Recent Posts in Fraud Category

In North Phoenix, it is reported that a volunteer with the Arizona High School Hockey Association (AHSHA) was arrested by police after being accused of embezzling over a half million dollars.

47 year old Mary Ann Williams was arrested on April 3^rd after creditors alerted police of her fraudulent activities.  In 2005, Williams started writing checks to herself and to personal debtors, making payments directly from AHSHA's bank account.  She used the organizations debit card to make personal purchases and forged documents for two loans, totaling $107,000.

In 2003, Williams had a son playing hockey in the organization, so she volunteered and became the acting treasurer. 

Williams was arrested and booked into jail on charges of theft and fraud, class 2 felonies, and forgery, which is a class four felony.

Have you been charged with felony theft or fraud offenses in Phoenix?  If so, contact us today to discuss your charges with a Phoenix criminal defense lawyer.

On Tuesday, a Towson title agency officer was indicted for charges of mortgage fraud.  According to authorities, 45 year old Anthony Weis of Phoenix ran a scheme that led to him accumulating $3.4 million.

Weis was charged with 16 counts of fraud and if he is convicted he will face a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison.  He will also face a $1 million fine for each of the counts.

Police say that while Weis was the president of Maple Leaf Title, he convinced lender to wire funding for real estate closings.  In return, the company was supposed to use the funds to pay mortgage holders.  Instead of making payments, Weis transferred $3.4 million out of the Maple Leaf escrow account and used it for his own personal needs.

Property owners then received notices that they were late on their payments from the entities holding mortgages or liens on their properties.  However, the notices took several months before sellers were alerted.  During the time lag, police say that Wies was able to replenish the funds in the escrow account with new real estate settlements.

Were you charged with a white collar crime, like fraud?  If you answered "yes", get the legal representation you need to fight your charges by hiring a Phoenix criminal defense lawyer from the Knowles Law Firm.  Contact our legal team now!

Phoenix police recently reported that six individuals have been detained for the crimes of identification theft and forgery. 

On Monday, police said that the three women and three men were not arrested.  Police were able to detain the individuals on Friday after they attempted to pick up stolen credit cards and falsified driver's licenses.  Officers say that the cards and licenses were shipped to Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport via a commercial airline.

Law enforcement was alerted then an airline employee became suspicious of the package and opened it.  The employee found three fake Taxes driver's licenses and two credit cards that had been reported as stolen.

After coming to the airport to pick up the package, police detained all six people, who arrived in Phoenix from California on June 3^rd.  Officers say that the suspects used a stolen credit card and fake driver's license from Oregon to rent a car.  They then went to a metro area in the city and withdrew thousands of dollars from banks using cash advances from the stolen credit cards.

Have you been charged with a theft crime or a serious felony in Phoenix?  If you answered "yes", it is imperative that you have a Phoenix criminal defense lawyer on your side.  Contact the Knowles Law Firm to retain the legal services you need.

Police in Phoenix are happy to report that after a seven month long investigation, they were able to arrest seven men who were acting as a criminal syndicate.

Officers arrested 21-year-old Calvin Howard, 20-year-old Darmon Lee, 23-year-old Christopher Roy, 20-year-old Tony Blue, 25-year-old Darnell Lemons, 21-year-old Tymothy McCrun and 21-year-old Stevvan Loai after grueling investigative work. 

According to the police, the seven men defrauded several local banks and bank customers through a "check kiting" scheme.  In order to get the scheme to work, the men recruited numerous Arizona State University students to participate.  The participants would then open bank accounts and cash checks.  These checks would then go toward paying the party crew, who managed to steal $55,000.

Later, police discovered that over 50% of the checks given to the students were stolen or forged by members of the syndicate.  The seven men were also involved in other felony and misdemeanor offenses throughout Scottsdale, Mesa and Chandler.

Charged with fraud in Phoenix?  Now is the time to consult with a Phoenix criminal defense lawyer by contacting our law office.

Last week a federal judge sentenced a man to 17 years in prison for his involvement in a $9.5 million mortgage fraud scheme.

According to Phoenix authorities, 51-year-old Mario G. Bernadel of Haiti led a scheme for a year and a half in which he would purchase multiple properties—37 to be exact—with fraudulent loan documents. When the properties would close he would receive cash back. 

Bernadel was convicted of 19 counts of mortgage fraud, including mail fraud, wire fraud, bank fraud, and money laundering.

Also charged in connection with the scheme were seven co-conspirators, each of whom pleaded guilty.