ERIE, PA—A resident of Erie, Pennsylvania, has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Erie on charges of wire fraud, United States Attorney David J. Hickton announced today.

The eight-count indictment named John Paul Donico, 65, as the sole defendant.

According to the indictment presented to the court, from in and around May 2011, to in and around July 2012, Donico fraudulently obtained $350,000 from a Mexican construction company by promising to obtain financing for the construction of a rock crushing plant which he never obtained.

The law provides for a maximum total sentence of 160 years in prison, a fine of $2,000,000, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.

Assistant United States Attorney Christian A. Trabold is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation leading to the indictment in this case.

An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.