两人被控以盗用身份设空壳公司 发起370万美元未授权扣款在纽约受诉
纽约州纽约市 — 美国司法部纽约南区联邦检察官办公室11月10日宣布，Paris Baker 与 Michael Sullivan 当日被逮捕。两人被控以身份盗窃受害人的名义注册虚假空壳实体，再以这些实体的名义发起约370万美元对第三方银行账户的未授权扣款。南区联邦检察官 Jamie McDonald 与联邦调查局（FBI）助理主管 James C. Barnacle, Jr. 公布了这一逮捕。
起诉书指控，约在2019年至2024年间，Baker、Sullivan 等人以身份盗窃受害人的名义注册空壳实体，再以这些实体名义在至少3家支付处理商开设账户，其中一家位于纽约州 Rockland County，并以空壳公司 提供服务为名发起对第三方银行账户的未授权扣款。
起诉书指控，这些空壳实体发起的数十万美元未授权交易经支付处理商清算后转入空壳实体控制的银行账户，随后被 Baker、Sullivan 等人花用或转往其控制的其他账户。两人被指试图骗取至少约370万美元，并已实际得手至少约130万美元，作案共用了不少于6家虚假空壳实体，这些实体均未经营任何正当业务、也没有真实客户。
Baker（38岁，伊利诺伊州 Chicago）当日上午在加州 Thousand Oaks 被捕，预计当天下午在洛杉矶的联邦法院出庭。Sullivan（50岁，伊利诺伊州 Calumet City）在 Calumet City 被捕，当日上午已在 Chicago 的联邦法院出庭。
两名被告各被控电信诈骗与共谋电信诈骗（最高20年监禁）、接入设备诈骗与共谋接入设备诈骗（最高15年监禁）、共谋洗钱（最高20年监禁），以及加重身份盗窃（强制最低刑2年）。此案由该办公室 White Plains 分部起诉。起诉书中的指控仅为指控，两名被告在被证明有罪之前推定无罪。
（来源：美国司法部）
Two Charged in New York With Using Stolen Identities and Shell Companies to Initiate $3.7 Million in Unauthorized Debits
NEW YORK, New York — The U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York announced on November 10 the arrests of Paris Baker and Michael Sullivan. They are charged with a fraudulent scheme to initiate approximately $3.7 million in unauthorized debits of third-party bank accounts on behalf of fictitious shell entities that they incorporated in the names of identity theft victims. U.S. Attorney Jamie McDonald and James C. Barnacle, Jr., Assistant Director in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), announced the arrests.
As alleged in the Complaint, between approximately 2019 and 2024, Baker, Sullivan and others incorporated shell entities in the names of victims of identity theft. They then created accounts on behalf of the shell entities with at least three payment processors, one of which was based in Rockland County, New York, and initiated unauthorized debits of third parties' bank accounts, purportedly in consideration for services rendered by the shell companies.
Hundreds of thousands of dollars' worth of unauthorized transactions initiated by the shell entities were cleared by the payment processors, who transferred funds into bank accounts controlled by the shell entities. Those funds were subsequently spent by Baker, Sullivan and others involved in the scheme, or were transferred to other accounts under their control. They attempted to defraud victims of at least approximately $3.7 million and successfully procured at least approximately $1.3 million in fraudulent proceeds, using no fewer than six fictitious shell entities, none of which conducted any legitimate business or had any genuine customers.
Baker, 38, of Chicago, Illinois, was arrested in Thousand Oaks, California, and was expected to be presented in Los Angeles federal court. Sullivan, 50, of Calumet City, Illinois, was arrested in Calumet City and was presented in Chicago federal court.
Each defendant is charged with wire fraud and conspiracy to commit wire fraud, which carry a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison; access device fraud and conspiracy to commit access device fraud, which carry a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison; conspiracy to commit money laundering, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison; and aggravated identity theft, which carries a mandatory minimum sentence of two years in prison. The case is being prosecuted by the Office's White Plains Division. The charges in the Complaint are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
(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：美国司法部总部大楼入口（联邦核心机构固定图库）。本案由司法部纽约南区联邦检察官办公室起诉。 / Image: U.S. Department of Justice headquarters entrance (federal core asset pack). The case was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York.
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