Jury Convicts Charlotte Man Of Federal Racketeering And Related Charges

Defendant Was Among 91 Charged In Operation Wax House

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – A federal jury delivered a guilty verdict on Thursday, June 26, 2014 against a Charlotte man in connection with a $75 million racketeering conspiracy, announced the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of North Carolina. Following a three-day trial, Steven Jones, 46, was convicted of racketeering conspiracy, securities fraud, wire fraud scheme to defraud investors and money laundering conspiracy.

This conviction is the latest in Operation Wax House, an investigation which began in 2007 and has netted 91 defendants to date, 86 of which have pleaded guilty or been convicted following a trial.

The United States Attorney’s Office is joined in making today’s announcement by John A. Strong, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Charlotte Division, and Thomas J. Holloman III, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation Division (IRS-CI) and North Carolina Secretary of State Elaine F. Marshall.

The federal criminal trial began on Monday, June 23, 2014, before Senior U.S. District Judge Graham C. Mullen. According to evidence introduced at trial, the criminal enterprise operated from about 2005 until 2012, and engaged in an extensive pattern of racketeering activities, which included investment or securities fraud, mortgage fraud in the form of wire fraud and bank fraud, and money laundering.

According to trial evidence, Jones was a promoter in the enterprise’s investment fraud operations, bringing in multiple investors, including an attorney, who Jones and his co-conspirators defrauded out of $3.7 million. Trial evidence established that throughout a seven year period the enterprise created a series of sham corporations to convince individuals to invest money. When investors would become aware of the problems with one corporation the enterprise would start a new corporation with new officers on paper to continue to defraud still further investors, court records show. Trial evidence also showed that Jones and others defrauded victims not of just money they had, but also caused the victims to take out expensive loans and to invest those loan proceeds based on false promises. According to evidence presented at trial, Jones and his co-conspirators used the investors’ money for personal expenditures, including private jets, high profile offices, entertaining themselves and others, and supporting their luxurious lifestyles. In total, the enterprise’s investment fraud operations took approximately $48 million from investors.

Following the jury’s conviction, Jones was released on home detention with electronic monitoring pending the scheduling of his sentencing hearing.

The racketeering conspiracy charge carries a maximum term of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine or twice the gross profits or other proceeds. The securities fraud charge carries a maximum term of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The wire fraud charge carries a maximum term of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The money laundering conspiracy charge carries a maximum term of 20 years in prison and a $500,000 fine or twice the amount of criminally derived proceeds. A sentencing date for the defendant has not been set yet.

Five defendants have charges pending in the case, two of which are international fugitives. Each remaining defendant and his or her status are listed below.

• Ramin Amini, 45, of Tehran, Iran, is charged with racketeering conspiracy, mortgage fraud and money laundering conspiracy. Role: Leader and promoter in the scheme. Status: International fugitive. • Kurosh Mehr, 52, of Charlotte is charged with racketeering conspiracy, mortgage fraud and money laundering. Role: Promoter and buyer. Status: On bond; Scheduled for trial September 2014. • Ann Tyson Mitchell, 62, of Charlotte, is charged with racketeering conspiracy, mortgage fraud and money laundering. Role: Facilitator. Status: On bond; Scheduled for trial September 2014. • John Wayne Perry, Jr., 32, of Charlotte, is charged with racketeering conspiracy and money laundering conspiracy. Role: Promoter. Status: On bond; Scheduled for trial after September 2014. • Nazeere Saddig, 41, formerly of Charlotte, is charged with racketeering conspiracy and mortgage fraud. Role: Promoter and buyer. Status: International Fugitive.

Operation Wax House in the Western District of North Carolina is being handled by the Charlotte Division of the FBI and the Criminal Division of the IRS for the Financial Fraud Enforcement Task Force, along with the Securities Division of the North Carolina Secretary of State. The case was tried by Assistant United States Attorney Maria K. Vento and Special Assistant United States Attorney Kevin Harrington, of the Securities Division of the North Carolina Secretary of State.

Today’s announcement is part of an effort by President Obama’s Financial Fraud Enforcement Task Force (FFETF), created in November 2009, to combat financial fraud crimes by waging aggressive, coordinated and proactive investigations and prosecutions. With more than 20 federal agencies, 94 U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and state and local partners, the task force is the broadest coalition of law enforcement, investigatory and regulatory agencies ever assembled to combat fraud. Since its formation, the task force has made great strides in facilitating increased investigation and prosecution of financial crimes; enhancing coordination and cooperation among federal, state and local authorities; addressing discrimination in the lending and financial markets; and conducting outreach to the public, victims, financial institutions and other organizations. Over the past three fiscal years, the Justice Department has filed more than 10,000 financial fraud cases against nearly 15,000 defendants including more than 2,700 mortgage fraud defendants. For more information on the task force,www.stopfraud.gov.

