Maryland Attorney General secures $27 million in fraud settlement

BALTIMORE, MD—Maryland Attorney General Anthony G. Brown on Tuesday announced a $27 million settlement with Precision Toxicology, resolving allegations of fraudulent billing and kickbacks. The settlement stems from a multi-state investigation into the San Diego-based laboratory, one of the nation’s largest urine drug testing companies. The allegations, brought by Maryland, other states, and the federal government, claimed that Precision billed […]

Baltimore County businessman pleads guilty to fraudulently obtaining over $1.3 million in COVID-19 CARES Act loans

BALTIMORE, MD—A Baltimore County businessman has admitted to using more than $1.3 million in Paycheck Protection Program loans to purchase a Mercedes-Benz and make extensive home renovations, federal authorities announced. David Epstein, 46, of Owings Mills, pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud after submitting fraudulent CARES Act loan applications, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Maryland. The […]

Maryland man charged in $1 million unemployment benefits fraud scheme

BALTIMORE, MD—A federal grand jury charged a Maryland man with conspiracy, wire fraud, and aggravated identity theft for his role in a scheme to fraudulently obtain over $1 million in unemployment benefits, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Maryland. Mervyn Fombe Abiko, 35, also known as “Magic,” was indicted on May 22, 2024. The indictment was unsealed upon […]

Maryland nursing diploma fraudster sentenced to 21 months in prison

BALTIMORE, MD—A Maryland man has been sentenced to prison for selling more than $1.6 million worth of fake nursing diplomas, transcripts and licenses, that allowed people to become nurses without completing the necessary coursework. Ejike Sìe Asiaghunam, 55. of Upper Marlboro, was sentenced in federal court in Maryland on Monday to 21 months in prison and two years of supervised […]

Baltimore City employee admits to bribery, PPP fraud

BALTIMORE, MD—A former Baltimore City employee has admitted to taking bribes and defrauding the federal Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). Joseph Gillespie, 35, of Baltimore, was found to have stolen more than $250,000 in bribes and received more than $138,000 in fraudulent PPP loans. Gillespie pleaded guilty on Friday to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and bribery. He worked for the […]

Baltimore County fraudster sentenced to 30 months in prison for $1.5 million bank fraud scheme

BALTIMORE, MD—A Baltimore County man was sentenced this week to thirty months in federal prison followed by three years of supervised release in Baltimore federal court for conspiracy to commit bank fraud. The sentencing of 67-year-old Theodore Sapperstein, formerly of Pikesville, is the result of his guilty plea to conspiracy to commit bank fraud. He will serve 30 months in […]

Jamaican national indicted in alleged lottery scam, defrauded victims of more than $9.5 million

BALTIMORE, MD—A Jamaican National has been indicted for an alleged lottery scheme that defrauded victims of millions of dollars, the U.S. Attorney’s Office announced this week. According to the indictment, between October 2020 and February 2024, Nickoy Campbell, 29, of Jamaica, and his co-conspirators contacted victims by mail or phone and convinced them that they had won millions of dollars […]