A Long Island man has pleaded guilty to a multi-million dollar elder fraud scheme, targeting vulnerable and elderly individuals with fake prize-promotion mailings.
Shaun Sullivan, 37, of Merrick, New York, pleaded guilty before United States District Judge Joanna Seybert to conspiracy to commit mail fraud in federal court in Central Islip.
Between December 2010 and July 2016, Sullivan and his co-conspirators sent fraudulent prize-promotion mailings to thousands of victims throughout the United States, tricking them into believing they had won a cash prize.
The mailings appeared to be personally addressed to individuals whose names were on consumer lists obtained by Sullivan and his co-conspirators. Sullivan and co-defendant Tully Lovisa rented and maintained private mailboxes in the Eastern District of New York to receive return mailings sent by the victims.
Sullivan and his co-conspirators created various shell companies for the purported senders of the mailings, and hid their involvement in the business by using straw owners and aliases. Lovisa pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit mail fraud in October 2018, and is awaiting sentencing.
When sentenced, Sullivan faces up to 20 years in prison, as well as $550,000 in forfeiture, and a fine of up to $250,000 or twice the gross gain or gross loss from the offense.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Charles P. Kelly and Trial Attorneys Daniel Zytnick and Timothy Finley of the Justice Department’s Consumer Protection Branch.
Assistant United States Attorney Tanisha R. Payne is in charge of the forfeiture.
Key Facts
- State: New York
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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