Glen Burke, Multimillion Dollar Prize Promotion Scams, Nevada 2018

Las Vegas Resident Sentenced In Multimillion Dollar Prize Promotion Scams

LAS VEGAS, Nev. – Glen Burke, 58, of Las Vegas, was sentenced to 87 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, by a federal judge in Las Vegas, Nevada, on March 12, 2018, the Justice announced.

Burke was ordered to pay $2,785,508.36 in restitution, reflecting the consumer loss from one of Burke’s schemes.

Burke pleaded guilty in December 2017 to criminal contempt of court and conspiracy charges arising from his operation of two predatory schemes that defrauded thousands of victims, many of whom were elderly, out of more than $20 million.

Burke conducted those fraudulent campaigns in violation of a 1998 court order obtained by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) permanently banning him from telemarketing and making misrepresentations to consumers.

A co-defendant, Michael Rossi, 52, also of Las Vegas, also pleaded guilty in connection with one of Burke’s schemes. Rossi is scheduled to be sentenced on June 25, 2018.

“This case exemplifies the Department’s commitment to halt schemes that target seniors, which the Attorney General announced in an historic elder fraud sweep a few weeks ago,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Chad Readler of the Justice’s Civil Division.

“We are sending a clear message: Perpetrators of telemarketing fraud will be prosecuted and law enforcement will not stop until fraudulent mass mailing practices are halted.”

Burke pleaded guilty to criminal contempt of court for violating a court order prohibiting him from making misrepresentations to consumers.

The charge stemmed from Burke’s operation of a mass-mailing fraud scheme that misled consumers into believing that they had won large cash prizes, often millions of dollars.

Burke specifically mailed consumers solicitations that used fake names and, in many cases, looked like they came from law firms or financial institutions, advising consumers to pay a fee – usually $20 to $30 – to claim their promised winnings.