Biden pushes for $1.6B funding for pandemic fraud measures
The White House is calling for money and more time to prosecute cases, to put into place new ways to prevent identity theft and to help people whose identities were stolen.
Fraud
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Federal criminal case against former Celadon Group executives dismissed
On Thursday, Judge Jane Magnus-Stinson granted prosecutors’ request to dismiss the charges against Celadon’s former president and chief operating officer, Eric Meek, and its former chief financial officer, Bobby Peavler.
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Former Indianapolis post office manager charged with mail theft
Prosecutors say the former customer service manager at the New Augusta Post Office branch on Indianapolis’ northwest side stole $1.7 million in checks from mail that arrived at the branch in 2020 and 2021.
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Criminal case against former Celadon execs headed for court
A four-week fraud trial is scheduled to begin Feb. 22 for Celadon’s former president and chief operating officer, Eric Meek, 41, and its former chief financial officer, Bobby Peavler, 42.
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Carmel-based firm uncovers three separate cases of employee fraud
Maria Caceres, a former employee of Seven Corners Inc., stands accused of defrauding the travel insurer by submitting false claims—the third employee to face such charges within two years in separate cases.
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Former bookkeeper for school district sentenced for stealing nearly $1M
From January 2014 to June 2019, Carla Burke issued checks to herself and then cashed them at her personal bank, according to federal officials.
McCordsville man convicted of embezzling $91K from labor union
According to court documents, the man illegally transferred funds from the union’s bank account to his personal bank accounts on multiple occasions between 2013 and 2019.
Republican-led committee targets COVID relief fraud for review
More than 1,000 people have pleaded guilty or have been convicted on federal charges of defrauding myriad COVID-19 relief programs that Congress established in the early days of the pandemic.
Former DWD employee charged with filing more than $34K in fraudulent claims
According to the investigative report filed by Indiana’s Office of Inspector General, a program specialist filed for and received unemployment insurance benefits while employed at the agency and also oversaw her husband’s fraudulent unemployment claims.
Fraud, scam cases increasing on Zelle, Senate report finds
Since being launched in June 2017, Zelle has become a popular way for bank customers to send money to friends and family. A new report says large banks who partly own the service have been reluctant to compensate customers who have been victims of fraud or scams.
Indianapolis-area insurance broker charged in $4M Ponzi scheme
Former insurance broker Brian Simms of Lebanon was arrested Wednesday after being charged with six counts of wire fraud by a federal grand jury.
Indianapolis woman accused of embezzling $270K from WFYI
The U.S. Attorney’s Office said the former accounting specialist worked with an unnamed co-conspirator, who was not an employee of the public television and radio station.
Committee chief: U.S. failed to stop fraud in COVID-19 loan program
The SBA’s Office of the Inspector General has estimated that at least $80 billion distributed from the $400 billion Economic Injury Disaster Loan program could have been fraudulent, much of it in scams using stolen identities.
U.S. watchdog warns unemployment benefits are at ‘high risk’ of fraud, abuse
The Government Accountability Office’s findings underscore the immense task facing Washington as it attempts to keep watch over the roughly $5 trillion in emergency aid it approved since the start of the pandemic.
Carmel man handed federal prison sentence for securities fraud
George R. McKown, 71, who was convicted of conspiracy to commit securities fraud and wire fraud, also was ordered to pay more than $5.2 million in restitution to his victims.
Former Merrill Lynch broker Buck ordered to pay $7.5M in damages to former client
Thomas Buck built a reputation as one of the state’s top financial advisers before being sentenced to prison for securities fraud in 2019.
Former Seven Corners employee sentenced for role in fraud scheme
Maria Caceres, who worked for travel insurance company Seven Corners from 1998 to 2016, pleaded guilty to wire fraud last year. She was sentenced to federal prison Thursday and ordered to repay more than $496,000 to Seven Corners.
Carmel man gets two years in federal prison for defrauding ad agency
U.S. District Judge Sarah Evans Barker ordered Jeffrey Gasior to pay restitution of $736,221 after he pleaded guilty to three counts of fraud.
Appeals court rules convicted CEO doomed by evidence, not by attorney’s conflict of interest
Former CEO James Burkhart pleaded guilty in January 2018 to a scheme in which vendors working for American Senior Communities inflated invoices and kicked back profits to Burkhart and other company officials.
Indianapolis man pleads guilty in real estate rental fraud scheme
Herbert “Bert” Whalen, who operated Oceanpointe Property Management in Indianapolis, engaged in a scheme to obtain millions of dollars from dozens of out-of-state investors, prosecutors said.
Several accused in Indiana school fraud want suit dismissed
Several people and companies linked with two now-closed Indiana online charter schools have asked a judge to dismiss claims against them in a lawsuit alleging a fraud scheme that cost the state more than $150 million.
Former Cummins employee sentenced to prison in $4.8M fraud case
Prosecutors say the Ohio man, who formerly worked for Cummins in Michigan, stole profit-sharing money that was supposed to have been distributed to company employees.
Secret Service: Nearly $100B stolen in pandemic relief funds
The Labor Department has reported about $87 billion in unemployment benefits could have been paid improperly, with a significant portion attributable to fraud.
Former Banc-Serv exec sentenced to more than five years in prison
Kerri Agee of Noblesville was sentenced Thursday for her role in a 13-year financial fraud scheme at the now-defunct financial services company she once owned.