The Press-Dispatch
Issue link: https://www.ifoldsflip.com/i/1425326
The Press-Dispatch Wednesday, November 3, 2021 C-3 EAST GIBSON Submit East Gibson news items: Call: 812-354-8500 Email: egnews@pressdispatch.net or bring in a hard copy: 820 E. Poplar Street, Petersburg Commissioners approves new jail design By Janice Barniak Gibson County Commissioners unanimously approved a prelimi- nary new jail design, pending land acquisition, Princeton council and zoning board approval. The new location would be on the north side of the jail. Owners representative George Ballard said the jail steering com- mittee and designers looked at ways to not duplicate things they already have, like the laundry facility and the current kitchen, already pres- ent in work release, for example. Those efforts saved approximately $2 million. "We're trying to work in the bud- get...at least let's be in the ballpark. They said on numerous occasions $20 million plus or minus a little bit," Ballard told commissioners last Tuesday. "It's got to be done," said Sheriff Tim Bottoms. Fort Branch women sentenced as 'money mules' in Nigerian fraud ring Scams used database of teachers, first responders to divert coronavirus relief funds By Janice Barniak A Fort Branch mother-daughter duo, Rose Ann A zzarello, 60, and An- drea Renee Pytlinski, 38, were sen- tenced to imprisonment, supervi- sion and restitution in a wire fraud case that defrauded first respond- ers, government personnel and school employees. Pytlinski was sentenced to 18 months jail time and three years of supervised release post-imprison- ment, and is required to pay $27,522 in restitution. Her mother's lighter sentence was four years of super- vised release and restitution in the amount of $27,522. The women were arrested and charged with wire fraud July 9, 2020, after a U.S. Secret Service investi- gation revealed them to be money mules in a scam to defraud the gov- ernment of money meant for corona- virus relief by filing for unemploy- ment with the stolen identities of Washington state first responders, government personnel and school employees. "With any crisis, comes crimi- nals looking for the opportunity to cash in for their own benefit. The coronavirus health crisis has not been immune from their fraudu- lent schemes" said U.S. Attorney Josh Minkler. "These fraudsters steal money that does not belong to them for their greedy purposes, which strains the programs that are meant to help those most in need." The money the women defraud- ed was money earmarked by the CARES act to provide coronavirus relief for the unemployed. According to the probable cause affidavit signed by Special Agent Michael Moore, who has 20 years of experience working fraud cases, the roots of the case stretch back at least as far as 2016, when single mother Pytlinski told police she be- gan dating William Lewis, a UK cit- izen working as a construction su- pervisor in Hong Kong—or at least that's what she told Fort Branch Po- lice Dept. and an FBI agent about the man she called her fiancé. According to Pytlinski, Lewis couldn't open a bank account in this country, and needed Pytlinski and her mother to open bank accounts so that he could pay his employees. Even as far back as 2016, howev- er, the women were allegedly told "Lewis," which police believe to be an alias for the person or organiza- tion behind the Nigerian scam, was committing fraud. According to the affidavit, in No- vember of 2016, Heritage Feder- al Credit Union documented an ex- change between a Northfield branch manager and the two women regard- ing two fraudulent transfers into the daughter's account, one for $ 8,000 and another for $1,600. According to the bank's records, the daughter told them she was com- municating with her fiancé in Eu- rope, and that his account must be hacked if the transfers were fraudu- lent. They didn't provide details on how the couple met. The manager told the women it ap- peared they were being scammed and participating could be illegal; A zzarello claimed to have told her daughter this, and then the daugh- ter started crying and walked out of the bank. Pytlinski told police Lewis has opened several retirement accounts for her, including one Fidelity IR A opened with a $43,000 counterfeit check. All the accounts were closed due to fraud. The women allegedly were sent checks and received wire transfers for large sums of money, which they were allowed to keep a part of, and then they were told to purchase elec- tronics and prepaid cards, and ship them, according to Lewis' instruc- tions. The women told investigators that over the years, the fiancé had sent them numerous bad checks that caused banks to close their ac- counts, but they continued to open the accounts. A zzarello was interviewed by an Evansville Police detective in July 2019 about a check fraud situation at Diamond Valley Credit Union, when she told police that a boss she did not know sent money for work she did not complete for a company whose name she couldn't remember. A zzarello allegedly told police that she was afraid if she didn't help her daughter send money for Lewis, she wouldn't be allowed to see