On March 8 U.S. Attorney George E.B. Holding Jr. announced in a press release Clay Atkinson and David Stewart, Canadian citizens living in Montreal, Quebec appeared before United States Magistrate Judge James E. Gates for initial appearances. The remaining defendant, Jammall McKenzie, is pending extradition from Canada to the Eastern District of North Carolina as well.
A Federal Grand Jury returned a 35-count Criminal Indictment on March 5, 2008, charging all three defendants with conspiring to commit offenses against the United States, including wire fraud, mail fraud and interstate transportation of stolen property.
According to the Indictment, from December, 2004, the defendants targeted victims who lived in the United States. The defendants, using fictitious names, false government titles and company names, would call the elderly victims convincing them that they had “won” a large sum of money from a lottery or sweepstakes.
The defendants, posing as officials of government agencies, such as the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Internal Revenue Service, and the United States Customs, promised that upon payment of “fees” or “taxes” the victims would be awarded large cash prizes.
The Indictment further alleges that the defendants coordinated the complex scheme by persuading victims to provide money, checks, and goods, through the United States mail or commercial carriers, to the defendants. The money, checks, and goods totaled more than $900,000.
The maximum penalties are: For the conspiracy charge, up to five years’ imprisonment; for each count of mail fraud and wire fraud, up to 30 years’ imprisonment; and for interstate transportation of stolen property, up to ten years’ imprisonment.
Investigation of this case was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. Assistant United States Attorney J. Gaston B. Williams represents the United States in this matter.
There is to be no profanity and there is to be no character assassination even if the person being written about is a suspect in a crime.
Comments that presume knowledge of a person’s home life, financial situation or other personal details will be not be posted as will comments which presume legal knowledge.
All comments must be on the topic of the story and offer the reader’s insight on a particular issue. rrspin.com will cease posting comments if the editor determines readers are infighting with one another and not staying on the topic of a story.
rrspin.com prefers readers use their real names because anonymous posters are accountable for their comments just as readers who post their names are.