Bucks County Man Sentenced for Fraud Schemes

PHILADELPHIA—Nathan Allen Kriegler, 44, of Holland, PA, was sentenced today to 40 months in prison for a scheme to defraud approximately 19 retail corporations, 12 financial institutions, and the government out of a combined loss of more than $700,000, announced United States Attorney Zane David Memeger. Kriegler and his co-defendants were in the business of selling stolen merchandise (including laptop computers, printers, scanners, toner, televisions, and industrial printing equipment) on the Internet auction site eBay. They obtained the merchandise by providing false and fraudulent payment to the victim corporations, and then sold the stolen merchandise throughout the United States. All three defendants in the eBay scheme pleaded guilty November 4, 2010. Ryan A. Pollack and Evan F. Appel have already been sentenced to 37 months in prison and 33 months in prison, respectively.

Kriegler was also charged with theft of government property, wire fraud, and bank fraud in connection with three additional fraud schemes. The theft charges relate to Kriegler’s passing of 30 worthless checks to United States Postal Service retail locations in exchange for approximately $86,229 worth of postage stamps which he later sold on eBay at purchase prices totaling approximately $83,712. The bank fraud charges relate to a check kiting scheme in which Kriegler kited more than $500,000 in worthless checks between and among various checking accounts he maintained with 12 different banks. Kriegler also was charged with making false statements and creating false documents to obtain more than $480,000 in loans.

In addition to the prison term, U.S. District Court Judge R. Barclay Surrick ordered Kreigler to pay restitution in the amount of $736,890.26 and to five years’ supervised release.

The case was investigated by the United States Postal Inspection Service and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Karen M. Klotz.