Verdict . News

Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals

7th Circuit Upholds Wire Fraud in Housing Authority Kickback Case

The Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed wire fraud convictions against two Housing Authority of South Bend officials who orchestrated a kickback scheme involving fictional maintenance contracts, while reversing their bank fraud convictions due to insufficient evidence.

•Seventh Circuit affirmed wire fraud convictions but reversed bank fraud charges against Housing Authority officials

•Robinson and Smith orchestrated kickback scheme involving fictional maintenance contracts at South Bend housing properties

Second Circuit Court of Appeals

Second Circuit Affirms Paul Fishbein Criminal Conviction

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit affirmed a criminal conviction against Paul Fishbein in a summary order issued January 27, 2026. The three-judge panel upheld a February 2024 judgment from the Southern District of New York.

•Second Circuit affirmed Paul Fishbein's criminal conviction in summary order

•Three-judge panel upheld February 2024 district court judgment

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

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.

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

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

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.

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

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

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

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.

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

Third Circuit Court of Appeals

Jan 22, 2026•4 min read

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

Jan 21, 2026•4 min read

•Matthew Mencarelli received a 97-month federal prison sentence for wire fraud related to his construction business

6th Circuit Affirms 97-Month Sentence for Michigan Contractor's Fraud Scheme

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit affirmed a 97-month prison sentence for Matthew Mencarelli, who operated Matthew's Woodworking LLC in Kent County, Michigan, after he pled guilty to wire fraud. The appeals court rejected Mencarelli's challenge to the district court's refusal to apply an acceptance-of-responsibility reduction to his offense level.

•The Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals rejected his appeal for an acceptance-of-responsibility reduction

Third Circuit Court of Appeals

Jan 20, 2026•4 min read

Third Circuit Affirms Fraud Convictions of Three DuBose Brothers

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit affirmed the criminal convictions of three brothers—Zumar, Abdush, and Kariem DuBose—for their roles in a fraud scheme targeting the United States Postal Service, United Parcel Service, and Citizens Bank. The January 20, 2026 decision rejected multiple appellate arguments from the defendants.

•Three brothers convicted of defrauding USPS, UPS, and Citizens Bank in coordinated scheme

•Third Circuit unanimously affirmed all convictions despite multiple appellate arguments

Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals

Jan 16, 2026•4 min read

11th Circuit Affirms Wire Fraud Convictions in Nursing Diploma Scheme

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit affirmed the convictions and sentences of three defendants—Gail Russ, Vilaire Duroseau, and Cassandre Jean—for wire fraud and conspiracy to commit wire fraud in connection with a fraudulent nursing diploma scheme. The case involved issuing fake nursing diplomas and transcripts from April 2016 through July 2021.

•Three defendants convicted of operating fraudulent nursing diploma scheme from 2016-2021

•Eleventh Circuit affirmed both wire fraud convictions and sentences on appeal