MIL Security Engine-1

Source: US FBI

NEWS RELEASE SUMMARY – February 23, 2024

SAN DIEGO – David Constantin, alleged mastermind of a scheme to steal more than $5 million in California unemployment benefits intended to help workers affected by the pandemic, appeared in federal court today following his extradition Monday to the United States from Romania.

At today’s hearing, U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael S. Berg ordered Constantin detained pending trial. The next hearing is scheduled for April 1, 2024, at 1:30 p.m. before U.S. District Judge Larry A. Burns.

Constantin was indicted by a federal grand jury in October 2023 along with 13 others. In addition to the four counts of wire fraud conspiracy and wire fraud charges, the indictment also alleges that Constantin transmitted more than $128,000 in fraud proceeds to associates in Romania.

Constantin was apprehended by Romanian authorities at the request of the United States on November 14, 2023. The United States also seized valuable assets connected to Constantin, and co-Defendants in this case, Eduard Buse (D6), and Florentina Sima (D7).

The following agencies provided critical assistance in securing Constantin’s arrest and extradition: Directorate for Combating Organized Crime (DCCO) – Service for Countering of Organized Criminal Groups; Pitești Brigade for Combating Organized Crime (BCCO Pitesti); Teleorman County Service for Countering Organized Crime; Romanian Gendarmerie Battalion; Romanian Ministry of Justice; and Romanian Criminal Investigative Directorate – Fugitive Unit.

“We thank Romanian authorities for their assistance in securing Mr. Constantin’s arrest and for their continued efforts in support of this case.”, said U.S. Attorney Tara McGrath.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jessica Adeline Schulberg and Valerie Chu. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided substantial assistance to secure the arrest and extradition from Romania of Constantin.

DEFENDANT                                               Case Number 23CR2090-LAB                                

David Constantin                                            Age: 28                                   Arges County, Romania

aka Vlad Alexandru

SUMMARY OF CHARGES

Title 18, U.S.C. § 1349 — Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud

Title 18, U.S.C. § 1343 — Wire Fraud

Maximum penalty: Thirty years in prison, $1 million fine

Title 18 U.S.C. § 1956(a)(2)(A) — Laundering of Monetary Instruments

Maximum penalty: Twenty years in prison and $500,000 fine or twice the value of the monetary instrument or funds involved in the transportation, transmission, or transfer, whichever is greater

INVESTIGATING AGENCIES

Federal Bureau of Investigation

San Diego Police Department Economic Crimes Unit

IRS Criminal Investigation

California Employment Development Department Investigative Division

U.S. Department of Labor Office of Inspector General

U.S. Department of Homeland Security

*The charges and allegations contained in an indictment or complaint are merely accusations, and the defendants are considered innocent unless and until proven guilty.

Source: US FBI

SAN DIEGO – Three members of a massive conspiracy to bilk the military’s healthcare program known as TRICARE out of more than $65 million have been sentenced in federal court.

Former U.S. Marines, Daniel Castro and Jeremy Syto, were sentenced to 21 months and 15 months, respectively; Nurse Practitioner Candace Craven was sentenced to serve three months in home confinement. Castro and Syto recruited fellow Marines to receive expensive compounded drugs; Craven and others wrote bogus prescriptions and filled out fraudulent paperwork to process the insurance reimbursements. All told, tens of millions of dollars in false claims were submitted; everyone got kickbacks.

All of the defendants were working for Jimmy and Ashley Collins, a married couple living in Birchwood, Tennessee, who quarterbacked the scheme. Two weeks ago, Jimmy Collins received a 10-year prison sentence; Ashley Collins was sentenced to 18 months in home confinement. To account for all the fraud, the couple was ordered to pay $65,679,512.71 in restitution to Defense Health Agency and TRICARE.

According to plea agreements, the Marines who Castro and Syto recruited agreed to receive the pricey compounded medications in return for a monthly kickback of approximately $300. For young Marines-turned-straw-beneficiaries, this money significantly augmented their monthly paycheck. One defendant noted “it took very little work to sign people up to receive free money.”

