Verdict . News

Fourth Judicial District Court

1w ago•4 min read

Colorado Funeral Home Owner Gets 40-Year Sentence for Body Neglect

A Colorado Springs judge sentenced a former funeral home owner to 40 years in prison for leaving 189 bodies to decompose in a warehouse while collecting fees from families for cremations and burials that never occurred. The shocking case involved nearly 200 victims whose families received fake ashes instead of proper funeral services.

•Jon Hallford received a 40-year state prison sentence, adding to his previous 20-year federal sentence for wire fraud

•The couple operated the scheme from September 2019 to October 2023, collecting $130,000 while storing bodies in deteriorating conditions

Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals

1w ago•4 min read

4th Circuit Vacates Identity Theft Conviction in McDonald Fraud Case

The Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals vacated Jennifer McDonald's aggravated identity theft conviction while affirming her 30 fraud-related convictions. The court ruled the identity theft did not occur 'during and in relation to' predicate offenses under Supreme Court precedent.

•Fourth Circuit vacated aggravated identity theft conviction but affirmed 30 fraud-related convictions

•Court applied Supreme Court's Dubin v. United States precedent requiring identity theft occur 'during and in relation to' predicate offenses

Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals

2w ago•4 min read

6th Circuit Affirms Drug Conspiracy Sentences for Tennessee Defendants

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit affirmed the sentences of Mason Shelton and Tyler Richard Seaberg, who pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute marijuana and conspiracy to commit money laundering. Both defendants unsuccessfully challenged their sentences as procedurally and substantively unreasonable.

•Sixth Circuit affirmed sentences for marijuana and money laundering conspiracy charges against two Tennessee defendants

•DEA investigation in summer 2023 led to charges after confidential informant arranged drug purchase discussions

Third Circuit Court of Appeals

2w ago•4 min read

3rd Circuit Upholds Fraud Conviction of Clean Energy CEO Who Called Himself 'Modern Icarus'

The Third Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed the 48-count conviction of James P. Abrams, a clean energy startup founder who defrauded investors using forged documents and false financial statements. Abrams, who compared himself to the mythological figure Icarus, received a 72-month prison sentence and must pay $1.2 million in restitution.

•Third Circuit affirmed 48-count conviction including wire fraud, money laundering, and obstruction charges

•Abrams used forged documents and false financial statements to deceive clean energy startup investors

First Circuit Court of Appeals

2w ago•4 min read

First Circuit Affirms Attorney Conviction in Romance Scam Case

The First Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed the conviction of Hassan Abbas, a disbarred attorney who facilitated romance scams and business email compromises that defrauded victims of millions of dollars. The court rejected Abbas's appeal in a case highlighting sophisticated online fraud schemes targeting vulnerable individuals.

•Hassan Abbas, a former attorney, was convicted for facilitating romance scams and business email compromises worth millions

•Abbas used his legal credentials to open fraudulent bank accounts for fake companies to process victim payments

Third Circuit Court of Appeals

Third Circuit Denies Mandamus Petition in Multi-District Federal Case

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit denied a mandamus petition filed by Joseph Cammarata, who was convicted in 2022 of conspiracy, wire fraud, and money laundering involving false claims to securities class action administrators. The non-precedential decision addressed his attempt to compel district court actions across multiple related federal matters.

•Third Circuit denied Joseph Cammarata's mandamus petition seeking to compel district court actions across multiple federal cases

•Cammarata was convicted in 2022 of securities fraud involving false claims to class action administrators, sentenced to 10 years and $48 million liability

Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals

6th Circuit Upholds 60-Month Sentence for $1.2M Fraud Scheme

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit has affirmed the conviction and 60-month prison sentence of Karl Hampton, who was found guilty of orchestrating a fraud scheme that cost victims over $1.2 million. Hampton was convicted on 12 counts including wire fraud, mail fraud, money laundering, and conspiracy to commit money laundering.

•Hampton convicted on 12 counts including wire fraud, mail fraud, and money laundering

•Scheme involved spending over $1.2 million of other people's money over multiple years

Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals

Sixth Circuit Affirms Conviction in $250K COVID Relief Fraud Scheme

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit has upheld the conviction of Vonnie McDaniels, who defrauded federal COVID relief programs of nearly $250,000 through an elaborate scheme involving forged documents and stolen tenant identities.

•McDaniels defrauded three federal COVID relief programs of nearly $250,000 using computer-generated fake documents

•The scheme involved assuming tenant identities by using their IDs and forging signatures on falsified legal documents

Third Circuit Court of Appeals

Third Circuit Affirms Money Laundering Conviction for Car Dealer Lopez

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit affirmed the conviction of Christopher Lopez, who operated a used car dealership and was found guilty of conspiracy to conduct financial transactions intended to conceal proceeds from illegal activity. The court rejected Lopez's arguments that evidence was insufficient and that the indictment was improperly amended.

•Third Circuit affirmed money laundering conspiracy conviction of car dealer Christopher Lopez

•Court rejected arguments about insufficient evidence and improper indictment amendment