U.S. District Judge Paul W. Grimm sentenced Marion Lee Martin, Jr., age 58, of Potomac, Maryland, Feb. 11 to 85 months in prison followed by a lifetime of supervised release for receiving child pornography. Judge Grimm ordered that upon his release from prison, Martin must register as a sex offender in the place where he resides, where he is an employee, and where he is a student, under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA).

The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Rod J. Rosenstein; Special Agent in Charge Stephen E. Vogt of the Federal Bureau of Investigation; and Chief J. Thomas Manger of the Montgomery County Police Department.

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According to his plea agreement, in January 2013, Martin uploaded files to his internet cloud account which depicted real children engaged in sexually explicit conduct.  On May 8, 2013, a search warrant was executed at his residence and a large number of digital devices and removable media, some of which contained child pornography, were seized.  Martin admitted that he had been collecting images of children since approximately 1977, and his sexual interest was in girls, including the ages of nine to 11.

Martin also told law enforcement that he worked in a photo lab at a local CVS store and would also copy, for his own personal collection, images of children that customers would drop off for processing. Evidence seized during the May 8 search revealed video files depicting prepubescent and pubescent girls taken in a CVS store.

On October 30, 2013, Martin admitted to law enforcement that he had been using his cell phone to take videos of girls, clothed, at the store where he worked; and that he had bought a new laptop and cell phone since the May 2013 search of his home.  A second search warrant was executed at his home in January 2014.  Three laptops, five tablets, seven cameras, 24 memory cards, a Google Glass device and other digital media storage devices were seized.

Martin had at least tens of thousands of images and videos of child pornography and child erotica images and videos stored on the digital devices and removable media seized from both searches of his home.  Some of the images and videos depicted real children engaged in sexually explicit conduct.

The case was investigated by the FBI-led Maryland Child Exploitation Task Force, created in 2010 to combat the sexual exploitation of children, with members from 10 state and federal law enforcement agencies.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.  For more information about internet safety education, please visit www.justice.gov/psc and click on the “resources” tab on the left of the page.

United States Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein commended the FBI and Montgomery County Police Department for their work in the investigation.  Mr. Rosenstein thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicolas Mitchell, who prosecuted the case.

A Decatur man was arrested last week and charged with rape and the sexual abuse of a child.

William Chris Nelms, 40, is charged with rape, sodomy and the sexual abuse of a child under the age of 12, according to Morgan County jail records. He is being held in the jail in lieu of more than $116,000 bond.

http://liarcatchers.com/pedophile_tracking.html

Further information on the case against Nelms was not immediately available. Court records show that he has an extensive criminal history, including a 1995 conviction for child abuse.

Details of that conviction were not available Sunday.

A viral Facebook search to identify a mentally challenged homeless man found in Arizona — who believes he is from Springfield, Missouri — hit a significant snag Saturday.

The Thursday evening post, shared more than 130,000 times, spurred amateur sleuths to search through missing posters online and suggest it might be Sean “Nickie” White, of Farmington, who went missing in 2004.

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There’s just one problem: White, 42, was found a short time later in 2004 and is currently living in a psychiatric hospital in Farmington.

“I just got off the phone with him,” said Robbie White, his brother. “No, I wasn’t worried. I knew where he was.”

Family members, perplexed by the mix-up, called the St. Francois County Sheriff’s Department on Saturday to clear up any confusion. A dispatcher with the department confirmed the call and explained that while White had not been listed as actively missing there since 2011, the man apparently remained on the list maintained by the Missouri State Highway Patrol.

“It’s outdated,” said Robbie White, adding his brother has a long history of mental illness. “He’s listed out there but he’s been found.”

Trisha Hipps El-Sharkawy, of Phoenix, posted about her “homeless friend Sean” late Thursday, saying be believes he’s from Springfield and that “someone has to be looking for him.”

She wrote: “He can’t read or write and sounds like an 8 year old child when he talks. He recently told me that he is here because he got lost and can’t find his way home. He was on a Greyhound Bus to visit someone and got on the wrong bus at a rest stop. He’s been lost ever since.”