For recruiting bogus patients, Castro and Syto were paid a commission—somewhere between 3 to7 percent of the total TRICARE reimbursement paid to the pharmacy for the drugs sent to their recruits. By the time this fraud scheme was in full swing, the average cost for these compounded drugs was more than $13,000 for a 30-day supply, peaking at around $25,000 for certain individual drugs.  Over the course of the conspiracy, the illegal kickbacks amounted to at least $1,013,450.36 for Castro and $264,000 for Syto. 

In total, TRICARE paid at least $11,949,710.15 in insurance reimbursements for compounded medications prescribed to straw beneficiaries directly recruited by Castro. During the same period, TRICARE paid at least $8,620,215.83 for compounded medications prescribed to straw beneficiaries directly recruited by Syto.

Nurse Practitioner Craven admitted that her primary role was to write and process fraudulent prescriptions and fill out other fraudulent paperwork for compounded drugs for the straw beneficiaries.

According to the pleadings, the sharp increase in the number of bogus prescriptions for compounded drugs was the result of multiple fraud schemes, including this one, that popped up around the country. As a result, the TRICARE program faced a $2 billion explosion in liability for compounded prescription drugs.

“This outrageous scheme undermined health services for those who risk their lives to serve our country,” said U.S. Attorney Tara McGrath. “Our military members and taxpayers deserve so much better. This case reflects our dedication to the well-being of our armed forces and our steadfast protection of the U.S. taxpayer.”

During the course of the investigation, authorities seized numerous items and properties purchased by the Collinses and others with the proceeds of the fraud: an 82-foot yacht; multiple luxury vehicles, including two Aston Martins; a multimillion-dollar investment annuity; gold and silver bars; dozens of pieces of farm equipment and tractor-trailer trucks; and three pieces of Tennessee real estate.

This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark W. Pletcher.

DEFENDANTS                                 Case Number: 18-CR-0432-JLS

Daniel Castro                                      Age: 36                       Oak Lawn, IL

Jeremy Syto                                        Age: 30                       Chula Vista, CA

DEFENDANTS                                 Case Number: 18-CR-4209-JLS

Candace Michelle Craven                   Age: 57                       Apison, TN                            

SUMMARY OF CHARGES

Daniel Castro:

Conspiracy, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1349, 1347

Maximum penalty: Ten years in prison and $250,000 fine or double loss amount, whichever is greater

An order of restitution requiring defendant to repay at least $11,949,710.15 to DHA/TRICARE

Jeremy Syto:

Conspiracy, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1349, 1347

Maximum penalty: Ten years in prison and $250,000 fine or double loss amount, whichever is greater

An order of restitution requiring defendant to repay at least $8,620,215.83 to DHA/TRICARE

Candace Craven:

Conspiracy, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1349, 1347

Maximum penalty: Ten years in prison and $250,000 fine or double loss amount, whichever is greater

An order of restitution requiring defendant to repay at least $32,750.00 to DHA/TRICARE

INVESTIGATING AGENCIES

Defense Criminal Investigative Service

Naval Criminal Investigative Service

IRS Criminal Investigation Division, Gulfport, MS

Federal Bureau of Investigation – Jackson, MS Field Office

Source: US FBI

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Fidel Andrade, 36, of Stockton, pleaded guilty today to conspiring to possess and distribute cocaine, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.

According to court documents, between January and October 2020, Andrade, who then worked as a correctional officer, supplied cocaine to his co-defendant Neftali Castillo Montes. Montes then sold over 9 ounces of cocaine to an FBI confidential source. On March 3, 2021, officers discovered an additional ounce of cocaine during a search warrant executed at Andrade’s house.

Andrade is scheduled to be sentenced on Jan. 14, 2025, by U.S. District Judge Kimberly J. Mueller. Montes pleaded guilty for his role in this conspiracy on July 15, 2024, and is scheduled to be sentenced on Jan. 28, 2025. Both defendants face a maximum statutory penalty of 20 years on prison for their roles in this conspiracy. Montes is separately charged in another indictment involving a methamphetamine trafficking conspiracy. The actual sentences, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.

This case is the product of an investigation by the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, the U.S. Customs and Borders Protection, the Drug Enforcement Administration, Homeland Security Investigations, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Tracy Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Adrian T. Kinsella is prosecuting the case.

The case was investigated under the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF). OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. For more information about Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces, please visit Justice.gov/OCDETF. 

