A Texas man, aged 28, has admitted his guilt in a kickback scheme that spanned nearly two years and involved $1 million in Kansas.
Mercele Brooks, a resident of Harker Heights, Texas, has recently admitted her guilt in the case of being an accessory after the fact to laundering monetary instruments, as announced by the Department of Justice on Thursday.
According to the Department of Justice (DOJ), more than a dozen suspects were involved in the fraudulent customer refund scheme.
The Department of Justice (DOJ) disclosed that there were four additional individuals implicated in the case. These individuals, namely Kanesha Mercer, Darius Polite, Rudy Hunt, and Veronica Kilman, were all employees at Advanced Call Center Technologies (ACCT) in Junction City, Kansas. Their role involved handling customer refunds for AT&T Digital Life home security systems.
Between December 2016 and August 2018, fraudulent refunds amounting to around $1 million were carried out. According to the Department of Justice (DOJ), employees had devised a system in which they would deposit the funds into accounts belonging to their co-conspirators. In return, they would later receive a portion of their share.
According to the Department of Justice (DOJ), Brooks was found to have received a total of $100,317 in proceeds from wire fraud.
FBI Kansas City Special Agent in Charge Stephan A. Cyrus stated that this form of fraud is driven by greed and is far from victimless. He emphasized that these crimes have a direct impact on consumers, as the costs are ultimately passed on to them.
“This investigation has revealed that several individuals were involved in this fraudulent scheme. This plea agreement serves as a clear indication that these responsible individuals are being held liable for their actions.”
