Dillsburg Man Hid $13M In NFT Sales, Flaunted Travel Pics As GF Asked For Pageant Donations
A Pennsylvania man who hid millions from the IRS through secret NFT sales—while his girlfriend publicly asked for pageant donations for her daughter—has now been sentenced to prison, federal authorities and social media posts show.
Waylon Wilcox, 46, of Dillsburg, was sentenced to 12 months in prison and ordered to pay a $300,400 fine by Senior United States District Judge Malachy E. Mannion, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced on Thursday, April 23, 2026.
Wilcox had previously paid the IRS $3,305,238 in back taxes, plus $981,583.30 in interest, auth…
Glen Rock Accountant Admits $10M Ponzi Scheme, Bank Fraud, Feds Say
A Bergen County accountant and tax preparer admitted in federal court Tuesday, Feb. 17, to running a Ponzi and bank fraud scheme that bilked victims out of more than $10 million, authorities said.
Evangelos Drosos, 51, of Glen Rock, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Michael A. Shipp in federal court in Trenton to three counts of wire fraud, one count of bank fraud, and one count of failure to file an individual income tax return, Senior Counsel Philip Lamparello said.
Drosos was first charged by the Bergen County Prosecutor's Office last April with stealing nearly half a m…
Ex-Darien Man Gets 7.5 Years After $4M Investment Fraud Scheme: Feds
A Connecticut man will spend more than seven years in federal prison after prosecutors said he ran an investment fraud scheme that cost local clients millions.
John A. Masanotti Jr., 71, formerly of Dairen, was ordered to serve 90 months, followed by three years of supervised release, said US Attorney for the District of Connecticut David X. Sullivan. Masanotti, who now lives in Bonita Springs, Florida, also agreed to pay $4,361,632 in restitution to victims.
Prosecutors said he must also work with the Internal Revenue Service to pay back taxes, penalties, and interest.
Masanott…
Father, Sons Owners Of Lancaster County Restaurants Sentenced In Lengthy Tax Fraud Scheme: DOJ
Three Lancaster County restaurant owners were sentenced in a years-long tax fraud scheme involving the Conestoga Bar and Grill and the Neptune Diner, federal prosecutors announced on Friday, Nov. 14.
Antonios Mountis, 81, of Lancaster; his son Alexandros Mountis, 52, also of Lancaster; and his son Kostantinos Mountis, 50, of Lititz, were sentenced by United States District Judge Joseph F. Leeson Jr. for tax offenses, according to a release issued by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania on Tuesday, Oct. 7.
Antonios Mountis pleaded guilty in October 2024 to cons…
Bergen County Dad Living In $1M Home Who Smuggled Tech, Ammo For Russia Sentenced: DOJ
Two suburban husbands — one from New Jersey, the other from New Hampshire — lived comfortable family lives while secretly helping Russia obtain U.S.-made technology and sniper ammunition, federal prosecutors announced on Tuesday, Aug. 19.
Vadim Yermolenko, 43, of Upper Saddle River, NJ, a dual U.S. and Russian citizen, was sentenced to 30 months in prison for his role in the illicit network, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York. His co-defendant, Alexey Brayman, 38, of Merrimack, NH, an Israeli citizen born in Ukraine, pleaded guilty and is awaiting se…
$1M IRS Fraud Scheme Masterminded By Woman With Multiple Personas In York: DOJ
A York woman plotted an elaborate scheme to steal more than $1 million from the IRS by filing fake tax documents and a bogus check, federal prosecutors announced on Wednesday, August 13.
Queen Naja, 44, also known as Renata Winifred Ince and Naja Talibah Zahir, worked with 42-year-old Quentin Diego Sturgeon of Montgomery, Alabama, to carry out the plan, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Alabama.
The two met through social media in April 2021, when Naja proposed creating a legal trust, submitting fraudulent paperwork to the IRS, and using a counterfeit check …
$17M Scam Funded NJ Mini-Golf Buy-In, Lavish Life For PA Adviser: DOJ
A Main Line investment adviser stole millions from clients—including friends, relatives, and retirees—to bankroll a luxury lifestyle and buy into a Jersey Shore mini-golf course, the Federal Bureau of Investigation announced on Saturday, July 5.
Scott Mason, 66, of Gladwyne, was sentenced on Wednesday, June 25, 2025, to eight years in federal prison after pleading guilty to a sweeping fraud scheme that lasted over a decade. The Department of Justice says Mason stole more than $17 million while running his firm, Rubicon Wealth Management LLC, and never reported a cent to the IRS.
Inste…
$2.1M Hidden In PA Man's Taxes, Here's How He Skipped Prison Time: DOJ
Vincent Minervini hid more than $2.1 million in income using bogus business expenses — and now he’s serving his sentence at home with an ankle monitor, federal officials say.
Now, instead of heading to prison, he’s serving his sentence at home — wearing an ankle monitor.
Minervini, 50, of Reedsville in Mifflin County, was sentenced to five years of probation and 540 days of home detention after pleading guilty to filing a false tax return, Acting U.S. Attorney John C. Gurganus announced on Wednesday, July 2.