Source: US FBI

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Michael Andrew Scott, 38, of Fair Oaks, pleaded guilty today to wire fraud, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.

According to court documents, between June 2018 and June 2022, Scott devised a scheme to defraud investors in his company, Trusted Medical Partnership. Scott told investors that either he or Trusted Medical Partnership received purchase orders from various health care providers for medical devices but lacked the capital to fulfill the orders. Scott solicited and obtained loans from these investors, and, in exchange, promised them substantial returns in a relatively short time with zero risk.

In reality, Scott’s representations to these prospective investors were false because Scott did not have purchase orders from health care providers. To some of his victims, Scott sent purchase orders that he had doctored or fabricated in order to convince them to lend money. The health care providers listed on these purported purchase orders confirmed that the orders were fake altogether or altered to reflect inflated amounts or other false information. Further, Trusted Medical Partnership was not a legitimate business – while incorporated in the State of California, it conducted no legitimate business transactions, paid no taxes, submitted no wage or employment-related records, and had been suspended in December 2021, before Scott solicited investments on its behalf from some of his victims.

Scott’s victims lent him money on the basis of his false statements, including the fraudulent purchase orders, but received little to no returns on their investments. Instead, Scott spent the money on gambling at several local casinos (sometimes the same day he received the victims’ money), personal expenses, or payments to other, prior investors in order to keep the scheme running. Collectively, Scott defrauded more than 10 victims of between $250,000 and $550,000.

This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Dhruv M. Sharma is prosecuting the case.

Scott is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Kimberly J. Mueller on Jan. 14, 2025. Scott faces a maximum statutory penalty of 20 years in prison and a fine of $250,00, or twice the gross gain or gross loss, whichever is greater. In addition to pleading guilty, Scott agreed to pay restitution to his victims of between $338,843 and $550,000. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.

Source: US FBI

FRESNO, Calif. — Bryan M. Williams, 41, of Atascadero, pleaded guilty today to bank fraud, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.

According to court documents, between 2013 and 2019, Williams served as the treasurer of a Kern County political organization. During that time period, he stole between $230,000 and $435,000 from the organization, and used those funds for his personal use.

This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey A. Spivak is prosecuting the case.

Williams is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Jennifer L. Thurston on Jan. 27, 2025. Williams faces a maximum statutory penalty of 30 years in prison and a $1 million fine. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.

Source: US FBI

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Three co-defendants, Martin Cervantes Vasquez, 49, of Stockton; Alberto Gonzalez Salgado, 45, of Sacramento; and Isaiah Alberto Salgado, 25, of Sacramento, pleaded guilty today to various drug trafficking and illegal weapons possession charges, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.

Cervantes and Alberto Salgado pleaded guilty to a fentanyl pill trafficking conspiracy. Cervantes also pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, and Alberto Salgado also pleaded guilty to two counts of heroin distribution, to cultivating more than 100 marijuana plants, and to possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Isaiah Salgado pleaded guilty to possession of an unregistered short-barreled rifle.

According to court documents, Alberto Salgado sold heroin and fentanyl-laced counterfeit oxycodone pills to a confidential source on multiple occasions in 2019 and 2020. Cervantes supplied fentanyl-laced counterfeit oxycodone pills to Alberto Salgado and also possessed more than a kilogram of heroin and 500 grams of methamphetamine on the day of his arrest on Oct. 8, 2020. Alberto and Isaiah Salgado sold an illegal short-barreled rifle to the same confidential source in August 2020. Alberto Salgado also maintained a stash house in Sacramento where he grew more than 100 marijuana plants and also kept a firearm to protect his drug trafficking operation.

This case is the product of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration, with assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the Federal Bureau of Investigation; Homeland Security Investigations; the Sacramento Area Intelligence/Narcotics Task Force; and the California Highway Patrol. Assistant U.S. Attorney David W. Spencer is prosecuting the case.

Cervantes is scheduled to be sentenced on Jan. 23, 2025, Alberto Salgado on Feb. 13, 2025, and Isaiah Salgado on Jan. 9, 2025, by U.S. District Judge Daniel J. Calabretta. Cervantes and Alberto Salgado face a maximum statutory penalty of life in prison. Isaiah Salgado faces a maximum statutory penalty of 10 years in prison. The actual sentences, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.

