Home Cincinnati Press Releases 2009 Cincinnati Police Officer Pleads Guilty to Mail Fraud and Tax Crimes
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Cincinnati Police Officer Pleads Guilty to Mail Fraud and Tax Crimes

U.S. Attorney’s Office February 11, 2009
  • Southern District of Ohio (937) 225-2910

CINCINNATI—Adrian D. Mitchell, age 35, pleaded guilty in United States District Court here today to one count of mail fraud and one count of filing a false income tax return in connection with a scheme to defraud an insurance company and a Cincinnati woman out of approximately $188,327.38 in life insurance proceeds.

Gregory G. Lockhart, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, Jose A. Gonzalez, Special Agent in Charge, Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, Gerald A. O'Farrell, Assistant Inspector in Charge, United States Postal Inspection Service; Keith L. Bennett, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Cincinnati Field Division, Cincinnati Police Chief Thomas H. Streicher, Jr., and Springfield Township Police Chief David J. Heimpold announced the plea entered today before Senior U.S. District Judge Sandra S. Beckwith.

According to a statement of facts filed with Mitchell's plea, Mitchell fraudulently completed a claim form seeking proceeds of a life insurance policy held by the woman's deceased husband in February and March 2006.

Mitchell used the money from the policy for his own personal benefit.

Mitchell also pleaded guilty to claiming approximately $58,961 in false business expenses on his 2004 federal income tax return.

Mail fraud is punishable by up to 20 years imprisonment, a $250,000 fine or twice the gross gain or loss from the offense and up to three years of supervised release. Filing a false federal income tax return is punishable by up to three years imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, the cost of prosecution, and a one-year period of supervised release. Mandatory restitution in the amount of at least $188,327.38 will be ordered paid to the woman and/or the insurance company, as well as restitution to the United States for the tax offense.

Judge Beckwith will schedule a date for sentencing.

Lockhart commended the cooperative investigation by the IRS and FBI agents, Postal Inspectors, and the Cincinnati and Springfield Township police officers, as well as Assistant U.S. Attorneys J. Richard Chema and Jennifer C. Barry, who prosecuted the case.

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