Maryland man pleads guilty in $1 million unemployment fraud scheme

BALTIMORE, MD—A Maryland man has pleaded guilty to his role in a scheme to fraudulently obtain more than $1 million in unemployment benefits, authorities say. Mervyn Fombe Abiko, 35, of Prince George’s County, was involved in a conspiracy to impersonate victims and submit fraudulent unemployment insurance claims from February 2020 through February 2021, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Abiko […]

Baltimore County man indicted for passport fraud

BALTIMORE, MD—A federal grand jury charged a Baltimore County man with passport fraud, aggravated identity theft, false statements and false representation of a social security number, authorities say. Beautiful Life Allah, 65, also known as Tezelle Miller, of Gwynn Oak, is accused of using someone else’s social security number to apply for a passport, submitting a fake custody order to […]

Baltimore County fentanyl, cocaine trafficker sentenced to 11 years in prison

BALTIMORE, MD—A Baltimore County woman has been sentenced to over 11 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to possessing fentanyl and cocaine with the intent to distribute, officials say. Querida Moran, 53, of Owings Mills, was sentenced to 135 months’ imprisonment in the custody of the Bureau of Prisons for Possession with Intent to Distribute Fentanyl on Friday, March […]

Florida man pleads guilty to defrauding Maryland, California of more than $2.3 million in COVID-19 unemployment benefits

BALTIMORE, MD—A Florida man has pleaded guilty to wire fraud and aggravated identity theft in a scheme to defraud Maryland and California of more than $2.3 million in unemployment insurance benefits during the COVID-19 pandemic. David Godin, 34, of Miami, used stolen identities, virtual private networks and proxy servers to file 140 fraudulent claims in multiple states, according to the […]

Registered Baltimore County sex offender pleads guilty to possession of child sexual abuse material

BALTIMORE, MD—A Baltimore County man who is a registered sex offender has pleaded guilty to possessing child sexual abuse material. Steven Christopher Kelban, 50, of Catonsville, pleaded guilty to possession of child pornography. Kelban was identified as a suspect in the trafficking of child sexual abuse material (CSAM), also called child pornography, during Baltimore County Police Department’s online investigation of […]

Baltimore man sentenced to 32 years for sexually exploiting six minors

BALTIMORE, MD—A Baltimore man was sentenced on Friday to 32 years in federal prison, followed by 50 years of supervised release, for coercing and sexually exploiting six minors, including girls as young as 9, in a series of crimes that spanned several Maryland counties, federal authorities said. U.S. District Judge Ellen L. Hollander imposed the sentence on Delroy James Scott, […]

Baltimore County woman convicted in $20 million life insurance fraud scheme

BALTIMORE, MD—A Baltimore County woman has been convicted on fraud and money laundering charges after a federal jury found her guilty of misrepresenting the health and life insurance coverage of more than 40 people to obtain life insurance policies worth more than $20 million. Maureen Wilson, 77, of Owings Mills, was found guilty of conspiracy to commit mail and wire […]

Former Harford County Sheriff’s Office detective facing federal charges for sexual exploitation of two minors

BALTIMORE, MD—A former detective with the Harford County Sheriff’s Office is facing federal charges relating to the sexual exploitation of two children. A federal grand jury has indicted Ryan Christopher Hall, 50, of Woodstock, Maryland, charging him with sexual exploitation of a child and possession of child sexual abuse material. Hall is a former domestic violence detective who served 27 […]