This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at www.justice.gov/OCDETF.

Source: US FBI

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Tyrone Anderson, 44, of Sacramento, was sentenced today to 11 years and three months in prison for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute at least 5,000 grams of cocaine and 280 grams of cocaine base and for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute heroin, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.

According to court documents, Anderson is among the 15 federal defendants arrested in 2021 and charged in a 45-count indictment for trafficking narcotics as part of a DEA-led multi-agency operation targeting cocaine and heroin traffickers in North Sacramento. Anderson was intercepted during wiretaps in 2018 and 2019 trafficking kilograms of cocaine and heroin to sub‑distributors in California and from the East Coast. During the wiretap, agents seized 4  kilograms of cocaine that Anderson had sold for $118,000 to a Baltimore sub-distributor. At the time of his arrest, agents seized 567 grams of powder cocaine and 949 grams of heroin from Anderson’s stash location and two loaded firearms from his residence.

Below is the status of Anderson’s co-defendants:

On Sept. 29, 2022, Jason Tolbert, 47, of Sacramento, was sentenced to 57 months in prison for possession with intent to distribute cocaine.

On Nov. 17, 2022, Charles Carter, 36, of Sacramento, was sentenced to 70 months in prison for conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute at least 500 grams of cocaine.

On Nov. 17, 2022, Andre Hellams, 40, of North Highlands, pleaded guilty to two counts of using a communication facility to facilitate a drug trafficking offense. Hellams is scheduled to be sentenced on Oct. 24, 2024.

On Dec. 8, 2022, Michael Hampton, 57, of Vallejo, was sentenced to 60 months in prison for to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute at least 500 grams of cocaine.

On March 16, 2023, Arlington Caine, 50, of Rio Linda, was sentenced to 22 months in prison for two counts of using a communication facility to facilitate a drug trafficking offense.

On March 14, 2024, Bobby Conner, 53, of Sacramento, was sentenced to six months in prison for two counts of using a communication facility to facilitate a drug trafficking offense.

On March 28, 2024, Maurice Bryant, 53, of Antelope, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute at least 5,000 grams of cocaine and 280 grams of cocaine base. Bryant is scheduled to be sentenced on Oct. 17, 2024.

On April 25, 2024, 2023, Dwight Haney, 52, of Sacramento was sentenced to time served for two counts of using a communication facility to facilitate a drug trafficking offense. 

On May 30, 2024, Jerome Adams, 56, of North Highlands, was sentenced to 60 months in prison for two counts of using a communication facility to facilitate a drug trafficking offense.

On Aug. 8, 2024, Steven Hampton, 65, of Sacramento, was sentenced to 84 months in prison for possession with intent to distribute at least 500 grams of cocaine.

On Sept. 26, 2024, Mark Martin, 63, of Sacramento was sentenced to time served for using a communication facility to facilitate a drug trafficking offense.

On Aug. 1, 2024, Alex White, 61, of North Highlands, was sentenced to a term of 38 months (time served) for distribution of cocaine base.

Charges are pending against Yovanny Ontiveros, 41, of Sacramento and Wilmer Harden, 52, of Elk Grove. The charges are only allegations; the defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

This case is the product of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations, the U.S. Marshals Service, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the U.S. Forest Service, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Bureau of Land Management, the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, the California Department of Justice, the California Highway Patrol, the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office, and the Sacramento Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Cameron L. Desmond is prosecuting the case.

This prosecution is part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Strike Force Initiative, which provides for the establishment of permanent multi-agency task force teams that work side-by-side in the same location. The Sacramento Strike Force is a co-located model enables agents from different agencies to collaborate on intelligence-driven, multi-jurisdictional operations to disrupt and dismantle the most significant drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations. The specific mission of the Sacramento Strike Force is to identify, investigate, disrupt, and dismantle the most significant drug trafficking organizations (DTOs) and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs) shipping narcotics, firearms, and money through the Eastern District of California, thereby reducing the flow of these criminal resources in California and the rest of the United States. The Sacramento Strike Force leads intelligence-driven investigations targeting the leadership and support elements of these DTOs and TCOs operating within the Eastern District of California, regardless of their geographic base of operations.

