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Mara Ficarra, 57, Pleads Guilty to Elder Fraud Scheme
Southampton, New York – Mara Ficarra, 57, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit mail, wire and bank fraud in federal court in Central Islip, New York.
The crime dates back to 2013 when Ficarra and a co-conspirator owned and operated several companies, including Remington Biographies, Inc., Remington Bookkeepers, Inc., and Mentorship America1, Inc. (collectively, the “Remington Entities”).
The Remington Entities purported to publish reference publications containing biographical information of individuals across the country. Ficarra caused letters and pamphlets to be mailed to victims, primarily the elderly, indicating that the victim’s biography would be published in one of the reference publications.
The letters, addressed “Dear Nominee,” indicated, “Your 2 books and your plaque are paid for in full and ready for delivery. Please send a check for $14.00 dollars for shipping and handling.”
Ficarra then used the routing and bank account information on those checks to produce fraudulent checks for larger dollar amounts, which she then deposited into bank accounts she and a co-conspirator controlled at Citibank, Everbank, HSBC, JP Morgan Chase and Wells Fargo, among other financial institutions.
According to the government, Ficarra stole more than $1.5 million dollars from the victim subscribers and financial institutions.
Ficarra faces up to 5 years in prison when sentenced, as well as forfeiture and restitution of more than $1.5 million.
Key Facts
- State: New York
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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