Martin Christopher Edwards, $900,000 Fraud, California 2013

Former Vice President of The Wine Tasting Network Indicted for $900,000 Fraud in California.

A federal indictment charging Martin Christopher Edwards with twenty-three counts of mail fraud, wire fraud, and money laundering was unsealed this morning in federal court, announced United States Attorney Melinda Haag.

Edwards, 48, of Napa, California, was indicted by a federal grand jury on May 30, 2013. According to the Indictment, Edwards, the former Vice President and General Manager of The Wine Tasting Network (WTN), is alleged to have created a fictitious entity, Dufrane Compliance Trust, that purported to provide tax compliance services to WTN.

In his role at WTN, Edwards allegedly created fraudulent invoices and directed WTN to make multiple payments to Dufrane Compliance Trust between May 2010 and approximately October 2012, totaling approximately $900,000. Edwards allegedly deposited these funds into an account he controlled and withdrew them for his own personal use, including the purchase of a BMW.

Edwards failed to appear at his initial appearance this morning in U.S. District Court in San Francisco. Therefore, Edwards is currently considered a fugitive. If anyone has information on Edwards’ whereabouts, please call the San Francisco field office of the FBI at (415) 553-7400.

The maximum statutory penalty for each count of mail fraud and wire fraud, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 1341 and 1343, respectively, is 20 years’ imprisonment and a fine of $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss from the offense, plus restitution.

The maximum statutory penalty for each count of money laundering, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1957, is 10 years’ imprisonment and a fine of $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss from the offense, plus restitution.

Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndca/pr/former-vice-president-wine-tasting-network-indicted-900000-fraud