The names and case numbers of the defendants charged to date in Operation Wax House are listed below, organized by their alleged role in the scheme.

Attorneys and Paralegals
Crawford/Mallard, Michelle 3:11cr374
Gates, Christine 3:09cr100
Norwood, Kelli, 3:09cr162
Rainer, Demetrius 3:08cr239/241
Smith, Troy, 3:08cr264

Bank Insiders
Brown, Jamilia, 3:10cr124
Eason, Danyelle, 3:10cr116
Henson, Vic. F., 3:10cr124
Jackson, Mitzi, 3:11cr374
Ramey, Bonnie Sue, 3:10cr124

Builders and Sellers
Fink, James, 3:11cr374; 3:12cr239
Jackson, Jennifer, 3:09cr241
Smith, Kelvis, 3:12cr238
Viegas, Jeffrey, 3:12cr298
Wittig, Mark, 3:12cr335
Wood, Gary, 3:09cr208

Facilitators and Financiers
Hickey, Denis, 3:09cr103
McClain, Landrick, 3:10cr124
Mitchell, Ann Tyson, 3:12cr239
Panayoton, Sherrill, 3:11cr176
Taylor, Alicia Renee, 3:10cr124
Wilson, Willard, 3:09cr161

Buyers
Banks, Arketa, 3:12cr297
Clark, Benjamin, 3:12cr239
Hillian, Kirk, 3:12cr83
Mathis, Charles, 3:10cr1
Mobley, Sarena, 3:10cr124
Moore, George, 3:12cr337
Richards, Dan, 3:10cr119
Smith, Kevin, 3:12cr341
Tyler, Glenna, 3:11cr200
Vaughn, Mary, 3:12cr329
Wallace, Jamaine, 3:12cr330
Wellington, William, 3:12cr333

Notary Publics
Willis, Anthony, 3:09cr218
Myles, Denetria, 3:12cr239

Appraiser
Darden, Clinton 3:10cr108

Mortgage Brokers
Bradley, Bonnette, 3:12cr299
Clarke, Linda, 3:10cr120
Flood, Ericka, 3:10cr124
Goodson-Hudson, Crystal, 3:12cr339
Mahaney, Robert, 3:12cr34-0
Scagliarini, Coley, 3:11cr374
Staton, Walter, 3:10cr113
Vaughn, Danielle, 3:12cr329
Williams, Marcia, 3:12cr334
Williams, Sean, 3:12cr336

Woods, Joseph, 3:09cr178

Real Estate Agents
Belin, Chris, 3:11cr374
Clark, Christina, 3:09cr44
Lee, Shannon, 3:12cr338
Pasut, Holly Hardy, 3:12cr331
Wolf, Nathan Shane, 3:12cr239
Wood, Gary, 3:09cr208

Promoters
Amini, Ramin, 3:12cr239
Barnes, Vonetta Tyson, 3:12cr239
Brown, William, 3:12cr239
Bumpers, Travis, 3:12cr239
Carr, Stephen, 3:10cr124
Clarke, Benjamin, 3:12cr239
Clarke, Reuben, 3:10cr120
Coleman, Gregory, 3:10cr118
DeSimone, Frank, 3:12cr239
Dooley, Lorie, 3:12cr239
Hitchcock, Jimmy, 3:11cr374
Hubbard, Glynn, 3:12cr239
Hunt, Victoria, 3:12cr239
Hunter, Toby, 3:12cr239
Johnson, Ralph, 3:12cr239
Jones, Steven, 3:12cr239
Jones, Tyree, 3:10cr230
Long Waylon, 3:12cr239
Marshall, Michael, 3:07cr283
McDowell, John, 3:12cr239
McPhaul, Elizabeth, 3:10cr114
Mehr, Kurosh, 3:12cr239
Mitchell, Ann Tyson, 3:12cr239
Moye, Melvin, 3:12cr239
Myles, Denetria, 3:12cr239
Newland, Matthew, 3:12cr239
Perry, John Wayne, Jr., 3:12cr239
Perry, Kim, 3:10cr25
Phillips, Rick, 3:10cr115
Saddig, Nazeere, 3:12cr239
Sharreff-El, Drew, 3:10cr124
Sherald, Kiki, 3:10cr117
Simmons, Aaron, 3:09cr240
Snead, Todd, 3:10cr124
Staton, Lisa, 3:10cr113
Thorogood, Donte, 3:12cr239
Tyson, Carrie, 3:12cr239
Tyson, James, Jr. 3:12cr239
Tyson, James, Sr., 3:12cr239
Wellington, Phillip, 3:12cr332
Wood, Purnell, 3:12cr239