Tag: financial crime
Inside Job: Credit Union Worker Jailed
⏱ 2 min read Nicole Hilstolsky, 48, of Swoyersville, Pennsylvania, is trading her street clothes for an orange jumpsuit after a federal judge sentenced her to eight months in prison for a brazen scheme at the now-defunct WOD Federal Credit Union. Back on October 15, 2018, Hilstolsky didn’t wait for a robbery – she orchestrated…
Tax Thief Gets 20 Months
⏱ 3 min read Karen McGinnis, 46, of Mountain Top, Pennsylvania, is headed to federal prison after admitting she pilfered over $400,000 from the taxpayers of Fairview Township. For nearly two years, from March 2023 to January 2025, McGinnis – the township’s tax collector – treated the public coffers like her personal ATM. She wrote…
Fake Robbery, Real Theft: 8 Months for CU Crook
⏱ 2 min read Nicole Hilstolsky, 48, of Swoyersville, PA, walked into federal court in Scranton today and got 8 months in prison for a pathetic scheme. Back on October 15, 2018, she didn’t just steal $16,247 from the now-defunct WOD Federal Credit Union – she tried to pin it on masked gunmen. The attempt…
Loan Shark Gets 5.5 Years
⏱ 2 min read Frank Hamilton, 55, of Simi Valley, California, is headed to a federal prison cell for 5.5 years after running a brazen loan fraud that bilked banks and the Small Business Administration out of over $6 million. Judge Wendy Beetlestone in Philadelphia delivered the 66-month sentence yesterday, along with a demand for…
Tax Thief Siphoned $400K
⏱ 2 min read Karen McGinnis, 46, of Mountain Top, Pennsylvania, is heading to federal prison after a two-year scheme to skim over $400,000 from the taxpayers of Fairview Township. U.S. District Judge Karoline Mehalchick slapped her with a 20-month sentence yesterday, a small price to pay for betraying the public trust. From March 2023…
Detroit Seizure: $15M in Cartel Cash
⏱ 3 min read Detroit federal agents just shut down a $14.9 million money laundering pipeline funnelling drug cash from international cartels into the U.S. financial system. The seizure happened earlier this year, but details were unsealed Friday. The operation involved a classic “trade-based money laundering” scheme – dirty money disguised as legitimate import/export transactions,…
Fake Finance Guru Bilked Followers
⏱ 2 min read Kenneth Thom, operating online as “K$” and “K Money,” admitted in federal court today to running a cold-blooded investment scam out of New York. The 40-something ex-broker preyed on social media followers with promises of easy profits, all while hiding a history of financial misconduct. Thom pleaded guilty to investment adviser…
“K Money” Guru Admits to Fleeceing Followers
New York, NY – Kenneth Thom, the man behind the slick online persona “K$” or “K Money,” confessed in federal court today to running a years-long investment scam, preying on hopeful traders lured in by promises of quick riches. Thom, believed to be in his 40s, admitted to investment advisor fraud, a charge that carries…
Crypto Dreams & COVID Cash: Rideshare Driver Accused of $2M Scam
Los Angeles rideshare driver Bruce Choi is facing the music after federal agents snatched him at San Francisco International Airport Tuesday, capping a long-running investigation into a brazen COVID-19 relief fraud. The 34-year-old from Koreatown allegedly fabricated an entire business from thin air, then used a forged application to siphon off over $2 million in…
SoCal Grifter Gets 5.5 Years for SBA Scam
⏱ 2 min read RELATED: Stolen Ride, State Lines: OK Man Admits Transporting Hot Car SEE ALSO: Meth Dealer Gets 20 Years PHILADELPHIA – Frank Hamilton, a 55-year-old from Simi Valley, California, is headed to federal prison for 5.5 years after admitting he masterminded a brazen scheme to rip off banks and the Small Business…
