July 16, 2007 - United States Attorney Patrick L. Meehan today announced the filing of a Superseding Information* charging Johnny Smith and Loren Sanders, a/k/a “Saaybirah Sanders” and “Loren Burton,” with various schemes to defraud.
First, the Superseding Information charges the defendants with one count of conspiracy to commit access device fraud and one count of access device fraud. These charges arise out of the defendant’s scheme to obtain a Home Depot credit card in the name of a fictitious school, and then to use that credit card to make approximately $55,000 in fraudulent purchases from various Home Depot stores in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania and elsewhere.
Second, the Superseding Information charges the defendants with three counts of mail fraud and one count of wire fraud in connection with their scheme to defraud several companies out of over $175,000 worth of computers and other merchandise. The defendants submitted to these companies fake purchase orders in the name of fictitious schools, which they claimed were operating out of their residence.
Third, the Superseding Information charges the defendants with two counts of uttering a counterfeit check written from the payroll bank account of the City of Chester, Pennsylvania. The defendants created two checks totaling more than $1,300 payable to defendant Johnny Smith. The defendants then cashed the checks at a supermarket.
Finally, the Superseding Information charges defendant Johnny Smith with
three counts of wire fraud in connection with his scheme to defraud Home
Depot and certain banks. Defendant Johnny Smith used the City of Chester,
Pennsylvania payroll account to make electronic payments to pay down the
debt on his fraudulently obtained Home Depot credit card.
DEFENDANT |
ADDRESS |
AGE [Date of Birth] |
JOHNNY SMITH |
Philadelphia, PA |
35 years old |
LOREN SANDERS |
Philadelphia, PA |
29 years old |
With respect to Johnny Smith, the total maximum penalty is 175 years imprisonment, a $2.75 million fine, 3 years supervised release and a $1,100 special assessment. With respect to Loren Sanders, the total maximum penalty is 115 years imprisonment, a $2 million fine, 3 years supervised release and a $800 special assessment.
The case was investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and has been assigned to Assistant United States Attorney Leo R. Tsao.
| UNITED
STATES ATTORNEY'S OFFICE EASTERN DISTRICT, PENNSYLVANIA Suite 1250, 615 Chestnut Street Philadelphia, PA 19106 |
Contact: RICH MANIERI Media Contact 215.861.8525 |
*An Indictment or Information is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Benjamin Franklin Photo by B. Krist for the Greater Philadelphia Tourism Marketing Corporation