61岁男子自德国被引渡回美受审：涉冒充通灵者寄信诈骗逾400万美元、数千人受害多为长者
美国司法部11月3日宣布，61岁的 Mael Chemla 已自德国被引渡至美国，并于11月2日在位于 Florida 州 Miami 的联邦法院首次出庭，面对冒充通灵者的邮件诈骗指控。Chemla 拥有美国、法国和以色列三国国籍，此前居住在 Florida 州 Aventura。
根据11月2日解封的起诉书，Chemla 被指与他人合谋，向全美各地的受害人寄送看似由通灵者发出的个性化信件，谎称通灵者得知受害人即将获得一笔意外之财、必须先付款才能领取。Chemla 以这些虚假通灵者的名义在美国开设银行账户，把受害人寄来的支票存入这些账户，再将资金电汇至一名同伙控制的欧洲银行账户。
司法部称，这一骗局从2016年9月持续到2020年11月，Chemla 与同伙共收取超过400万美元，受害人达数千人，其中许多人是长者和其他弱势群体。
Chemla 被控共谋、邮件欺诈和电汇欺诈。司法部表示，若罪名成立，他在全部罪名上面临最高20年监禁。此案由美国邮政监察局调查，司法部刑事司白领与公司执法组的审判律师 Ann Entwistle 与 Charles Dunn 负责起诉；司法部国际事务办公室为德国引渡法院的诉讼提供重要支持，并在引渡获批后与美国法警局协调押送被告回美。
司法部在公告中注明，起诉书只是一项指控，所有被告在被法庭以排除合理怀疑的标准证明有罪之前，均被推定无罪。
（来源：美国司法部）
Man, 61, Extradited From Germany to Face Charges in Fake Psychic Mailing Scheme That Took Over $4 Million
The U.S. Department of Justice announced on November 3 that Mael Chemla, 61, was extradited to the United States from Germany and made his initial appearance in federal court in Miami, Florida, on November 2, to face charges for his role in operating a mailing fraud scheme built on fake psychics. Chemla, a U.S., French, and Israeli national, previously resided in Aventura, Florida.
According to the indictment, unsealed on November 2, Chemla allegedly conspired with others to send letters to victims throughout the United States that appeared to be personalized communications from psychics. The letters falsely informed victims that the psychic had learned of an imminent financial windfall the victim was entitled to receive, and that the victim needed to send a payment in order to receive it. Chemla allegedly opened U.S. bank accounts in the names of the purported psychics, deposited victims' checks into those accounts, and then wired the funds to European bank accounts controlled by a co-conspirator.
From September 2016 through November 2020, Chemla and his co-conspirator collected more than $4 million from thousands of victims in the United States, many of whom were elderly and otherwise vulnerable, the department said.
Chemla is charged with conspiracy, mail fraud, and wire fraud. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison on all counts. The U.S. Postal Inspection Service is investigating the case. Trial Attorneys Ann Entwistle and Charles Dunn of the Criminal Division's White Collar and Corporate Enforcement Section are prosecuting; the Justice Department's Office of International Affairs provided significant support in the litigation before the German extradition court and, once extradition was granted, coordinated with the U.S. Marshals Service to arrange Chemla's transport to the United States.
The department noted that an indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
(Source: U.S. Department of Justice)
来源：美国司法部
发布：GSM·美国（发布链接）
图片来源：图：位于华盛顿的美国司法部总部大楼（资料图），GSM 联邦机构固定图库。 / Photo: U.S. Department of Justice headquarters in Washington (file photo), GSM federal asset library.
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