Page 61 - The 'X' Chronicles Newspaper - September 2021

Charges for Massive Mail Fraud Scheme 61

Canadian Man Extradited

from Spain to Face

Charges for Massive

Psychic Mail Fraud

Scheme

A Canadian citizen accused of operating a
decades-long psychic mail fraud scheme was
extradited to the United States and made his
initial appearance today in federal court in
Central Islip, New York, the Department of
Justice and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service
announced.

On Oct. 25, 2018, a grand jury in the Eastern
District of New York indicted Patrice Runner,
54, on charges of mail and wire fraud,
conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud, and
conspiracy to commit money laundering.
money. sweep. The department has likewise conducted
Runner was arrested in Ibiza, Spain, by officers
hundreds of trainings and outreach sessions
of the Spanish National Police in December
“Fraud scams have exploited the mail to across the country since the passage of the Act.
2018, based on the U.S. indictment. Following
victimize vulnerable Americans for over a
extradition proceedings, the Spanish
century,” said Inspector-in-Charge Damon The department’s extensive and broad-based
government released Runner to the custody of
Wood of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service efforts to combat elder fraud seek to halt the
U.S. Postal Inspectors on Dec. 21, 2020.
Philadelphia Division. “As these crimes billions of dollars seniors lose to fraud schemes,
become global, so do Postal Inspectors. If you including those perpetrated by transnational
“The Department of Justice’s Consumer
are exploiting Americans, we are coming for criminal organizations. The best method for
Protection Branch is committed to investigating
you, no matter where you are in the world.” prevention, however, is by sharing information
and prosecuting transnational criminal schemes
about the various types of elder fraud schemes
that target elderly and vulnerable Americans,”
Two of Runner’s co-conspirators, Canadian with relatives, friends, neighbors, and other
said Acting Assistant Attorney General Jeffrey
citizens Maria Thanos and Philip Lett, pleaded seniors who can use that information to protect
Bossert Clark of the Justice Department’s Civil
guilty in the Eastern District of New York in themselves.
Division. “As this case demonstrates, we will
June 2018 to conspiracy to commit mail fraud.
work with our law enforcement partners in the
Runner used a series of shell companies to hide If you or someone you know is age 60 or older
United States and around the world to bring to
his involvement in the scheme while living in and has been a victim of financial fraud, help is
justice criminals who target Americans through
multiple foreign countries, including standing by at the National Elder Fraud Hotline:
mail fraud and other schemes. We thank the
Switzerland, France, the Netherlands, Costa 1-833-FRAUD-11 (1-833-372-8311). This U.S.
Spanish National Police for their efforts to
Rica, and Spain. Department of Justice hotline, managed by the
apprehend Runner and ensure that he sees
Office for Victims of Crime, is staffed by
justice in U.S. courts.”
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant experienced professionals who provide
Director John W. Burke and Trial Attorney Ann personalized support to callers by assessing the
According to the charges, from 1994 through
Entwistle of the Department of Justice’s needs of the victim, and identifying relevant
November 2014, Runner’s mail fraud scheme
Consumer Protection Branch with assistance next steps. Case managers will identify
defrauded over one million victims in the United
from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern appropriate reporting agencies, provide
States of over $180 million. The scheme
District of New York. The Justice Department’s information to callers to assist them in reporting,
allegedly involved sending millions of U.S.
Office of International Affairs provided critical connect callers directly with appropriate
consumers, many elderly and vulnerable, letters
assistance in securing Runner’s extradition. The agencies, and provide resources and referrals, on
purporting to be from two well-known French
Spanish National Police also provided a case-by-case basis. Reporting is the first step.
psychics, promising that the recipient had the
assistance in securing Runner’s arrest. Reporting can help authorities identify those
opportunity to achieve great wealth and
who commit fraud and reporting certain
happiness with the psychic’s assistance in
An indictment is a formal charge that a financial losses due to fraud as soon as possible
exchange for payment of a fee. The letters also
defendant has committed a violation of criminal can increase the likelihood of recovering losses.
frequently stated that a psychic had seen a
law and is not evidence of guilt. Every The hotline is staffed seven days a week from
personalized vision regarding the recipient of
defendant is presumed innocent unless and until 6:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. eastern time. English,
the letter, when in fact the scheme sent nearly
proven guilty. Spanish and other languages are available.
identical letters to tens of thousands of victims
each week.
Since President Trump signed the bipartisan For more information about the Consumer
Elder Abuse Prevention and Prosecution Act Protection Branch, visit its website at
Runner and his co-conspirators obtained the
(EAPPA) into law, the Department of Justice has https://www.justice.gov/civil/consumer-
names of elderly and vulnerable victims by
participated in hundreds of enforcement actions protection-branch. []
renting and trading mailing lists with other mail
in criminal and civil cases that targeted or
fraud schemes. When a victim responded to one
disproportionately affected seniors. In January
letter, Runner and his co-conspirators sent
2020, the department designated “Preventing
dozens of additional letters to the victim. Each
and Disrupting Transnational Elder Fraud” as an
of these additional letters also appeared to be a
Agency Priority Goal, one of its top four
personalized letter from a psychic and requested
priorities. Later, in March 2020, the department
additional money from the victim. In reality, the
announced the largest elder fraud enforcement
psychics had no role in sending the letters, did
action in American history, charging more than
not receive responses from the victims, and did
400 defendants in a nationwide elder fraud
not send the additional letters after victims paid