Anchorage Woman Indicted by Federal Grand Jury for Fraud
Perpetrated Ponzi Scheme and Loan Fraud; Obtained Over $7 Million from Many Victims
| U.S. Attorney’s Office February 18, 2011 |
ANCHORAGE—United States Attorney Karen Loeffler announced that an Anchorage woman was indicted by a federal grand jury in Anchorage, Alaska, for securities fraud, wire fraud, mail fraud, money laundering, bankruptcy fraud, and bank fraud.
The 26-count indictment names Dorothy Samantha Delay-Wilson, 64, of Anchorage, Alaska, as the sole defendant.
According to the indictment, from 1996, to 2009, Delay-Wilson carried out a scheme to defraud numerous individuals and organizations of money by making false representations and promises and by providing false documents to victims. According to the indictment, Delay-Wilson guaranteed investors a high-rate of return and made false claims regarding how she was going to invest the victims' money, making different claims to different victims. She told victims she would invest their money in a global investment fund, European sub-prime loans, and an investment banking service company, when in fact she used the victims’ money for her personal expenses and to pay out earlier investors in a classic Ponzi scheme. Delay-Wilson also provided lending entities with fraudulent statements and documents regarding her assets to obtain loans. She also provided false statements in a bankruptcy proceeding regarding her assets.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrea (“Aunnie”) Steward, who presented the case to the grand jury, indicated that the law provides for a maximum total sentence of 30 years in prison, a fine of $5 million, or both; and full restitution to the victims. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed will be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history of the defendant.
The FBI, IRS-Criminal Investigations, and the Anchorage Police Department conducted the investigation leading to the indictment in this case.
An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. A defendant is presumed innocent and is entitled to a fair trial at which the government must prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.