A federal jury has found Charles W. Lantzman, a Pittsburgh-based snow removal business owner, guilty of five counts of wire fraud and three counts of money laundering. The trial took place before United States District Judge William S. Stickman, with Acting United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announcing the verdict.
Jurors evaluated evidence showing that Lantzman, 51, deceived his business's customers by billing them for services that were not delivered. Lantzman then used the ill-gotten gains to make three bank mortgage payments, each exceeding $10,000.
The court has scheduled Lantzman's sentencing for August 11, 2025. For each wire fraud charge, the legal framework allows for up to 20 years in prison, fines up to $250,000 or double the profit from the crime, or both. The money laundering charges could bring up to 10 years in prison and a fine. The final sentence will consider both the gravity of the crime and Lantzman's criminal record, if any, as per federal Sentencing Guidelines.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys William B. Guappone and Kelly M. Locher. The investigation that led to Lantzman's prosecution was carried out by the Internal Revenue Service, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the United States Postal Inspection Service.