Reached at her Phoenix home Saturday, El-Sharkawy said she is fairly new to social media and is overwhelmed at the interest the Facebook post has generated. She said she met Sean several years ago and her family has brought him clothes, food and blankets.

“There are so many people who care about him. People are always giving him food. He never asks for money,” she said. “One time — only one time — he asked for $2 because he wanted to get a jacket from Goodwill. He was outside Goodwill when he asked. For two years, every time he saw me, he thanked me for the jacket.”

El-Sharkawy said Sean “thought he was from Springfield” but has been unable to provide any other details, including a last name. When others posted the “missing” poster for Sean White of Famington, she was hopeful that was him and he’d be reunited with family.

“He is very sweet and very childlike,” she said. “He looks like he needs dental care. He needs someone to take care of him.”

Told Saturday that Sean White’s family said he’s still in Missouri, El-Sharkawy said she remains hopeful that the Sean she knows will still find his way home. “I hope that he gets the help he needs, that he’s not lost anymore,” she said.

While Robbie White doesn’t believe the Sean found in Arizona looks anything like his brother, another family member was less sure. Abby White Mims saw the two photos side by side and became alarmed.

“My initial reaction was ‘Oh my God, that’s Nickie’ because I saw the missing poster. They do resemble each other,” Mims said of her cousin. “I saw it that night and I’ve been freaking out.”

Mims, from East Prairie, said her cousin grew up near New Madrid and can read and write. She shared the original Facebook post of the homeless man, saying it wasn’t her cousin. “I hope he can find his way home,” she said.

Robbie White said he talks to his brother regularly. When they spoke Saturday, Robbie White didn’t tell his brother about the viral Facebook post or the outdated “missing” poster.

“I didn’t tell him,” he said. “I didn’t see the point.”

Lexington Police are searching for two people who robbed a store Saturday afternoon.

Police say two men ran into the Tropical Food Market on Woodhill Drive and pulled a gun on a clerk. The clerk took off and the men ripped into the cash register. According to investigators, the men had their faces covered and were wearing black hoodies.

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Police are looking at security video from neighboring store to try and get a better idea of who they’re looking for.

If you know anything about this robbery, please call Lexington Police.

A Washington, D.C., man pleaded guilty to various crimes committed in a far-reaching identity theft and tax fraud scheme in which he and others filed fraudulent federal income tax returns seeking more than $1.1 million in refunds, the Justice Department announced today.

James Nelson, 31, is among approximately a dozen people who have pleaded guilty in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to charges in one of the largest prosecutions to date involving the use of stolen identifying information.  The overall case involves the filing of at least 12,000 fraudulent federal income tax returns that sought refunds of at least $40 million.

http://liarcatchers.com/identity_theft_investigation.html

The guilty plea, unsealed today, was announced by U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Machen Jr. of the District of Columbia, Principal Deputy Acting Assistant Attorney General Caroline D. Ciraolo of the Justice Department’s Tax Division, Special Agent in Charge Thomas J. Kelly of the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) Washington Field Office, Acting Inspector in Charge David M. McGinnis of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service’s (USPIS) Washington Division, Assistant Inspector General for Investigations John L. Phillips of the  U.S. Department of Treasury, and Special Agent in Charge Kathy A. Michalko of the U.S. Secret Service’s Washington Field Office.

Nelson pleaded guilty to conspiracy to defraud the United States with respect to claims, aiding and abetting in the making of false claims for refund, and aiding and abetting in fraud and related activity involving identification information.  Under federal sentencing guidelines, Nelson faces an estimated range of 41 to 51 months in prison and a fine of up to $75,000 at his sentencing before the Honorable U.S. District Judge Ellen S. Huvelle of the District of Columbia.  In addition, as part of his plea agreement, Nelson must pay $636,026 in restitution to the IRS.

“James Nelson now joins numerous others who have pleaded guilty in this prosecution of a D.C.–based scheme involving at least 12,000 fake income tax returns,” said U.S. Attorney Machen.  “Honest taxpayers – like those filing their returns this week – are victimized by these scammers who use stolen identities to generate fraudulent tax refunds and drain money from the U.S. Treasury.  This prosecution is not over.  We will remain aggressive in our efforts to investigate and prosecute tax refund fraud involving identity theft.”

