Lawyer in alleged investment scheme enters another plea
A suspended lawyer who formerly worked in northern Indiana and was charged with scamming elderly investors has pleaded guilty to another charge in the case.
Fraud
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Indiana gets $159K from Sephora tax fraud settlement
International beauty supply chain Sephora USA Inc. has paid Indiana a settlement to end a fraud lawsuit filed against it, Attorney General Curtis Hill’s office announced.
Are additional Celadon execs in prosecutors’ sights?
Federal prosecutors in late April accused the Indianapolis-based trucking company Celadon Group Inc. of engineering a sweeping accounting fraud that hid losses in the tens of millions of dollars, and they announced a felony charge against one of the company’s former executives. But if the fraud was so sweeping, why did prosecutors charge just one person and spare other former top executives (at least so far)?
Celadon ordered to pay $42 million after admitting securities fraud
Indianapolis-based trucking company Celadon Group Inc. has agreed to pay $42.2 million in restitution to settle securities fraud charges announced Thursday by the U.S. Department of Justice. Under the settlement, the company acknowledged “filing materially false and misleading statements to investors and falsifying books, records and accounts,” federal prosecutors said.
Local auto group hit with class-action suit over document fee
A class-action lawsuit filed last week against Andy Mohr Automotive Group alleges the Indiana company violated a state law prohibiting deceptive consumer sales tactics.
Car-dealer promoter sued over allegedly deceptive mailers
Hoosiers were lured by the chance for prizes such as a 70-inch high-definition television, $1,000 in cash or a vacation package, according to a lawsuit filed by the Indiana Attorney General Curtis Hill’s office. But what they actually received were low-value items like an MP3 player that had been purchased for $2.25, or a mail-in rebate coupon for $10 off the purchase of a turkey.
Lawmakers back felony charge if fertility doctors misuse sperm
A woman who was among numerous patients unknowingly impregnated by their Indiana fertility doctor’s own sperm said she’s pleased with state lawmakers backing a proposal that would make such actions a felony.
Lawyer charged with defrauding elderly pleads guilty
A former South Bend lawyer who was charged with scamming elderly investors has pleaded guilty to some charges in the case.
7th Circuit case highlights confusion over online home value ‘Zestimates’
The 7th Circuit both rejected proposed class action lawsuit against the website Zillow, but Realtors and real estate attorneys still have concerns about whether its “Zestimates” are unnecessarily misleading. Zillow, however, insists its estimation practices are transparent and legal, thus making their home valuations a beneficial tool for buyers and sellers.
Suspended attorney to serve 6 months for bankruptcy fraud, embezzlement
A suspended Fort Wayne attorney will serve six months in jail and has been ordered to pay nearly $240,000 in restitution after he pleaded guilty to embezzlement and tax fraud charges stemming from personal and client bankruptcy proceedings.
Founders, employees of Westfield financial firm accused of $10M fraud
The founders and three other former officers and employees of Westfield-based Banc-serv Partners LLP have been indicted in connection with what federal prosecutors describe as a 13-year-long conspiracy to defraud the Small Business Administration.
Police question authenticity of Indy-based nonprofit’s fundraising
Police departments in at least four states have raised concerns about an Indianapolis-based nonprofit, alleging the group conducts fundraising scams targeting vulnerable people under the guise of raising money for law enforcement. Multiple police agencies have issued scam alerts about letters sent by the National Police Association, which is run by Eddie Hutchison, who works for the Indiana Attorney General’s Office as a fraud investigator.
Lawyers help vulnerable man overcome exploitation
Looking down at a page filled with words he couldn’t comprehend, Paul Mason was urged to sign on the dotted line. He had no idea he was signing away life as he knew it.
Anderson man gets probation in Indiana voter registration fraud case
A central Indiana man has been sentenced to a year of probation after pleading guilty to 30 misdemeanor counts of voter registration fraud stemming from allegations before the 2018 primary election. Datwaon Collier of Anderson entered the pleas Friday in Madison Circuit Court Division 6 in an agreement with Madison County prosecutors.
‘Full House’ star to surrender in college admissions scandal
Fallout from a sweeping college admissions scandal swiftly spread Wednesday, with a Silicon Valley hedge fund replacing its leader and “Full House” actress Lori Loughlin expected to surrender and appear in court in Los Angeles.
Manafort gets 47 months; Trump feels ‘very badly’ for ex-campaign chair
Former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort has been sentenced to nearly four years in prison for tax and bank fraud related to his work advising Ukrainian politicians, much less than what was called for under federal sentencing guidelines.
Ex-Trump campaign boss Manafort to be sentenced in tax fraud
When former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort is sentenced for tax and bank fraud , U.S. District Judge T.S. Ellis III will likely issue the same lecture he gives to drug dealers and bank robbers.
Indiana leads 20-state coalition’s whistleblower brief
A scheme to award a multi-million-dollar no-bid subcontract to provide security in Iraq during the cleanup of munitions has put the spotlight on the federal False Claims Act and raised concerns among states, including Indiana, that a narrower interpretation of the long-standing statute could impact their ability to recover in whistleblower complaints.
IU McKinney students conduct research in Russian hacker’s extradition case
While the United States struggled to gain the upper hand in an extradition battle over a Russian cybercriminal accused of stealing more than $28 million in a bank fraud ring, a group of Indiana law students were busy working on research for his case.
Fertility fraud bill creating felony moves to House
Indiana doctors could face felony deception charges under legislation that follows the case in which a fertility doctor used his own sperm to impregnate perhaps dozens of women.