Towson Woman Sentenced To Federal Prison For Obtaining $4.3M In Advance Fee Fraud Scheme
BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- A Towson woman was sentenced to eight years in federal prison for obtaining over $4.3 million in an advance fee fraud scheme and for evading taxes.
Lauren Montillo, 47, of Towson, was sentenced to eight years in federal prison followed by five years of supervised release for conspiracy to commit wire fraud and for tax evasion.
The judge also ordered Montillo to pay restitution of $4,060,284.79 to the victims of the scheme, and $276,240 to the Internal Revenue Service.
Montillo admitted that from 2010 through 2015, she and her co-conspirators sought at least $8.7 million in advance fees from foreign and United States victims, purporting to offer access to exotic bank financial instruments.
Victims paid $4,342,540 in advance fees into Hong Kong bank accounts or attorney escrow accounts and received nothing in return.
For tax years 2012 through 2014, Montillo reported no income other than $100, evading a substantial amount of income taxes.
Three defendants were charged and sentenced in a related case in the Western District of Texas.
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