Defendant Admits to Fraudulently Obtaining Scientific Equipment

Greenbelt, Maryland – Terrence Mullen, age 41, of Boonton, New Jersey, pleaded guilty today to interstate transportation of property taken by fraud.

The guilty plea was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Rod J. Rosenstein and Special Agent in Charge Kevin Perkins of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

 According to his plea agreement, in September and October 2013, using a fraudulent internet domain name, Mullen emailed a company that specialized in producing and selling scientific devices about the purchase of two mass spectrometers and related equipment for over $400,000.  In order to obtain credit to make the purchase, in September 2013 Mullen submitted false information to the company on the credit application, including a false name, references and banking information.

In order to conceal the fraud scheme from New Jersey law enforcement, in October 2013, Mullen rented business space in Beltsville, Maryland and directed the company to deliver the mass spectrometers and equipment to the Beltsville location.  After the company shipped the items from Texas to Beltsville, Mullen sold the spectrometers to a company located in New Jersey.  Mullen used the sales proceeds to pay for personal expenses and a family member’s educational expenses.

Mullen has agreed to the entry of an order to forfeit and pay restitution of at least $414,682.89, the amount of the loss to the company.

Mullen faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison.   U.S. District Judge Paul W. Grimm has scheduled sentencing for February 17, 2016 at 9:00 a.m.

United States Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein commended the FBI for its work in the investigation and thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Thomas P. Windom and Michael T. Packard, who are prosecuting the case.