An Ocala man was convicted in federal court of six counts of wire fraud for reselling wireless cellular plans at exorbitant prices.
A federal jury in Gainesville has convicted 38-year-old Justin Lewis of six counts of wire fraud.
Between September 2015 and February 2018, Lewis engaged in a scheme to defraud a wireless carrier by obtaining unlimited cellular data lines through fraudulent means and then reselling them to the public for a 1500% mark-up.
During most of this time-period, unlimited plans were not widely available to the public.
When his actions were discovered, Lewis made false representations to the carrier, created new companies in other people’s names, and submitted altered documentation to conceal his activities. He also used a technique to manipulate the carrier’s customer website portal to obtain unlimited data for free through accounts he had opened in other people’s names.
Lewis’ sentencing hearing is scheduled for October 26, 2021, at 10:00 am at the United States Courthouse in Gainesville before the Honorable United States District Judge Allen Winsor. Lewis faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison for the wire fraud offenses.
The guilty verdict, returned Tuesday, at the conclusion of a five-day trial, was announced by Jason R. Coody, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
“Notwithstanding the size of the corporation, fraud schemes harm companies and their customers,” stated acting U.S. Attorney Jason R. Coody. “The deceptive, persistent, and sophisticated acts employed by this defendant demonstrate the danger posed to both corporations and their consumers. With the assistance of our dedicated law enforcement partners, we are committed to investigating and prosecuting those who engage in acts of corporate fraud.”
According to the Department of Justice, the conviction was the result of an investigation conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Internal Revenue Service. Assistant United States Attorneys Gary Milligan and David Byron prosecuted the case.
“This case is an example of the FBI’s relentless effort to protect American companies and their customers,” said Rachel L. Rojas, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Jacksonville Division. “When individuals defraud corporations, it is ultimately us – the corporation’s customers – who pay the price. The FBI remains committed to pursuing investigations into corporate fraud in an effort to protect consumers from bearing the costs associated with criminal activity.”
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August 09, 2021 at 10:00PM
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Ocala man convicted of wire fraud for stealing unlimited data, reselling wireless plans at 1500% markup - Ocala News
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