Erie Man Indicted On Fraud Charges

ERIE, Pa. - A resident of Erie, Pennsylvania, has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Erie on charges of wire fraud, United States Attorney David J. Hickton announced today.

The ten-count indictment named Peter Jerard Turk, 60, as the sole defendant.

According to the indictment presented to the court, from in and around January 2009 to in and around September 2012, Turk used a Nigerian advance fee scheme to defraud a former acquaintance out of over $700,000.00.

The law provides for a maximum total sentence of 200 years in prison, a fine of $2,500,000, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.

Assistant United States Attorney Christian A. Trabold is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.

The United States Secret Service conducted the investigation leading to the indictment in this case.

An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.