CHARLOTTE, NC—John Wayne Perry, Jr., 33, of Charlotte, pleaded guilty on Monday, December 1, 2014, for his role as a promoter in a $75 million racketeering conspiracy, announced the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of North Carolina. This conviction is the latest in Operation Wax House, an investigation which began in 2007 and has netted 91 defendants to date. Eighty-nine defendants charged have either pleaded guilty or have been convicted following a trial. Two remaining defendants are international fugitives.

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).

According to filed court documents and court proceedings, the racketeering enterprise operated from about 2005 until 2012 when the federal indictment was unsealed. Court documents show that the enterprise 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, money laundering, and the distribution of marijuana.

Court documents establish that Perry was a promoter in the enterprise’s mortgage fraud operations. In particular, Perry arranged for a straw buyer he had used in other mortgage fraud transactions throughout North Carolina to serve as a straw buyer on a million dollar home in Waxhaw. As part of the fraud, according to court documents, Perry had more than $200,000 in loan proceeds laundered through his business account, falsely representing that the monies were for “brick work” when in truth there was no brick work done, but instead the money was a kickback to Perry and others for their participation in the fraud.

Perry’s plea follows his motion to continue his November 17, 2014 trial. The new trial was reset for December 8, 2014. Perry pleaded guilty to racketeering conspiracy and was released on bond pending sentencing. The maximum prison term for the racketeering conspiracy charge is 20 years and a $250,000 fine. Perry is one of twenty-five defendants who await sentencing for their roles in this extensive fraud.

The only two remaining defendants in the case are international fugitives:

• 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.
• 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, with the assistance of the Securities Division of the North Carolina Secretary of State. The prosecution is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney Maria K. Vento.

Today’s announcement is part of efforts underway by President Obama’s Financial Fraud Enforcement Task Force (FFETF) which was created in November 2009 to wage an aggressive, coordinated and proactive effort to investigate and prosecute financial crimes. With more than 20 federal agencies, 94 U.S. attorneys’ offices and state and local partners, it’s 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. Since the inception of FFETF in November 2009, the Justice Department has filed more than 12,841 financial fraud cases against nearly 18,737 defendants including nearly 3,500 mortgage fraud defendants. For more information on the task force, visit www.stopfraud.gov.

The names and case numbers of the all 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

Mortgage Brokers

• Bradley, Bonnette, 3:12cr299
• Clarke, Linda, 3:10cr120
• Flood, Ericka, 3:10cr124
• Goodson-Hudson, Crystal, 3:12cr339
• Mahaney, Robert, 3:12cr340
• Scagliarini, Coley, 3:11cr374
• Staton, Walter, 3:10cr113
• Vaughn, Danielle, 3:12cr329
• 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
• 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
• Clarke, 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 Public

• Willis, Anthony, 3:09cr218
• Myles, Denetria, 3:12cr239

Appraiser

• Darden, Clinton, 3:10cr108
• 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, Reuben, 3:10cr120
• Coleman, Gregory, 3:10cr118
• Desimone, Frank, 3:12cr239
• Dooley, Lori, 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
• Marshall, Michael, 3:07cr283
• McDowell, John, 3:12cr239
• McPhaul, Elizabeth, 3:10cr114
• Mehr, Kurosh, 3:12cr239
• Mitchell, Ann Tyson, 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