approximately another 30 minutes, and we had a conversation with nothing out of the ordinary." While Roberts described the following moments as unremarkable, the woman told Mirror Indy she was visibly shaken afterward. When they arrived back at their cars, Roberts said, "she leaned in so I could give her a kiss on her cheek and we said goodnight." The woman decided to file a police report soon after the date. Fishers police told Mirror Indy that the investigation is ongoing and refused to comment further. Roberts said he's cooperating fully with the police investigation and will continue to focus on his work as a councilor. "I have faith in the process and believe the facts will prove my innocence," Roberts said in the Facebook video, "and I remain committed toward working for our council district in the meanwhile."
New York Times
3 days ago
- New York Times
Police Investigators Dissect Recent Movements of Manhattan Gunman
A detailed picture began to emerge of the Park Avenue gunman's life in recent years and the cross-country drive he took before killing a police officer and three other people on Monday in Midtown Manhattan. An internal police document gives a birth date for the man, Shane Devon Tamura, his drivers license information, cellphone number and eye color. It shows a photograph of Mr. Tamura's concealed firearms permit, issued by the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, and a screenshot of his Instagram account. Over the past five years, the document says, he had home addresses in Las Vegas and Canyon Country, a neighborhood in Santa Clarita, Calif. There are also photographs of Mr. Tamura taken from his Instagram and Cash App accounts. The document lists his connection to several casinos, too, including one in Lake Las Vegas, where he worked as a security guard in 2020. In November 2021, he spent $16,615 at a casino that appeared to be associated with Hotspur Resorts Nevada Inc., according to the document. A month later, he won $12,860 at another Nevada casino. The document includes a group photo of Mr. Tamura and four other men. The photo, which appears to be taken at a hotel, shows him in a light blue collared shirt, smiling. Authorities traced his movements in recent days through surveillance photos, beginning on July 23. A black 2011 BMW 328i connected to Mr. Tamura was first parked at a Las Vegas apartment complex, according to the document and public records. The BMW was then spotted on Interstate 70 in Colorado and Interstate 80 in Nebraska and Iowa. On Monday, the BMW was seen again on Interstate 80 in New Jersey near the Delaware River. Two hours later, Mr. Tamura shot five people at 345 Park Avenue.
