New York Man Charged In Manhattan Federal Court With Fraud And Impersonating A Government Official
summary
Brandon Jones, a 34‑year‑old New York man, was arrested in Manhattan and charged with impersonating a U.S. government official, wire fraud, conspiracy to commit wire fraud and passing fictitious government obligations for a scheme that stole tens of thousands of dollars in goods and services.
paragraph
Brandon Jones, also known as Brandon McGeer, was arrested in Manhattan on July 14, 2016 after posing as a commissioner of a fake United Nations‑affiliated organization and issuing fraudulent purchase orders and travel requests. He obtained tens of thousands of dollars in products and services, including airline tickets and electronics, without paying the vendors. Jones now faces four federal counts—impersonating a government official, wire fraud, conspiracy to commit wire fraud, and passing fictitious obligations—carrying a maximum of 68 years in prison and up to $1 million in fines.
narrative
Brandon Jones, a 34‑year‑old New Yorker who also used the aliases Brandon McGeer and Brandon Jones‑McGeer, was arrested by U.S. Postal Inspection Service agents in Manhattan on July 14, 2016. He falsely presented himself as the Commissioner of a fabricated United Nations‑linked organization called “The Office of the Commissioner, an IGO.” Using bogus purchase orders and government travel requests, Jones tricked businesses into providing tens of thousands of dollars’ worth of goods and services, such as airline tickets and electronics, which were never paid for. The scheme began at least in November 2015 and was uncovered through a joint investigation with the Secret Service that also led to the earlier arrest of his associate Sandra Zongo. Jones is charged with impersonating a U.S. government official, wire fraud, conspiracy to commit wire fraud, and passing fictitious government obligations. Each count carries a maximum sentence of 3 to 25 years, for a total possible imprisonment of 68 years, and fines up to $250,000 per count, or roughly $1 million overall. He will be presented before U.S. Magistrate Judge Frank Maas, and the case remains pending.
Classified advance-fee(confidence 90%). No EDGAR filing fingerprint (criminal/DOJ-side scheme). detection rule →
Statutes
Parties
brandon joneseach chargeinvestigation into brandon jonespassing fictitious government obligationspassing fictitious obligationsphilip r. bartlettPreet Bhararasandra zongouspis agents
Keywords
governmentfraudjoneslinkgovernment non-governmentnon-government sitessites typicallytypically appearappear externalexternal linklink iconicon indicateindicate leavingleaving websitewebsite click
Extracted insights
Dollar amounts 1
- $250K $250,000 $100K–$1M
Entities 12
- person brandon jones
- scheme_term conspiracy to commit wire fraud
- scheme_term conspiring to commit wire fraud
- person each charge
- person investigation into brandon jones
- person passing fictitious government obligations
- person passing fictitious obligations
- person philip r. bartlett
- person Preet Bharara
- person sandra zongo
- person uspis agents
- scheme_term wire fraud
Triples 20
- Brandon Jones charged with impersonating an officer or employee of the United States
- Brandon Jones charged with wire fraud
- Brandon Jones charged with conspiring to commit wire fraud
- Brandon Jones charged with passing fictitious government obligations
- Brandon Jones arrested by USPIS agents
- Brandon Jones arrested on July 14, 2016
- Brandon Jones presented before U.S. Magistrate Judge Frank Maas
- Brandon Jones impersonated Commissioner of The Office of the Commissioner, an IGO
- Brandon Jones obtained through fraud tens of thousands of dollars in products and services
- Impersonating an official or employee of the United States carries maximum sentence of three years in prison
- Wire fraud carries maximum sentence of 20 years in prison
- Conspiracy to commit wire fraud carries maximum sentence of 20 years in prison
- Passing fictitious obligations carries maximum sentence of 25 years in prison
- Each charge carries maximum fine of $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss
- Sandra Zongo charged with impersonating an official or employee of the United States government
- Sandra Zongo charged with wire fraud
- Preet Bharara is United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York
- Philip R. Bartlett is Inspector-in-Charge of the New York Office of the United States Postal Inspection Service
- Brandon Jones age 34
- Investigation into Brandon Jones undertaken with United States Secret Service
Extracted body text (5,367c)
