stealing Archives - Home Safety Tech Pros

Hospital administrator sentenced for stealing man’s identity

homesafetytechpros — Sun, 02 Feb 2025 21:57:45 +0000

FILE – In this combination image, undated selfie shows William Woods in Albuquerque, N.M., left, and this undated photo released by the Johnson County Sheriff’s Office shows Matthew David Keirans. (William Woods and Johnson County Sheriff’s Office via AP, File)

For three decades, Matthew David Keirans pretended to be someone else. He obtained a birth certificate, credit cards and worked as a high-level hospital administrator. He even tricked cops into thinking his victim was the one who stole his identity, forcing the victim into jail and a mental hospital because law enforcement deemed the man crazy.

But thanks to good detective work, Keirans decades-long scheme is over. A federal judge in the Northern District of Iowa sentenced Keirans to 12 years in prison after he pleaded guilty to one count each of aggravated identity theft and false statement to a national credit union administration, the Department of Justice said Friday.

The scheme started in the late 1980s when he and William Woods worked at a hot dog cart in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Prosecutors say Keirans stole the Woods’ identity and proceeded to use it “in every aspect of life” for the next 30-plus years. He obtained several false documents including a Kentucky birth certificate with Woods’ name on it.

Over the years he applied for — and obtained — loans using the victim’s information, netting some $250,000. In 2013, he became a high-level administrator working at an Iowa City hospital by submitting a fake I-9 form, social security number, date of birth and other identification documents in his Woods’ name while working remotely from his home in Wisconsin.

As Keirans was enjoying life under false pretenses, the then-homeless Woods in August 2019 walked into a Los Angeles bank and insisted someone had been using his credit card to accumulate large amounts of debt. He wanted to close the bank accounts. Unable to answer security questions, bank employees contacted the Los Angeles Police Department. Cops arrested Woods after Keirans convinced them the victim was trying to defraud him. All the while the victim insisted he was Woods. But prosecutors didn’t believe him and he was deemed incompetent to stand trial, according to prosecutors.

The victim ended up pleading no contest to the charges in exchange for being released for time served. In all, he spent over 14 months in jail and nearly five months in a mental facility where he was forced to take psychotropic drugs.

But the tide began to turn for Keirans when Woods called the hospital where the fraudster worked to complain. The hospital, in turn, reported the complaint to the University of Iowa Police Department. Det. Ian Mallory began to unfurl the three-decade scheme. Keirans told Mallory that his victim was “crazy” and belonged in jail, prosecutors said. Undeterred, Mallory continued his investigation and obtained the victim’s DNA that proved he was indeed who he said he was and it was Keirans who was the criminal. With no room to wiggle into more lies, Keirans admitted to the scheme.

“Matthew Keirans spent decades pretending to be someone he was not, all the while knowing that his victim was suffering,” said United States Attorney for the Northern District of Iowa Timothy T. Duax. “Keirans used his victim’s identity to live his life, obtain loans, and lines of credit. When the victim tried to clear his name of Keirans’ debts, Keirans deliberately and calculatedly lied to police officers and prosecutors in California in order to keep his victim locked up, unable to live his life, and to keep his own secret safe. Today, Keirans has been held responsible for his actions and will spend years in prison.”

In addition to the prison sentence, Keirans must also pay more than $16,000 in fines and restitution.

Source link

The post Hospital administrator sentenced for stealing man’s identity appeared first on Home Safety Tech Pros.

Lawyer accused of stealing over $31K from jailed woman after she signed power of attorney at his request

homesafetytechpros — Sun, 01 Dec 2024 09:24:44 +0000

Criminal Justice

Lawyer accused of stealing over $31K from jailed woman after she signed power of attorney at his request

By Debra Cassens Weiss

November 13, 2024, 9:51 am CST

A lawyer in Latrobe, Pennsylvania, has been accused of stealing more than $31,000 from an imprisoned woman awaiting a competency hearing after she agreed to sign an agreement giving power of attorney to his employee. (Image from Shutterstock)

Lawyer John Allen Roth, 69, of Pennsylvania is accused of using the stolen money to support his gambling habit, according to a Nov. 7 press release.

TribLive (here and here) and WJAC-TV are among the publications with coverage.

Roth has been charged with nine felonies, including theft, financial exploitation, deceptive business practices and receiving stolen property.

In a preliminary arraignment last week, Roth asked to be released without cash bail.

Roth said he was struggling financially after losing clients because of a cancer diagnosis, according to TribLive’s coverage.

“I don’t have money to be able to post anything at all, I don’t even have $1,000 to post,” he said. “Cancer has ruined my life, and it has made it impossible for me to even make a living.”

Pennsylvania Judge Chris Flanigan set bail at $250,000. Roth has since sought a bail reduction and a venue transfer from Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania.

The 70-year-old jailed woman told detectives that Roth visited her in prison and offered to represent her for $2,500, even though she already had a lawyer. He returned a few days later and allegedly asked the woman to sign the power of attorney. The woman signed the form in March, according to the press release.

