A Maryland man has been found guilty of wire fraud by a federal jury in Martinsburg, West Virginia. Duane Dixon, Jr., 35, from Towson, Maryland, was convicted on four charges related to a fraudulent real estate scheme.
The court heard that Dixon was involved in a conspiracy where an individual impersonated a landowner and contacted a realtor in Winchester, Virginia. The imposter falsely claimed the authority to sell property located in Hampshire County, West Virginia. Despite lacking legal rights to the property, the imposter listed it for sale through the realtor.
In executing the scheme, bank account details belonging to Dixon were sent via email to a real estate closing agent. This move aimed to secure control over proceeds from the fraudulent transaction. Further attempts were made by the imposter through email communications to have funds wired into Dixon's account.
When approached by an undercover FBI employee, Dixon denied any knowledge or relationship with those attempting the wire transactions. His false statements intended to finalize the fraudulent deal led to his conviction on three counts of wire fraud and one count of conspiracy.
Dixon faces up to 20 years in federal prison for each charge upon sentencing by a federal district court judge who will consider various guidelines and statutory factors.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jarod Douglas and Dan Salem. The Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation under U.S. District Judge Gina M. Groh's oversight.