Press Release New York Man Charged In Manhattan Federal Court With Fraud And Impersonating A Government Official Thursday, July 14, 2016 Share FacebookLinks to other government and non-government sites will typically appear with the “external link” icon to indicate that you are leaving the Department of Justice website when you click the link. XLinks to other government and non-government sites will typically appear with the “external link” icon to indicate that you are leaving the Department of Justice website when you click the link. LinkedInLinks to other government and non-government sites will typically appear with the “external link” icon to indicate that you are leaving the Department of Justice website when you click the link. Email For Immediate Release U.S. Attorney's Office, Southern District of New York Preet Bharara, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and Philip R. Bartlett, the Inspector-in-Charge of the New York Office of the United States Postal Inspection Service (“USPIS”), announced today the arrest of BRANDON JONES, a/k/a “Brandon McGeer,” a/k/a “Brandon Jones-McGeer,” for impersonating an officer or employee of the United States, wire fraud, conspiring to commit wire fraud, and passing fictitious government obligations. JONES, 34, was arrested by USPIS agents this morning in Manhattan and will be presented this afternoon before U.S. Magistrate Judge Frank Maas in Manhattan federal court. Manhattan U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara stated: “As alleged, Brandon Jones purported to be the head of a fake organization tied to the U.N. and the U.S. government that promoted ‘international peace and security.’ But, as alleged, all that Jones was really promoting was a fraud scheme to obtain goods and services for himself through fake government purchase orders and travel requests. Thanks to the work of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Jones’s alleged fraud has now been exposed.” USPIS Inspector-in-Charge Philip R. Bartlett stated: “Mr. Jones attempted to outwit everyone by using bogus contractual documents to further his alleged scheme to steal and manipulate businesses to provide goods and services to him as a ‘government official;’ but he couldn’t outwit Postal Inspectors when he was arrested for his criminal activities.” According to the criminal Complaint[1]Links to other government and non-government sites will typically appear with the “external link” icon to indicate that you are leaving the Department of Justice website when you click the link. unsealed today: Beginning in at least November 2015, JONES held himself out as a Commissioner of “The Office of the Commissioner, an IGO,” an organization falsely purporting to be part of the United Nations and the United States government. In his role as Commissioner, JONES gave fraudulent purchase orders and government travel requests to businesses in exchange for tens of thousands of dollars’ worth of products and services, including airline tickets and electronics, to which he was not entitled and for which the businesses were never paid. * * * JONES is charged with one count of impersonating an official or employee of the United States government, which carries a maximum sentence of three years in prison; one count of wire fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison; one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison; and one count of passing fictitious obligations, which carries a maximum sentence of 25 years in prison. The four charges each also carry a maximum fine of $250,000, or twice the gross gain or loss from the offense. In March 2015, an investigation undertaken with the United States Secret Service into one of JONES’s employees, an alleged “Deputy Commissioner” of the “Office of the Commissioner, an IGO,” Sandra Zongo, led to Zongo being charged with one count of impersonating an official or employee of the United States government; one count of wire fraud; and one count of passing fictitious obligations. Zongo was arrested on those charges in May 2015, and her case (15 Cr. 319) is presently scheduled to proceed to trial before U.S. District Judge Kimba M. Wood in October 2016. Mr. Bharara praised the outstanding investigative work of the USPIS. He added that the investigation is continuing. The prosecution is being handled by the Office’s General Crimes Unit. Assistant United States Attorneys Kiersten A. Fletcher and Jessica K. Fender are in charge of the prosecution. The charges contained in the Complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. The USPIS encourages the public to report any information it has regarding JONES or the “Office of the Commissioner” by phone at (212) 330-3518 or by email at [email protected]. [1]Links to other government and non-government sites will typically appear with the “external link” icon to indicate that you are leaving the Department of Justice website when you click the link. As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Complaint and the description of the Complaint set forth herein constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation. Updated July 14, 2016 Topic Financial Fraud Component USAO - New York, Southern Press Release Number: 16-192
OCR text (5,367c · plain-text · 99% conf)
