Jeremie Elkins, $1.5M Fraud, Ohio 2022

COLUMBUS, OH – A former Verizon Network Engineer is facing a hefty prison sentence after pleading guilty to a brazen $1.5 million fraud scheme. Jeremie Adam Elkins, 45, of Newark, Ohio, admitted in federal court to wire fraud, illegal possession of a firearm, and exploiting his position at the telecommunications giant for personal gain.

Court documents reveal Elkins’ scheme ran from July to October 2020, utilizing a company-issued credit card to fund a lavish lifestyle. The 45-year-old racked up charges for hotels, resorts, restaurants, bars, pawn shops, and auction houses – all on Verizon’s dime. But the fraud didn’t stop there. Elkins also leveraged an old work order number to fleece vendor W.W. Grainger, Inc., a supplier of tools and equipment for Verizon service vans.

Over 46 unauthorized orders were placed with Grainger, totaling a staggering $936,000 in stolen equipment. Elkins personally collected the majority of the goods, then used the ill-gotten gains to purchase two boats and a motorcycle. He wasn’t finished, though. An additional 20 fraudulent orders, worth nearly $954,000, were placed but never delivered, suggesting a deepening desperation to maximize the scheme.

As part of his guilty plea, Elkins has agreed to pay nearly $24,000 in restitution to Verizon and a whopping $936,000 to W.W. Grainger. However, restitution doesn’t erase the damage done. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Ohio is seeking significant jail time. Adding to his legal woes, Elkins was found to be illegally in possession of a pistol at the time of his August 2021 arrest, having been previously convicted of a felony in Licking County. Investigators also learned he’d sold between 15 and 20 firearms.

Elkins now faces up to 20 years in prison for wire fraud, 15 years for fraud connected to access devices, and another 10 years for possessing a firearm after a felony conviction. U.S. Attorney Kenneth L. Parker, who announced the plea entered Sept. 22 before U.S. District Judge Edmund A. Sargus, Jr., lauded the work of the U.S. Secret Service in unraveling the complex fraud. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brenda S. Shoemaker is prosecuting the case.

The sentencing will be determined by the court, taking into account advisory guidelines and other statutory factors. This case serves as a stark reminder that even seemingly sophisticated schemes will be exposed, and those who exploit their positions for personal enrichment will face the full weight of federal law.

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