Lauren Montillo, Advance Fee Fraud and Tax Evasion, Maryland 2023

A Towson woman has been sentenced to eight years in federal prison for her role in an advance fee fraud scheme that bilked victims out of more than $4.3 million. Lauren Montillo, 47, was also ordered to pay $4,060,284.79 in restitution to the victims and $276,240 to the Internal Revenue Service.

Montillo pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and tax evasion. She was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Richard D. Bennett on Wednesday, February 22, 2023.

According to court documents, Montillo and her co-conspirators sought at least $8.7 million in advance fees from foreign and U.S. victims between 2010 and 2015. The victims were promised access to exotic bank financial instruments, but received nothing in return.

Montillo and her co-conspirators used shell companies, websites, and bank accounts to perpetrate the fraud. They created fake email addresses and bank accounts to make it appear as though they had access to the financial instruments.

Some victims were persuaded to send large sums of money to bank accounts in Hong Kong or attorney escrow accounts. Montillo and her co-conspirators had no access to any financial instruments and used the money for their own gain.

For tax years 2012 through 2014, Montillo reported no income other than $100, evading a substantial amount of income taxes.

Montillo's co-conspirator, Eric Becker, was her former fiancé. Becker developed the websites for the various phony businesses, while Montillo edited the content.

Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/pr/towson-woman-sentenced-eight-years-federal-prison-obtaining-more-43-million-advance-fee