Tully Lovisa, 55, Pleads Guilty in Multimillion Dollar Prize-Promotion Scam
A 55-year-old defendant who defied court orders by operating a multimillion mass-mailing fraud scheme pleaded guilty on Friday, October 12, 2018, in federal court on Long Island.
Tully Lovisa, of Huntington Station, New York, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit mail fraud for sending prize-promotion mailings that led recipients, many of whom were elderly and vulnerable, to believe that they could claim a large cash prize in exchange for a modest fee.
The scheme, which led to victims submitting fees that exceeded $30 million, was a blatant violation of court orders that resulted from a lawsuit against him by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC).
Lovisa also pleaded guilty to wire fraud in connection with a related scheme to defraud the FTC. Specifically, he was ordered by a court to sell a home he owned in Las Vegas, Nevada, and to turn over the proceeds of the sale to the FTC. However, he failed to comply with this order by arranging a sham sale of the house in September 2012 for $155,500, and then actually selling the house in April 2015 for $540,000, which he did not report to the FTC.
‘As the Attorney General has made clear, we are determined to bring to justice those who exploit elderly consumers in violation of federal law,’ said Assistant Attorney General Joseph Hunt. ‘We will work with our law enforcement partners to stop and punish schemes harming the elderly wherever we find them.’
When sentenced, Lovisa faces up to 20 years in prison on each charge, forfeiture, and a fine of up to $250,000 or twice the gross gain or gross loss from each offense.
Key Facts
- State: New York
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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