Fourteen withdrawals ranging from $100 to $5,000 were made from the jailed woman’s account, court records indicate.

Roth’s “Player’s Club” account at the Live! Casino indicated that he made more than $382,000 in transactions at the casino from April to September, according to the press release.

The employee with power of attorney sometimes accompanied Roth to the casino, she told investigators. She is also facing charges in the case.

Roth was disciplined in 2016, receiving a public reprimand for alleged conflicts of interest in two cases. In one, Roth filed a divorce case against a client he was representing in a civil matter, the reprimand said.

In another, Roth filed a bankruptcy for a woman, even though he represented her husband in their divorce case. The husband was listed as a co-debtor for various creditors, the reprimand said.

Source link

The post Lawyer accused of stealing over $31K from jailed woman after she signed power of attorney at his request appeared first on Home Safety Tech Pros.

‘MAGA Candidate’ caught stealing ballots in Indiana: Police

homesafetytechpros — Wed, 30 Oct 2024 10:38:39 +0000

Inset: Larry Savage Jr. (Madison County Jail). Background: Savage allegedly stealing election ballots during a test of county voting machines (Madison County Election Board).

A 51-year-old former Republican congressional candidate in Indiana was arrested this week for allegedly stealing ballots during a public test of the state’s ballot card voting system. Larry Savage Jr., an elected precinct committeeman, was taken into custody on Tuesday and charged with one count of felony destroying or misplacing ballots and one count of misdemeanor theft, authorities announced.

In May, Savage came in 6th place in the Republican primary for Indiana’s Fifth District seat in the U.S. House of Representatives, garnering 1.9% of the vote. On his campaign’s Facebook page, Savage writes, “I am a MAGA Candidate for U.S. Congress 2024” and that one of his reasons for running is to bring back “fair, transparent elections.”

According to a news release from the Indiana State Police, the incident took place during a test of the Voting System Technical Oversight Program (VSTOP) at the Madison County Government Center on Oct. 3, 2024.

“The test requires manual entry of a pre-audit group of ballots marked to record a predetermined number of valid votes for each candidate and on each public question,” police explained in the release.

“After the testing process, the ballots used are treated as if they were used on election day. Before the ballot card voting system can be used in an election, the machines are required to be tested openly to representatives of political parties, candidates, media, and the public.”

The Oct. 3, test involved four voting machines and 136 “actual candidate ballots marked for testing,” investigators said. Following the test, officials said they discovered that two ballots were missing from the initial ballot tabulation. An investigation revealed several videos that allegedly showed Savage being instructed on the validity of the test ballots and then “folding and placing both ballots in his pocket.”

The test was livestreamed on the Madison County, Indiana, government website. Savage can allegedly be seen rolling up two of the ballots and stuffing them in his pocket about 12 minutes and 45 seconds into the footage.

A judge granted a search warrant for Savage’s home and the missing ballots were located inside his vehicle.

According to a report from Indianapolis Fox affiliate WXIN, shortly after putting the ballot in his pocket, Savage allegedly approached a woman in attendance and, unprompted, said, “f—ed up ballots.” That woman, who was reportedly streaming the test on Facebook Live, subsequently went over to the election officials to ask if any of the test ballots were missing.

In fact, Savage reportedly commented on the woman’s livestream, essentially admitting to taking the ballots.

“3 ballots short!!! lol,” he wrote, per screenshots of the feed obtained by WXIN.

“Dont take anything,” Savage added.

Savage appeared to post a third comment on the feed, but the text is cut off in the screenshot.

As he was leaving the building, the station reported that Savage was seen outside the building showing another man the ballots he had allegedly pocketed. The other man reportedly patted Savage on the back a few times in response.

Footage of the police confronting Savage at his home was posted online and appears to show him claiming to officers that he asked an election official if the ballots used for the test were “real ballots.”

“She said ‘No, they’re sample ballots.’ So, when she said that, I rolled one up, put it in my pocket,” Savage tells officers. “I didn’t know we couldn’t take the thing. They even say ‘sample’ on them.”

Savage tells the officers that he was 10 minutes late to the meeting and that he may have missed any direct warning against taking ballots. WXIN reported that after being told that footage from the event showed that Savage never asked permission to take the ballots, he admitted he did not, but maintained that he believed he was allowed.

“If you got to Payless, or go wherever, it says sample and you usually can take a sample,” Savage says. “So that is the way I took it. I thought they were fake f—ing ballots.”

After an officer reads him the warrant, Savage appears to say, “They’re coming after us patriots. They don’t want us to be Americans anymore.” A short while later he reportedly told police “This is all political bulls—.”

Court documents reportedly show that when police searched his phone they found text messages clearly showing that Savage was fully aware that it was a crime to take the ballots from the facility.

Following his arrest, Savage was released on $500 bond. His first court date has not yet been scheduled.

