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Defendant’s Scheme Leads to Guilty Verdict
Paul Maucha, a 58-year-old Kenyan national, was found guilty of perpetrating an advance fee and investment scheme that defrauded numerous victims in the nation’s capital.
The jury verdict, announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, Acting Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, and FBI Special Agent in Charge Keri Farley, concluded that Maucha and his co-conspirator engaged in a scheme through a shell company, American Eagle Services Group Inc. (AESG), to make numerous misrepresentations to victims.
Maucha, through AESG, promised victims who were seeking loans that AESG would provide them with these loans, so long as victims first provided AESG with an advanced fee while misrepresenting the purpose of that fee. AESG also told victims falsely that these advance fees could be refunded if AESG did not fund the loan.
As proven at trial, however, Maucha and his co-conspirator knew that AESG did not have the capital to make these loans at the time the lending agreements were executed, and refunds to victims could not be assured because Maucha and his co-conspirator were splitting the fees between themselves and spending them, such that there was no money left to be refunded.
Maucha faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for each of the conspiracy and wire fraud counts and 10 years in prison for each count of engaging in monetary transactions in criminally derived property.
A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The FBI investigated the case, with substantial assistance from Homeland Security Investigations.
Key Facts
- State: Washington DC
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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