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California Man Pleads Guilty to Defrauding Thousands in Fake PAC Scheme
A California man, identified as John Pierre Dupont, 82, has pled guilty to defrauding thousands of donors through a years-long scheme involving fake political action committees (PACs).
Dupont, who also used the alias “John Gary Rinaldo”, operated a series of websites that impersonated U.S. Senate campaigns and candidates, as well as a PAC that claimed to support immigrant families. In reality, all the money donated to these fake PACs was kept and used by Dupont for his own personal enrichment.
Through his scheme, Dupont targeted victims across the country, raising hundreds of thousands of dollars based on false representations that the donations would support the relevant causes, candidates, and campaigns. None of the money donated to the fake PACs was spent on political contributions, and Dupont failed to report the donations as required by law.
Federal authorities alleged that Dupont’s scheme, which lasted from 2015 to 2019, resulted in hundreds of thousands of dollars being donated through websites he controlled and operated. The money was used to fund Dupont’s personal expenses and continue perpetuating the fraud.
Dupont pled guilty to one count of wire fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, and one count of aggravated identity theft, which carries a mandatory two years in prison consecutive to any other sentence imposed. The maximum potential sentence in this case is 22 years in prison.
U.S. Attorney Audrey Strauss praised the investigative work of the Special Agents of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York. Sentencing before Judge Richard M. Berman is scheduled for October 21, 2021, at 10:00 a.m.
Victims of the scheme are encouraged to contact Wendy Olsen at 866-874-8900 for assistance. The case is being handled by the Office’s Public Corruption Unit, with Assistant U.S. Attorney Alex Rossmiller leading the prosecution.
Key Facts
- State: New York
- Category: Public Corruption|Fraud & Financial Crimes|White Collar Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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