Lincoln Woman, Council Bluffs Resident Sentenced in Wire Fraud Conspiracy

Tempest Amerson, 24, of Lincoln, Nebraska, and Rosland Starks, 45, of Council Bluffs, Iowa, were sentenced for their roles in a wire fraud conspiracy that defrauded victims of over $13,000.

United States Attorney Deborah R. Gilg announced that Amerson and Starks were sentenced on August 21, in Lincoln, Nebraska, by United States District Judge John M. Gerrard, for conspiracy to commit wire fraud. Amerson received a sentence of 4 months in prison, and Starks received a sentence of 20 months in prison for their roles in the conspiracy.

After their release from prison, each will be required to serve a 3-year term of supervised release, and to pay restitution in the amount of $13,671.

The conspiracy which led to the convictions of Amerson and Starks stems from their participation in a scheme which defrauded victims beginning on or about May 2011, and continuing through at least November 2013. As a part of the scheme, co-conspirators would contact elderly individuals in multiple states by phone, and convince the victims to wire money to another member of the conspiracy.

Amerson and Starks would receive the wired monies or transfer the monies to another member of the conspiracy after keeping a portion for themselves. To convince the victim to wire money, the caller would purport to be a family relative, or person acting on a relative’s behalf, who needed money immediately due to fabricated emergencies such as motor vehicle accidents or arrests.

This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, United States Department of Homeland Security. The scheme preys on the vulnerable, and it’s only right that Amerson and Starks face the consequences of their actions.

It’s a stark reminder that elderly individuals should be cautious of suspicious phone calls, and never send money to someone they don’t know.