“One of the Tax Division’s highest priorities is prosecuting individuals such as James Nelson and his co-conspirators, who use stolen identities to file fictitious income tax returns and claim fraudulent refunds,” said Principal Deputy Acting Assistant Attorney General Ciraolo.  “This street crime threatens the very fabric of tax administration and often victimizes the most vulnerable members of our communities.  The Tax Division is committed to working with our partners in law enforcement to identify these schemes, dismantle the criminal operations, and punish the offenders who view the Federal Treasury as their own personal bank account.”

“Perpetrators of identity theft schemes are motivated by greed, acting as if they are above the law and with total disregard for the consequences to the victims,” said Special Agent in Charge Kelly.  “The actions of criminals, such as Mr. Nelson, create distressing hardships for many innocent taxpayers and have a devastating impact on the entire community.”

“Postal Inspectors are proud to join our federal law enforcement partners to bring this case to a successful resolution,” said Acting Inspector in Charge McGinnis.  “By joining forces, we are able to bring justice to those who would misuse the U.S. mail in order to defraud innocent citizens and the U.S. government.”

“I am proud of the work done by our Office of Investigations, cooperating with other law enforcement organizations in detecting and deterring this fraud and protecting the integrity of the nation’s tax system,” said Assistant Inspector General Phillips.

“Our success in this case and similar investigations is a result of our close work with law enforcement partners,” said Special Agent in Charge Michalko.  “The Secret Service worked closely with the Internal Revenue Service and the Department of Justice to share information and resources that ultimately brought James Nelson to justice.  This case demonstrates there is no such thing as anonymity for those engaging in identity theft and fraudulent schemes.”

According to the government’s evidence, Nelson was among participants in a massive and sophisticated identity theft and false tax refund scheme involving an extensive network of more than 130 people, many of whom were receiving public assistance.  The refunds were sought since 2006, often in the names of people whose identities had been stolen, including the elderly, people in assisted living facilities, drug addicts and incarcerated prisoners.  In other cases, the refunds were sent to people who were willing participants in the scheme.  The refunds listed more than 400 “taxpayer” addresses in the District of Columbia.

From December 2007 through January 2012, according to the government’s evidence, Nelson used his residential addresses, then in the District of Columbia, for the receipt of some of the fraudulently obtained tax refunds.  He also recruited others to receive fraudulent refunds at their addresses.  For example, Nelson paid one woman about $150 per check for each refund check delivered to her residential address in the District of Columbia.

Approximately 360 fraudulent federal income tax returns were filed with the IRS listing the addresses that were under Nelson’s control.  The returns sought refunds of approximately $908,500.  As a result, the IRS sent out 238 checks, totaling about $524,795, and 184 of those checks, totaling $432,804, were ultimately cashed.

Nelson also recruited others to negotiate at least 86 other refund checks, totaling approximately $203,222, causing a total intended loss to the U.S. Treasury of more than $1.1 million.

In announcing the plea, U.S. Attorney Machen, Principal Deputy Acting Assistant Attorney General Ciraolo, Special Agent in Charge Kelly, Acting Inspector in Charge McGinnis, Assistant Inspector General Phillips and Special Agent in Charge Michalko commended those who investigated the case.  They also acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including former Assistant U.S. Attorney Sherri L. Schornstein and Paralegal Specialist Donna Galindo.  Finally, they expressed appreciation for the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Ellen Chubin Epstein of the District of Columbia’s Fraud and Public Corruption Section and Trial Attorneys Jessica N. Moran and Jeffrey B. Bender of the Tax Division, who are prosecuting the case.

An Irvington man faces up to five years in prison after admitting his role in a $30 million insurance fraud scheme, officials said.

Allen Reichman, 54, pleaded guilty in Manhattan federal court Friday to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said.

From July 2008 to November 2009, Reichman, Charles Antonucci Sr., Matthew Morris and Wilbur Anthony Huff ran a scam to defraud insurance regulators and Reichman’s employer to illegally purchase Oklahoma-based Providence Property and Casualty Insurance Company, officials said.

http://liarcatchers.com/insurance_fraud.html

The group deceived the investment firm that Reichman worked for into loaning $30 million to finance Antonucci’s purchase of Providence, which was owed $5 million by a company Huff controlled, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said.