her grandson. When the women began par- ticipating in the unemployment fraud, however, the memo lines on the checks stated who the benefits were for, and Field and Main Bank noticed the women were receiving unemployment benefits from Wash- ington state, made out to people who did not own the account. Investigators tracked eight pay- ments made out under the identities of Washington state employees who reported their identities stolen. The head of the Nigerian scam appears to have a database of such names with people's real, personal information, and has money mules, people across the U.S. pulling mon- ey out of banks, as a way to break the money into smaller amounts. When choosing to charge the mother and daughter with the fraud instead of believing them to be un- witting, investigators took into ac- count that each bank account was emptied the same day as the trans- action. "Based on my experience as a criminal investigator, I understand that it is critical for fraud perpetra- tors to remove illicit funds from a fi- nancial institution as soon as possi- ble," wrote Moore. When investigators questioned the women, they let them see their text messages, and investigators found a note to A zzarello giving her a specific lie to tell to police. The daughter warned them they might find x-rated text messages on her phone, but instead investigators found messages only about money transfers and her son, but little of a personal nature. The women both kept some of the money, and de- spite having many accounts closed because of fraud, they continued to work with "Lewis." Moore concluded the women "are money mules and are hiding the source of unlawful funds and trans- ferring the money to others." The United States Secret Service has received reports about a well-or- ganized fraud ring exploiting the COVID-19 crisis to commit large- scale fraud against state unemploy- ment insurance programs. The pri- mary state targeted so far is Wash- ington, according to Minkler. This fraud network is believed to consist of hundreds, if not thou- sands, of money mules with poten- tial losses in the millions of dollars. "Criminals profiting off this cri- sis and targeting programs meant to help Americans when they are at their most vulnerable is unaccept- able," said Special Agent in Charge Paul Keenan, FBI Indianapolis. "Those who would perpetrate such illegal activity during these unprec- edented times should know that the FBI and our law enforcement part- ners haven't been sitting idly by. We have continued to aggressively iden- tify and pursue those who fraudu- lently profit from the pandemic to quickly reduce the threat from these scams." According to Assistant United States Attorney Todd Shellenbarger, who prosecuted the case, the max- imum sentence could have been 20 years' imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, and a maximum fine of $250,000. FRANCISCO ELEMENTARY HALLOWEEN Above: The staff of Francisco El- ementary came together for a pho- to all dressed up in costumes for a picture during the FES Halloween Parade on Friday, October 29. Pic- tured are, front row (l to r): Mrs. Barton, Mr. Mosson, Ms. McEll- hiney, Ms. Gries, Mrs. Kimbrel, Ms. Williams and Mrs. Reed. Back row: Mrs. Bogan, Mrs. Nance, Mrs. Craney, Mrs. Mokris, Mr Sparrow, Ms. Dupps and Mrs. Powers. Right: The first grade class comes around the corner on the new path at the east end of the Francisco Ele- mentary School during their Hallow- een Parade on Friday, October 29. Third grader Colbie Fergu- son, dressed as a girl grem- lin, walks up to join the class during the Francisco Elemen- tary School Halloween Parade on Friday, October 29 on the new walking path at the east end of the school. Kindergartener Kamryn Sparrow gracefully held her costume dress as she walked the parade path as Bell from "Beauty and the Beast" during the Francisco Elemen- tary School Halloween Parade on Friday, October 29. Ms. Lepeau escorts her kindergarten class during the Francis- co Elementary School Halloween Parade on Friday, October 29 on the new walking path at the east end of the school. Kamille Bottoms, first grad- er, was dressed up as a scare- crow for the Francisco Ele- mentary School Halloween Parade on Friday, October 29 on the new walking path at the east end of the school. First grader Kinzlee Woods fixes her hair as she rounds the corner of the path in her skeleton girl costume during the Francisco Elementary School Halloween Parade on Friday, October 29 on the new walking path. Fourth grade teacher Mr. Mosson posed for a picture in the iconic Superman pose during the Francisco Elemen- tary School Halloween Parade on Friday, October 29 on the new walking path at the east end of the school. Pregnant... or think you are? Call:1-877-257-1084 or Locally Call: 1-812-354-2814 • Free pregnancy testing • Free counseling and info. on pregnancy options. • Confi dential counseling for women & men who are suff ering from post-abortion syndrome. • Residential Care • Health and assistance referrals. • Training and education. • Assistance in getting baby and maternity clothes washpcc@sbcglobal.net www.washingtonpregnancycenter.com