Source: US FBI

SANTA ANA, California – A one-time Orange County man who is one of Romania’s most notorious criminals was sentenced today to 60 months in federal prison for stealing victims’ identities to withdraw money from their public-assistance accounts without their permission.

Florin Duduianu, 39, whose last known residence was in Mission Viejo, was sentenced by United States District Judge John W. Holcomb, who also ordered him to pay $1,850 in restitution.

Duduianu pleaded guilty on January 5 to three counts of bank fraud and unlawful use of unauthorized access devices. After a two-day bench trial, Judge Holcomb on January 23 found Duduianu guilty of two counts of aggravated identity theft.

“This defendant came to our country to victimize the neediest members of our society,” said United States Attorney Martin Estrada. “Our nation is not a piggy bank for foreign criminals, and those who think they can take advantage of our liberties to harm our people are sorely mistaken.” 

“Duduianu stole money which was meant to serve as a critical lifeline to those most in need,” said Akil Davis, the Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI Los Angeles Field Office. “It was a serious offense, and the FBI remains committed to working with our law enforcement partners across the globe to identify fraudsters like this defendant and hold them fully accountable for their crimes.”

In August 2023, law enforcement was conducting an operation to combat Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) fraud at various banks and ATMs in Placentia. Police saw Duduianu, accompanied by a passenger, drive up to a Wells Fargo ATM and make multiple withdrawals on different cards. Based on this information, officers pulled Duduianu over. Duduianu lied to the officers, telling them he was depositing, not withdrawing, money from the ATM.

During a search of Duduianu’s passenger, officers found four Visa gift cards, three Wells Fargo ATM receipts, and $1,850 in cash. The Visa gift cards were encoded with EBT card numbers. Those numbers were run through an EBT database, which showed that they belonged to four different people. Based on the Wells Fargo receipts, Duduianu used two of the cards to make three withdrawals totaling $1,850 from the ATM.

The FBI contacted the accountholders for the two EBT accounts from which Duduianu made withdrawals. The accountholders said that they did not know Duduianu or his car passenger and did not give permission to anyone to withdraw funds from their accounts.

During a search of Duduianu’s cellphone, law enforcement found dozens of photos and videos related to ATM skimming as well as tools and techniques used to skim EBT information. Law enforcement also found photos of large sums of cash and hundreds of EBT numbers from multiple states. In the chat history of Duduianu’s phone, the government found an article about EBT fraud that was sent from his phone to four other phone numbers.

On another smartphone law enforcement recovered during Duduianu’s arrest, law enforcement found additional videos related to ATM skimming. Phone records and EBT records showed that this phone was used to check the balance of the EBT accounts of the victims in this case, five days before Duduianu withdrew $1,850 from those same accounts.

“Until his arrest in this case…Duduianu was one of Romania’s ‘Most Wanted’ criminals and an INTERPOL fugitive,” prosecutors argued in a sentencing memorandum. “He leads the ‘Duduianu Clan,’ an exceptionally violent and influential

organized crime group and was previously convicted of attempted murder. In 2020, [Duduianu] fled Romanian prosecution following charges of robbery and blackmail.”

The FBI and the Placentia Police Department investigated this matter.

Assistant United States Attorneys David Y. Pi of the Major Frauds Section and Diane B. Roldán of the General Crimes Section prosecuted this case.

Source: US FBI

            WASHINGTON – An indictment was unsealed today charging Malone Lam, 20, of Miami, FL and Los Angeles, CA, and Jeandiel Serrano, 21, of Los Angeles, CA, with conspiracy to steal and launder over $230 million in cryptocurrency from a victim in Washington, D.C.  Lam, a citizen of Singapore who goes by the online monikers “Anne Hathaway” and “$$$”, and Serrano, who uses “VersaceGod” and “@SkidStar”, were arrested last night and are appearing in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida and the Central District of California, respectively, today.

            The arrests and indictment were announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, FBI Acting Special Agent in Charge David Geist of the Washington Field Office’s Criminal and Cyber Division, and Executive Special Agent in Charge Kareem A. Carter of the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) Washington, D.C. Field Office.