Press Release New York Man Charged In Manhattan Federal Court With Fraud And Impersonating A Government Official Thursday, July 14, 2016 Share FacebookLinks to other government and non-government sites will typically appear with the “external link” icon to indicate that you are leaving the Department of Justice website when you click the link. XLinks to other government and non-government sites will typically appear with the “external link” icon to indicate that you are leaving the Department of Justice website when you click the link. LinkedInLinks to other government and non-government sites will typically appear with the “external link” icon to indicate that you are leaving the Department of Justice website when you click the link. Email For Immediate Release U.S. Attorney's Office, Southern District of New York Preet Bharara, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and Philip R. Bartlett, the Inspector-in-Charge of the New York Office of the United States Postal Inspection Service (“USPIS”), announced today the arrest of BRANDON JONES, a/k/a “Brandon McGeer,” a/k/a “Brandon Jones-McGeer,” for impersonating an officer or employee of the United States, wire fraud, conspiring to commit wire fraud, and passing fictitious government obligations. JONES, 34, was arrested by USPIS agents this morning in Manhattan and will be presented this afternoon before U.S. Magistrate Judge Frank Maas in Manhattan federal court. Manhattan U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara stated: “As alleged, Brandon Jones purported to be the head of a fake organization tied to the U.N. and the U.S. government that promoted ‘international peace and security.’ But, as alleged, all that Jones was really promoting was a fraud scheme to obtain goods and services for himself through fake government purchase orders and travel requests. Thanks to the work of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Jones’s alleged fraud has now been exposed.” USPIS Inspector-in-Charge Philip R. Bartlett stated: “Mr. Jones attempted to outwit everyone by using bogus contractual documents to further his alleged scheme to steal and manipulate businesses to provide goods and services to him as a ‘government official;’ but he couldn’t outwit Postal Inspectors when he was arrested for his criminal activities.” According to the criminal Complaint[1]Links to other government and non-government sites will typically appear with the “external link” icon to indicate that you are leaving the Department of Justice website when you click the link. unsealed today: Beginning in at least November 2015, JONES held himself out as a Commissioner of “The Office of the Commissioner, an IGO,” an organization falsely purporting to be part of the United Nations and the United States government. In his role as Commissioner, JONES gave fraudulent purchase orders and government travel requests to businesses in exchange for tens of thousands of dollars’ worth of products and services, including airline tickets and electronics, to which he was not entitled and for which the businesses were never paid. * * * JONES is charged with one count of impersonating an official or employee of the United States government, which carries a maximum sentence of three years in prison; one count of wire fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison; one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison; and one count of passing fictitious obligations, which carries a maximum sentence of 25 years in prison. The four charges each also carry a maximum fine of $250,000, or twice the gross gain or loss from the offense. In March 2015, an investigation undertaken with the United States Secret Service into one of JONES’s employees, an alleged “Deputy Commissioner” of the “Office of the Commissioner, an IGO,” Sandra Zongo, led to Zongo being charged with one count of impersonating an official or employee of the United States government; one count of wire fraud; and one count of passing fictitious obligations. Zongo was arrested on those charges in May 2015, and her case (15 Cr. 319) is presently scheduled to proceed to trial before U.S. District Judge Kimba M. Wood in October 2016. Mr. Bharara praised the outstanding investigative work of the USPIS. He added that the investigation is continuing. The prosecution is being handled by the Office’s General Crimes Unit. Assistant United States Attorneys Kiersten A. Fletcher and Jessica K. Fender are in charge of the prosecution. The charges contained in the Complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. The USPIS encourages the public to report any information it has regarding JONES or the “Office of the Commissioner” by phone at (212) 330-3518 or by email at [email protected]. [1]Links to other government and non-government sites will typically appear with the “external link” icon to indicate that you are leaving the Department of Justice website when you click the link. As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Complaint and the description of the Complaint set forth herein constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation. Updated July 14, 2016 Topic Financial Fraud Component USAO - New York, Southern Press Release Number: 16-192