Former Cincinnati Police Officer Sentenced to Three Years’ Imprisonment for Mail Fraud, Tax Crimes

CINCINNATI—Adrian D. Mitchell, 35, was sentenced in United States District Court here today to three years' imprisonment and ordered to pay restitution for his scheme to defraud an insurance company and a Cincinnati woman out of approximately $188,327 in life insurance proceeds. Mitchell was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshal to begin serving his sentence immediately.

Carter M. Stewart, 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 sentence handed down today by Senior U.S. District Judge Sandra S. Beckwith.

Mitchell pleaded guilty on February 11, 2009 to one count of mail fraud and one count of filing a false income tax return.

Mitchell, a former Cincinnati police officer, operated a foreclosure rescue/real estate business he called R.I.C.H. properties. Mitchell solicited homeowners in financial distress offering to help them avoid foreclosure by selling their house to him. In August 2005, the owner of one of the properties Mitchell bought committed suicide. Mitchell forged the survivor’s signature on a life insurance claim form, falsely represented himself as a family member to the insurance company, and deposited the life insurance proceeds into his business bank accounts.

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

Mitchell was ordered to pay restitution of $188,327 to the victim and restitution to the IRS in the amount of $101,274. He was also fined $2,000 and must serve three years of supervised release at the conclusion of his prison sentence.

Stewart 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. Attorney Jennifer C. Barry, who prosecuted the case.