            According in the indictment, since at least August 2024, Lam, Serrano, and others conspired to carry out cryptocurrency thefts and to launder the stolen crypto currency through exchanges and mixing services. The conspirators would fraudulently gain access to victim cryptocurrency accounts and then transfer victim funds into their possession. They laundered the proceeds, including by moving the funds through various mixers and exchanges using “peel chains,” pass-through wallets, and virtual private networks (VPNs) to mask their true identities.  Lam and Serrano then allegedly spent the laundered cryptocurrency proceeds on international travel, nightclubs, luxury automobiles, watches, jewelry, designer handbags, and rental homes in Los Angeles and Miami. In one instance, on August 18, 2024, Lam, Serrano, and their conspirators contacted a victim in D.C. and, through the communications with that victim, fraudulently obtained over 4,100 Bitcoin (worth over $230 million at the time).

            This ongoing investigation is being handled by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, the FBI’s Washington Field Office, and the IRS-Criminal Investigation Washington Field Office.  Significant investigative and operational support was provided by the FBI’s Los Angeles and Miami Field Offices.

            An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

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Source: US FBI

SANTA ANA, California – An Orange County man pleaded guilty today to federal criminal charges for orchestrating a scheme to steal high-value violins and robbing a bank in Irvine.

Mark Meng, 58, of Irvine, pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud and one count of bank robbery.

According to his plea agreement, from August 2020 to April 2023, Meng schemed to steal valuable violins and keep or resell them for his personal gain. Meng – posing as a collector of musical instruments – contacted violin shops across the country to express interest in receiving the violins on loan for a trial period to determine if he wished to buy them. In some cases, he purchased violin bows before asking for the violins on a trial-period basis.

After receiving each violin, Meng negotiated a purchase price for it, kept the instrument beyond the trial period, then provided the violin shops with a check or set of checks for the violin, knowing the whole time the checks he wrote to the violin shops would be rejected due to insufficient funds.

When a violin shop representative contacted Meng to inform him that the shop’s bank had rejected his checks, he sent a new series of checks, which also later were rejected due to insufficient funds. Sometimes, Meng lied to the violin shops by falsely telling them he had mailed the violin back to them, but that they had been lost in the mail. Eventually, Meng stopped communicating with the violin shops.

After fraudulently obtaining the violins, Meng re-sold them to a buyer – often during the trial periods from the violin shops. For example, on February 1, 2023, a victim loaned Meng a Guilio Degani violin – valued at $175,000 – pursuant to a trial-period contract, which required Meng to return or purchase the violin by February 10, 2023. However, Meng sold this violin to a buyer – who was unaware of the violin’s stolen origin.

According to court documents, Meng also stole the following:

• one Lorenzo Ventapane violin, dated 1823, and valued at $175,000;
• one Guilio Degani violin, dated 1903, and valued at $55,000;
• one Caressa & Francais violin, dated 1913, and valued at $40,000;
• one Francais Lott violin bow, stamped “Lupot,” and valued at $7,500;
• one Gand & Bernardel violin, dated 1870, and valued at $60,000;
• one French, Charles J.B. Colin Mezin violin, valued at $6,500; and
• one German, E.H. Roth Guarneri violin, valued at $6,500.

Despite knowing that he did not own these violins and violin bows, Meng sold three of these stolen violins and a violin bow to a victim for a total of $44,700.

In January 2023, Meng emailed one violin shop in Alexandria, Virginia, to express an interest in obtaining the Ventapane violin and the Degani violin on a trial basis, all the while intending to fraudulently obtain then re-sell them.

On April 2, 2024, Meng entered a bank branch in Irvine, wearing a hat, sunglasses, a bandana covering his face, and blue latex gloves. Meng gave the bank teller a note stating “$18,000. – Withdraw. Please. Stay Cool. No harm. Thx.” When the teller told Meng she did not have access to the money he demanded, Meng responded, “Give me whatever you have.” The teller, fearing harm to herself and her coworkers, handed Meng $446.

United States District Judge David O. Carter scheduled a February 24, 2025, sentencing hearing, at which time Meng will face a statutory maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison for each count. Meng has been in federal custody since May 9.

The FBI’s Art Crime Team investigated this matter, with assistance from the Irvine Police Department and the Glendale Police Department.

Assistant United States Attorneys Laura A. Alexander and Mark A. Williams, both of the Environmental Crimes and Consumer Protection Section, are prosecuting this case.