October 21, 2002

MAN WHO TRIED TO CASH TAX REFUND CHECK
BELONGING TO OWNER OF LOS ANGELES LAKERS
SENTENCED TO OVER 7 YEARS IN FEDERAL PRISON

 A man who acquired a stolen tax refund check payable to the owner of the Los Angeles Lakers, and then claimed to be his son in an attempt to cash the check, was sentenced this afternoon to 85 months in federal prison.
 Dwayne Kellum, 38, of Long Beach, was sentenced by United States District Judge Christina A. Snyder for his conviction on charges of conspiracy, possession of stolen mail, mail fraud, identity theft and money laundering.
 When he pleaded guilty in March, Kellum admitted to acquiring possession of a federal tax refund check that was being sent to Lakers owner Dr. Jerry H. Buss. The check had been stolen from the United States mail. The stolen check was then used to open a stock brokerage account at Morgan Stanley Dean Witter in the name of "Jerry Buss, Jr.," the purported son of Dr. Buss.
 Kellum spoke several times with Morgan Stanley in an attempt to convince them that "Jerry Buss, Jr." was using the tax refund check to invest in a purported energy business. The purported energy business was in fact controlled by a co-conspirator, and the funds were to be sent there so that Kellum could siphon off funds for his own use. During telephone calls with Morgan Stanley, Kellum pretended to be the son of Dr. Buss, claimed to be a senior vice president and scout for the Lakers, and spoke of his hope that some day he would own the Lakers himself. The scheme was foiled when Morgan Stanley determined that Dr. Buss did not have a son named Jerry and alerted the FBI.
 Kellum was also sentenced today in relation to a conviction in February 2002 in another case involving the cashing of stolen checks, including checks belonging to a trust set up by television actor Fred MacMurray (of “My Three Sons”) and his wife, film actor June Haver MacMurray. During that trial, Kellum was further found to have used some of the money from that scam in an attempt to post bail in the case involving the stolen Buss tax refund check.
 Both cases investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

 Release No. 02-154

Return to the 2002 Press Release Index.

Return to the Home Page