Have a tip we should know? [email protected]

Source link

The post ‘MAGA Candidate’ caught stealing ballots in Indiana: Police appeared first on Home Safety Tech Pros.

Disbarred lawyer Tom Girardi is convicted for stealing $15M from clients

homesafetytechpros — Sun, 22 Sep 2024 08:34:31 +0000

Criminal Justice

Disbarred lawyer Tom Girardi is convicted for stealing $15M from clients

By Debra Cassens Weiss

August 27, 2024, 2:59 pm CDT

Attorney Tom Girardi is pictured outside a Los Angeles courthouse in July 2014. Federal jurors in Los Angeles have convicted Girardi, 85, on four counts of wire fraud after about four hours of deliberation. (Photo by Damian Dovarganes/The Associated Press)

A disbarred lawyer famous for his legal team’s portrayal in the movie Erin Brockovich was convicted Tuesday for stealing $15 million from four clients over the course of a decade.

Federal jurors in Los Angeles convicted 85-year-old Tom Girardi on four counts of wire fraud after about four hours of deliberation that began Monday, Law360 reports.

The Daily Journal and an Aug. 27 press release from the U.S. Department of Justice also covered the verdict.

In closing arguments Monday, federal prosecutor Ali Moghaddas had contended that Girardi was running a classic Ponzi scheme because he used new client settlement money to pay off old clients and to fund a lavish lifestyle, according to Law360.

Girardi is the estranged husband of Erika Girardi, who has appeared on The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills reality TV show. In the case portrayed in Erin Brockovich, Girardi was on the legal team that secured a $333 million settlement for groundwater contamination.

According to the DOJ press release, Girardi used $25 million from his now-collapsed law firm’s operating account to pay the expenses of an entertainment company formed by his wife. He also spent millions of dollars in firm funds on his private jet, jewelry, luxury cars and exclusive golf and social clubs, the press release said.

“Tom Girardi built celebrity status and lured in victims by falsely portraying himself as a ‘Champion of Justice,’” said U.S. Attorney Martin Estrada of Central District of California in the press release. “In reality, he was a Robin-Hood-in-reverse, stealing from the needy to support … a lavish, Hollywood lifestyle. Today’s verdict shows that the game is up—we can all now see this defendant for what he was and the victims he callously betrayed.”

Girardi’s defense lawyers had contended that Girardi wasn’t responsible for financial problems at his firm, Girardi Keese, because of his dementia. A neurology professor had testified at trial that Girardi has such a small brain hippocampus that 98% of people likely have a larger one.

The defense had also argued that Girardi Keese’s former chief financial officer, Christopher Kamon, was responsible for the missing money. He is also charged in the California case.

Girardi Keese is no longer operating after being forced into bankruptcy. Girardi was disbarred in July 2022. Sentencing in the Los Angeles case is scheduled for Dec. 6.

Girardi, Kamon and another lawyer are also charged with stealing $3 million in settlement money in Chicago. Trial in that case is scheduled for March 2025.

Source link

The post Disbarred lawyer Tom Girardi is convicted for stealing $15M from clients appeared first on Home Safety Tech Pros.

Proskauer settles with ex-COO accused of stealing sensitive information before new job

homesafetytechpros — Sat, 17 Feb 2024 17:29:20 +0000

Law Firms

Proskauer settles with ex-COO accused of stealing sensitive information before new job

By Debra Cassens Weiss

February 5, 2024, 11:47 am CST

Proskauer Rose has reached a confidential settlement with a former chief operating officer accused of downloading sensitive information before a planned move to a competitor law firm. (Image from Shutterstock)

Proskauer Rose has reached a confidential settlement with a former chief operating officer accused of downloading sensitive information before a planned move to a competitor law firm.

U.S. District Judge Analisa Torres of the Southern District of New York dismissed Proskauer’s lawsuit against former COO Jonathan O’Brien on Friday after the parties reached an agreement in principle. On the same day, Torres issued a permanent injunction to bar O’Brien from keeping or using Proskauer’s “proprietary, confidential and/or trade secret information.”

Law360 reported on the dismissal order and injunction. Reuters, Bloomberg Law and Law.com also have coverage of the settlement, made public in a legal filing on Thursday.

Proskauer had accused O’Brien in January 2023 of acting in a “brazen and malicious” manner by downloading 34 gigabytes of data.

He was also accused of printing a “black book binder” showing partner compensation and performance, as well as allocation of the firm’s profits. He had claimed that he took the information with him, so that he could work while on a vacation in Africa.

The firm also alleged in a revised May 2023 suit that O’Brien withheld raises and promotions for key Proskauer employees to spur resentment and make them amenable to joining his would-be new firm, Paul Hastings. Proskauer also alleged that O’Brien defrauded the firm through “pervasive and protracted” expense abuses and reimbursement fraud.

Paul Hastings withdrew the job offer when Proskauer’s suit became public.

Source link

The post Proskauer settles with ex-COO accused of stealing sensitive information before new job appeared first on Home Safety Tech Pros.