Anthony Floyd Hemphill, Wire Fraud, Florida 2016

PENSACOLA, FLORIDA – In a shocking case of family deceit, Anthony Floyd Hemphill, 39, and his father, William Hemphill, 58, both of Crestview, Florida, have been sentenced for their roles in a wire fraud scheme that defrauded non-profit organizations of over $300,000.

According to court documents, the conspirators pleaded guilty in February 2016 to conspiracy to commit wire fraud. Anthony Hemphill was sentenced to 41 months in prison, to be served consecutive to another sentence he is currently serving, while William Hemphill received 5 years’ probation.

The scheme, which lasted from December 2013 to December 2014, involved the Hemphills fraudulently representing that A.F.H. Construction LLC owned modular buildings that could be donated to non-profit organizations free of charge. However, the victims were forced to pay for transportation and set up costs, with some wiring approximately $311,700 as advance payments.

Once the victims had paid, the Hemphills used delaying tactics and false statements to convince them that the modular buildings were in the process of being delivered and set up. In reality, no modular buildings were ever delivered.

Anthony Hemphill used $51,000 of the payments to make a partial restitution payment that he owed in another federal criminal case in the Western District of Texas. He committed the conduct underlying the modular building fraud while on pre-trial release and/or as a fugitive in the Texas case.

This case resulted from an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Kathryn D. Risinger prosecuted the case.

The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.

For more information, contact: Amy Alexander, Public Information Officer at (850) 216-3854, amy.alexander@usdoj.gov.

The exact criminal charges against the defendants were conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, and making a false statement to a federal agent.

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