The men misled the firm and Oklahoma insurance regulators about the purchase’s financing, which involved securing the $30 million loan through Providence’s own assets, a move that was illegal. Despite several warnings from the firm that the loan should not be issued, Reichman and the men provided false information regarding the collateral that would be used for the loan, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said.

The loan was issued near the end of January 2009, with the money being secured by assets that were supposed to be kept in reserve to pay Providence’s policyholder claims. Reichman pocketed at least $200,000 in commission from the deal, while Providence, with its assets pilfered by the conspirators, became insolvent in November 2009, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said.

Reichman is to be sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Naomi Reice Buchwald on a future date. He agreed to forfeit $200,000 and repay the firm $10 million as part of his plea.

A federal judge has ruled a convicted sex offender from Joplin must serve 15 years in prison in a child pornography case.

The Joplin Globe (http://bit.ly/1vkYsDu ) reports 44-year-old Donnie Ray Sumner pleaded guilty last year to receiving and distributing child pornography over the Internet. Sumner had a prior conviction for possession of child pornography.

http://liarcatchers.com/pedophile_tracking.html

Authorities arrested Sumner in January 2013, after executing a search warrant at his residence and finding child pornography images on his desktop and laptop computers.

Police are asking for the public’s help to find a missing Albuquerque teen. Ashley R. Morrow, 19, was last seen February 16th.

Police say she was last seen in the 1800 block of Dorothy NE. Police believe she may be in danger because her parents were told that someone had been making death threats toward her.

http://liarcatchers.com/missing_persons_investigations.html

Morrow is five-foot-four and weighs 110 pounds. She has brown hair and hazel eyes.

If you have any information on her whereabouts call the Rio Rancho Police Department at 891-7226 or the New Mexico Department of Public Safety Missing Person Hotline at 1-800-457-3463.

A Jackson man has been arrested for false pretense involving an insurance fraud case.

Attorney General Jim Hood, in a news release Tuesday, said 39-year-old Ernest Martell Day was arrested by the Rankin County Sheriff’s Office for one count of false pretense following indictment by a Rankin County grand jury.

The indictment alleges that Day did attempt to appropriate insurance proceeds to which he was not entitled after filing a fraudulent insurance claim with Progressive Insurance Company claiming that his 2006 Land Rover had been stolen when in fact it had not.

http://liarcatchers.com/insurance_fraud.html

Day was arrested Friday and is being held on $100,000 bond in the Rankin County Detention Center.

If convicted, Day faces up to a $10,000 fine and 10 years behind bars.

A housekeeper who was found dead in September of last year was killed as part of a seven-figure insurance scam, police revealed on Wednesday.

Anita Fox, 72, was found murdered in the entryway of a home she was cleaning on Frontier Court. Another employee, who arrived to water plants, found her with multiple stab wounds and severe trauma to her body.

The homeowners were not there at the time.

http://liarcatchers.com/wrongful_death.html

Colleyville police said Wednesday that Gerard Gorman, 48, and his son Bernard, 27, were named suspects in the “complex” scam.

They believe the duo planned an “elaborate, organized scheme” in which they drove to North Texas from Houston, targeting and following Fox around to determine her habits before striking. They said the suspects then drove back to Houston after allegedly killing Fox.

Police believe someone took out a fraudulent seven-figure life insurance policy on her, which she was not aware of. They believe the Gormans killed her because of it, trying to cash in on the money.

“I’ve been doing this now for over 27 years. Been involved in a lot of cases over those years, and I can tell you that this one of the most complex cases that I’ve ever been involved in,” Police Chief Mike Holder said.

Gerard Gorman was found dead of natural causes near Houston last month. Bernard Gorman was arrested by police in Davenport, Florida, south of Orlando, on Wednesday morning and has been charged with Fox’s murder.

It is unknown whether the insurance agent who sold the policy will be implicated. The FBI and Texas Department of Insurance are investigating whether more people are involved and if there is a larger insurance fraud scheme.