Four men from Florida have been convicted in federal court in Providence, Rhode Island on a scheme that used stolen personal information (PII) to obtain fraudulent debit and credit cards, as well as bank accounts to receive federal and state benefits and payments.
The four men are James Legerme, 33, Allen Bien-Aime, 33, Junior Mertile, 35, and Tony Mertile, 33. Legerme and Bien-Aime each pleaded guilty to charges of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and aggravated identity theft, while Junior Mertile and Tony Mertile pleaded guilty on April 12, 2024, to charges of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and aggravated identity theft.
Prosecutors say that the four men admitted to using stolen PII to obtain debit and credit cards, as well as opening bank accounts to receive, deposit, and transfer fraudulently obtained government benefits and payments. They also admitted to submitting fraudulent applications to multiple state unemployment agencies, including the Rhode Island Department of Labor and Training, for pandemic-related benefits made available under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act and the Families First Coronavirus Response Act.
In addition to the prison sentences, the four men have agreed to forfeit $1,214,294.75 in funds that were obtained through the scheme, as well as Rolex watches, assorted jewelry, and cash seized from their residences.
The sentencing hearing for James Legerme and Allen Bien-Aime is scheduled for August 27, 2024, while the sentencing hearing for Junior Mertile and Tony Mertile is scheduled for August 26, 2024.
Generative artificial intelligence (AI) assisted a What’sUpNewp journalist with the reporting included in this story.