Verdict . News

Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals

11th Circuit Upholds Tax Fraud Conviction of Ali Akhenaten

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit affirmed the conviction of Ali Akhenaten on five counts of filing false tax returns. The court rejected his appeal challenging the sufficiency of evidence and restitution order.

•Eleventh Circuit affirmed Ali Akhenaten's conviction on five counts of filing false tax returns under 26 U.S.C. § 7206(1)

•Court rejected challenges to evidence sufficiency and restitution order in per curiam opinion

Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals

4th Circuit Affirms Wire Fraud Conviction in Heggins Case

The Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed Daniel Frank Heggins' conviction for aiding and abetting wire fraud, upholding his 24-month prison sentence and $6,029 restitution order. The unpublished per curiam decision rejected Heggins' appeal challenging both his conviction and restitution requirements.

•Fourth Circuit unanimously affirmed Heggins' wire fraud conviction and 24-month sentence

•Court rejected challenges to conviction and $6,029 restitution order to settlement company

Third Circuit Court of Appeals

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

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

Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals

5th Circuit Affirms Denial of Coram Nobis Petition in Wire Fraud Case

The Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed the denial of Eugene J. Lockhart Jr.'s petition for writ of coram nobis, an extraordinary legal remedy seeking to overturn his conviction for conspiracy to commit wire fraud and bank fraud. The brief ruling represents the latest development in a case that originated in 2009 in the Northern District of Texas.

•Fifth Circuit affirmed denial of coram nobis petition without detailed explanation

•Lockhart originally pleaded guilty to conspiracy charges involving wire fraud and bank fraud

Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals

7th Circuit Reverses Bank Fraud Convictions in Robinson-Smith Case

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit granted a petition for panel rehearing and reversed bank fraud convictions for defendants Tonya Robinson and Albert Smith, while affirming their wire fraud convictions. The court directed the district court to enter a judgment of acquittal on the bank fraud counts.

•Seventh Circuit reversed bank fraud convictions on Counts 2-7 for both defendants

•Wire fraud conviction on Count 8 was affirmed for both defendants

Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals

7th Circuit Reverses Bank Fraud Convictions, Orders Acquittal

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit granted a petition for panel rehearing and reversed bank fraud convictions for Tonya Robinson and Albert Smith, directing the district court to enter judgments of acquittal. The court's January 28, 2026 order clarified its previous December 15, 2025 opinion with specific remand instructions.

•Seventh Circuit reversed bank fraud convictions on Counts 2-7 but affirmed wire fraud conviction on Count 8

•Court granted defendants' petition for panel rehearing to clarify remand instructions

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 Conviction in $461K Corporate Credit Card Fraud

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit affirmed the conviction of Erica Crabb, who embezzled over $460,000 from her employer using corporate credit cards for personal expenses. The court upheld her sentence of one year and a day in prison plus three years of supervised release.

•Erica Crabb embezzled over $460,000 using corporate credit cards for personal expenses

•She concealed the fraud through carefully timed payments and false accounting entries