Latest news with #mailfraud
Reuters
23-07-2025
- Reuters
US ends a mail fraud case, 32 years late
NEW YORK, July 22 (Reuters) - In an apparent example of better-late-than-never, a federal judge in Manhattan on Tuesday dismissed a mail fraud criminal case after the U.S. Department of Justice realized it should have ended in 1993. Yousef Elyaho was charged in October 1991 with one count of mail fraud conspiracy, according to his case docket in Manhattan federal court. Elyaho entered a deferred prosecution agreement in January 1993, and his $25,000 bond was exonerated. If Elyaho lived up to the agreement, the case should have been dropped. It wasn't. Nothing happened until March 1999, when the case was "reassigned to Judge Unassigned," according to the docket. Twenty-six years passed until Tuesday, when the case was reassigned to U.S. District Judge Ronnie Abrams. "Judge Unassigned no longer assigned to the case," the docket said. In a court filing, Assistant U.S. Attorney Frank Balsamello said that based on the docket and a review of its own files, "the government believes that the case against Elyaho was to be dismissed sometime in or about February 1993." Jay Clayton, the U.S. attorney in Manhattan, ordered the case's dismissal with the judge's approval, which she granted. A lawyer who represented Elyaho in 1993 did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
National Post
30-06-2025
- National Post
Canadian extradited to the U.S. in alleged million-dollar mail scam targeting seniors
The U.S. Justice Department says an Alberta man is awaiting trial on charges of conspiracy and mail fraud after he allegedly operated a mail scam with other people that targeted vulnerable American seniors. Article content The department says in an online statement that Patrick Fraser, 44, was arrested by Canadian authorities in June 2023 and has now been extradited to the United States in connection with a fraudulent mail scheme. Article content Article content Article content He was ordered to remain detained during a hearing in a federal Las Vegas courtroom last week and awaits trial in the nine-count indictment. Article content Article content The department alleges in the statement that Frasher mailed notifications to American recipients and those in other countries stating they had won a large cash prize, but the victims could only receive it after paying a fee. Article content The cash prize was typically $1 million and many victims were elderly and vulnerable people. Article content The statement says Fraser faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison if convicted. Article content Assistant Attorney General Brett Shumate of the Justice Department's civil division thanked Canada in the statement for assisting in Fraser's extradition so he could face charges in the United States Article content 'The Justice Department and U.S. law enforcement partners will continue to work closely with law enforcement partners across the globe to bring to justice criminals who attempt to defraud U.S. victims from outside the United States,' he said. Article content Article content
CTV News
21-05-2025
- CTV News
2 men accused of impersonating Canada Post carriers to break into Toronto buildings and steal mail, packages
The suspects, Joshua Virah (left) and James Paul, are pictured in this composite image as well as the Canada Post jacket they allegedly used during the thefts. (Toronto Police Service) A man is facing nearly 80 charges, and a second suspect remains wanted after they allegedly impersonated Canada Post mail carriers and stole mail and packages from at least eight buildings in downtown Toronto. Police said Canada Post notified them about the break-and-enters at the beginning of March. During the theft, the suspects would allegedly wear a Canada Post jacket and baseball cap and then enter the buildings, where they would open mailboxes and mailrooms using a Canada Post master key. Police said the suspect also opened Canada Post street mailboxes using the key. They allegedly took an unknown quantity of mail, parcels, packages and personal identifications. As a result of their investigation, which was conducted with Canada Post's security and investigation services, police executed two search warrants on Tuesday in the areas of Sherbourne Street and Dundas Street East and Dufferin Street and Davenport Road. Police said 'items of evidentiary value,' including Canada Post master keys, a jacket, mail, identity documents, and credit cards, were recovered during the search. They arrested one suspect identified as 36-year-old Joshua Virag. He has been charged with 79 offences, including 19 counts of possessing or using a credit card obtained by offence, 13 counts of break and enter, 13 counts of theft of mail and 13 counts of possessing a key for the purpose of committing. Police said 27-year-old James Paul is wanted for 20 charges, including break and enter, personation to gain advantage, eight counts of possession of an identity documents and six counts of property obtained by crime. Investigators believe there may be more victims. They are asking anyone with information to contact them at 416-808-5200 or Crime Stoppers anonymously at 416-222-TIPS (8477) or
CTV News
14-05-2025
- CTV News
Canadian man sentenced to 2 1/2 years in U.S. Social Security fraud
The flags of Canada and the United States fly outside a hotel in downtown Ottawa, on Feb. 1, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Justin Tang FAIRBANKS — The United States Attorney's Office in Alaska says a Canadian man has been sentenced to 2 1/2 years in prison and ordered to repay $420,000 he stole in social security benefits from the U.S. government over a 30-year period. It says 77-year-old Ellis Kingsep was legally living in the United States and had devised 'an elaborate scheme' where he collected benefits payments that were sent by the Social Security Administration intended for his mother. It says the scheme included 'an intricate web of mail forwarding requests for his mother's mail by using private postal mailbox accounts' in California, Vancouver and Alaska to conceal that he was receiving his mother's mail and sending correspondence in her name. The attorney's office says Kingsep's mother would now be 103 years old and though there has never been a death certificate filed, she is presumed to be dead as there has been no record of her since 1993. It says the scam began around 1995 and continued until 2023 when an investigator uncovered the scheme, and Kingsep was arrested in July 2024. The attorney's office says Kingsep pleaded guilty to one count of mail fraud in December 2024, and the court has also ordered him to pay a $50,000 criminal fine and serve three years on supervised release after his prison sentence concludes. This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 14, 2025. The Canadian Press
CTV News
14-05-2025
- CTV News
Canadian man sentenced to 2 1/2 years in U.S. Social Security fraud
The flags of Canada and the United States fly outside a hotel in downtown Ottawa, on Feb. 1, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Justin Tang FAIRBANKS — The United States Attorney's Office in Alaska says a Canadian man has been sentenced to 2 1/2 years in prison and ordered to repay $420,000 he stole in social security benefits from the U.S. government over a 30-year period. It says 77-year-old Ellis Kingsep was legally living in the United States and had devised 'an elaborate scheme' where he collected benefits payments that were sent by the Social Security Administration intended for his mother. It says the scheme included 'an intricate web of mail forwarding requests for his mother's mail by using private postal mailbox accounts' in California, Vancouver and Alaska to conceal that he was receiving his mother's mail and sending correspondence in her name. The attorney's office says Kingsep's mother would now be 103 years old and though there has never been a death certificate filed, she is presumed to be dead as there has been no record of her since 1993. It says the scam began around 1995 and continued until 2023 when an investigator uncovered the scheme, and Kingsep was arrested in July 2024. The attorney's office says Kingsep pleaded guilty to one count of mail fraud in December 2024, and the court has also ordered him to pay a $50,000 criminal fine and serve three years on supervised release after his prison sentence concludes. This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 14, 2025. The Canadian Press