From 2014 to 2018, Minervini operated a web of companies — VM Holdings, Supreme St…
Lake George Inventor Defrauded Investors, Dodged Taxes While Living Large, Jury Finds
A New York man who promised big returns on patented inventions defrauded investors and failed to file tax returns, a federal jury found.
Michael Conner, 56, of Lake George, was convicted on 22 counts of wire fraud and related charges following an eight-day trial in Albany federal court on Thursday, April 10.
Conner portrayed himself as a successful inventor of household products such as a heated-blade knife, a paint bucket called the “Paint Caddy,” and a rotatable refrigerator shelf. But in reality, he never sold a single patent and hadn’t earned a dime in revenue from any of them, accordin…
Ellington Bookkeeper At Law Firm Embezzled $830K Over Decade: Feds
A longtime bookkeeper at a Connecticut law firm is facing federal charges after prosecutors say she stole more than $835,000 from the company, authorities said.
Heather Murdock, 57, of Ellington, was indicted on 12 federal counts, including five counts of bank fraud, wire fraud, and tax evasion. She pleaded not guilty in Hartford federal court and was released on a $40,000 bond, the US Attorney for Connecticut said.
Federal officials say Murdock worked as the bookkeeper and office manager at a Hartford law firm identified in court papers only as “Firm A.” Over a 12-year span, in…
Sewell Business Owner Evaded Thousands In Taxes For Seven Years: Feds
A 54-year-old Gloucester County man admitted on Tuesday, Jan. 14, to tax evasion, authorities said.
Jose Camilo Perez, Jr., a Sewell resident, pleaded guilty to evading more than $3,400 in taxes at the United States District Court in Camden, Acting U.S. Attorney Vikas Khanna said.
Perez controlled a company that digitized medical records for hospitals and other healthcare entities, Khanna said. From 2016 through 2023, the business received more than $8,000,000 for the services it performed, Khanna said. Perez attempted to evade the assessment of federal income taxes by cashing checks …
Manville Man Sentenced After Defrauding $4 Mil From Brain Injury Fund: Feds
A 58-year-old Somerset County man was sentenced on Thursday, Nov. 14, to 7.5 years in prison after he was convicted of defrauding millions from the New Jersey Brain Injury Fund, authorities said.
C.R. Kraus, a Manville resident, was convicted in April of conspiracy to commit healthcare fraud, five acts of healthcare fraud, and four counts of tax evasion, US Attorney Philip Sellinger said. Two of Kraus' co-conspirators pled guilty for their role in the scheme and are awaiting sentencing, Sellinger said.
From 2009 to 2019, Kraus and his co-conspirators conspired to defraud the brai…
Danbury Business Owner Sent to Prison For Evading Taxes On $1.5M In Earnings: Feds
A Connecticut business owner will spend seven months behind bars after he admitted to cheating the federal government out of the income tax on nearly $1.5 million in earnings, authorities said.
Bill G. Makros, 58, of Danbury in Fairfield County, pleaded guilty to tax evasion during the summer and was sentenced on Tuesday, Nov. 12, the US Attorney for Connecticut said. Along with his prison term, he must also pay the federal government $137,672 in restitution.
Makros, who owned Budget Tree and Stump Removal Service, LLC in Danbury, asked customers to write checks for the co…
Greenwich Investment Firm Founder Stole Millions In Clients' Cash: Feds
A 49-year-old Connecticut man faces potentially decades in prison after he allegedly defrauded and stole $3.5 million of his client's money for years, federal authorities said.
Justin C. Murphy, 49, of Stamford, is charged with 15 counts of wire fraud, five counts of money laundering, and three counts of tax evasion, the US Attorney for Connecticut announced on Tuesday, Nov. 5.
Murphy ran the Greenwich-based investment firm Mara. The company also went by Mara Investment Group, LLC, Mara Investment Management LP, and Mara Investments Global Management LLC.
Federal inv…
Chatham Resident Made $54 Million, Didn't File Tax Returns: Feds
John Goggin, a Morris County resident, who previously served as general counsel for Moody's, was sentenced to eight months in prison on Thursday, Oct. 24, after admitting to failing to file an income tax return for several years, authorities said.
Goggins, who lives in Chatham, was a former senior vice-president and general counsel for the credit rating service, before retiring in 2023. From 2018 to 2021, Goggins earned $54 million in earned income, yet never failed a federal income tax return, US Attorney Philip Sellinger said.
Goggins was also sentenced to one year of supervis…
Guilford Woman Who Pocketed $1.4M In Unpaid Business Taxes Gets 19 Months In Prison: Feds
A Connecticut businesswoman who admitted to withholding more than $1 million in payroll taxes to spend on her mortgage, home repairs, and casino trips will spend more than a year and a half behind bars, authorities announced.
Michelle Ann Gilson, 38, of Guilford in New Haven County, was sentenced this week to 19 months in prison followed by three years of probation, and she must pay the IRS more than $1.4 million in restitution, the US Attorney for Connecticut said.
Gilson co-owned and co-operated B&M Package Solutions, Inc. and formerly owned and operated Epic Empirez,…
