Crime & Safety
Passaic County Man Admits Role In $1M Email Scheme
Lawrence Espaillat, 41, and others conspired to steal more than $1 million from victims, authorities said.
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A Passaic County man admitted his role in a business email scheme where he and others stole more than $1 million from individuals and businesses, authorities announced.
Lawrence Espaillat, 41, of Clifton pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Peter Sheridan in Trenton federal court to conspiracy to commit wire fraud, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced.
Espaillat and conspirators Corry Pringley and Amanda Suazo participated in the scheme to steal more than $1 million from victims, Carpenito said.
Pringley and Suazo were recruited "mules" to provide their personal information to incorporate sham businesses with the New Jersey Department of the Treasury under their names. The "mules" opened bank accounts in the names of the sham corporations, Carpenito said.
The scheme involved creating email addresses similar to real email addresses of supervisors at various companies, vendors, and mortgages that dealt with individuals connected to real estate purchases, brokerage firms, and accountants.
Conspirators used these email addresses to send emails that appeared to be requests for payment of legitimate invoices or debts the victims owed, Carpenito said.
Espaillat, Suazo and Pringley were told by their conspirators, took thousands of dollars out from the accounts at ATMs and debit card purchases and transferred money to foreign bank accounts they controlled, Carpenito said.
Over a three-day period in April 2018, a corporate victim in Texas deposited $3.8 million dollars in a bank account opened by Pringley and controlled by Espaillat, Pringley and Suazo, who withdrew or transferred more than $1 million from the account, Carpenito said.
The conspiracy charge carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a fine of $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss.
Sentencing is scheduled for July 30.
Suazo and Pringly each pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud in January and February, respectively, Carpenito said. They are awaiting sentencing.
Email: daniel.hubbard@patch.com
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