Carol Rae Vitton, Mail Fraud, Michigan 2011

State: Michigan
Category: Fraud &#038; Financial Crimes
Source: <a href="https://www.justice.gov/usao-wdmi/pr/2016_0518_CVitton" style="color:#cc0000;" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">DOJ Press Release ÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â‚¬Â Ã¢â‚¬â€

A scheme to swindle millions from liquor companies has finally been shut down in Ironwood, Michigan. Carol Rae Vitton, a 59-year-old retired employee of the Ironwood Area School District, was convicted of mail fraud last week.

According to U.S. Attorney Patrick A. Miles, Jr., Vitton’s scam involved manufacturing counterfeit sales receipts to claim rebate checks for beer, wine, and liquor purchases that never occurred. The scheme was uncovered by U.S. Postal Inspectors in 2011.

Vitton would pick up rebate coupons at local liquor stores and then create fake receipts to mail to beer, wine, and liquor companies, along with rebate applications. During 2010 and 2011, she sent over 700 counterfeit receipts, resulting in $8,339.50 in rebate payments she was not entitled to.

The investigation revealed that at least 26 companies were victimized by Vitton’s scheme, including beer, wine, liquor, and rebate processing companies.

U.S. District Judge R. Allan Edgar sentenced Vitton to one year of probation, four months of home detention, electronic monitoring, and restitution in the amount of $8,339.50. She was also ordered to pay a $10,000 fine within 60 days and a special assessment of $100.

The U.S. Postal Inspection Service, founded by Benjamin Franklin, is responsible for enforcing laws that protect the nation’s mail system from illegal use. Inspectors have seen an increase in rebate fraud schemes like Vitton’s across the country.

Vitton’s conviction serves as a warning to those who would attempt to exploit the system for personal gain. As U.S. Attorney Miles stated, ‘mail fraud is a serious crime that can have significant consequences for those who engage in it.’

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