Lake Mary resident Jolanta Kucharski (54) has pleaded guilty to mail fraud, a crime that could land her in federal prison for up to 20 years. The sentencing date for Kucharski has not been set yet.
According to court documents, Kucharski assisted her son, Brian Kucharski, in obtaining personal identifying information of unsuspecting individuals from publicly available websites. This information, including names and birthdates, was used to create fake eBay selling accounts. Brian Kucharski then used those accounts to negotiate the fraudulent sale of products, predominantly gift cards, through eBay, Inc.
Unsuspecting eBay customers paid for ordered items through fraudulent PayPal accounts that Jolanta and Brian Kucharski had created. The fraudulently obtained proceeds of the illegal activities were used by Brian Kucharski to purchase precious metals, which were delivered to the Kucharskis through the U.S. mail.
Instead of mailing the purchased items to the eBay customers, Jolanta and Brian Kucharski used the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) to disguise their fraudulent activities. They mailed random items to other individuals and used the USPS tracking numbers for those items to represent to eBay customers, and eBay, that they had mailed the purchased eBay items. The customers never received their items, and their demands for refunds were routinely denied.
The scheme was uncovered when postal customers all over the United States received priority mail packages containing random items of no value and contacted their local police departments and post offices. U.S. Postal Inspection Service investigators then identified Brian and Jolanta Kucharski as the perpetrators of the eBay scheme.
On November 6, 2018, Brian Kucharski pleaded guilty to mail fraud. He is scheduled to be sentenced on June 10, 2019. This case was investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ilianys Rivera Miranda.
The guilty plea of Jolanta Kucharski marks the latest development in a case that highlights the importance of vigilance in preventing online fraud. As the investigation and prosecution of this case demonstrate, law enforcement agencies are committed to holding individuals accountable for their roles in perpetuating such schemes.
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Key Facts
- State: Florida
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes
- Source: Official Source ↗
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