United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg has announced the unsealing of an indictment in Tampa, Florida. Four individuals have been charged with conspiracy to commit bank fraud and money laundering involving over $128 million in criminal proceeds. The defendants named are Daniel Liburdi from Miami, Joseph Scotto from Bay Shore, NY, Gregory Walker from Ontario, Canada, and Frank Carbone III from Orlando.
Liburdi and Carbone III face additional charges of bank fraud. Each charge of bank fraud and conspiracy to commit bank fraud carries a maximum penalty of 30 years in federal prison, while the money laundering conspiracy charge could result in up to 20 years in federal prison. The indictment also includes a notification that the United States intends to forfeit three residences in Miami Beach and one in the U.S. Virgin Islands, allegedly linked to the offense's proceeds. Furthermore, the government seeks a forfeiture order amounting to $128,144,908.66.
The indictment alleges that Liburdi, Scotto, Walker, and Carbone conspired to commit bank fraud by submitting fraudulent applications to U.S. financial institutions for merchant processing accounts using private personal information obtained under false pretenses. These fraudulent accounts facilitated an e-commerce enterprise employing high-risk sales techniques. By using others' personal information, they insulated themselves from liability while impacting both individuals and financial institutions.
Additionally, the defendants are accused of conspiring to launder their criminal proceeds by paying for services like advertising that promoted their scheme and sharing these proceeds through transactions within conspirator-controlled bank accounts.
The formal charges signify allegations against the defendants who remain presumed innocent until proven guilty.
The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (Tampa) alongside the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation (Tampa). Additional support came from Pasco Sheriff’s Office as well as Homeland Security Investigations and IRS-Criminal Investigation teams based in Miami and New York. Assistant United States Attorney Adam J. Duso will prosecute the case.