Jamaican National Charged in Conspiracy to Commit Mail and Wire Fraud

United States Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that ALEX SAUNDERS age 26, a resident of Jamaica and student athlete at Southern University in New Orleans, was charged on August 3, 2018, in a one-count Bill of Information with Conspiracy to Commit Mail and Wire Fraud.

According to the charging document, prior to August 2013, and continuing to in or around December 2015, Andre Bowyer and co-conspirators known and unknown to the United States Attorney employed false representations and promises in order to fool elderly persons and persons suffering from diminished mental capacities into sending funds via United States mail, private mail carrier, or through an electronic transfer to SAUNDERS, Debra Krom and other co-conspirators known and unknown to the United States Attorney.

After receiving victims’ funds through United States mail, private mail carrier, or through an electronic transfer, SAUNDERS, Krom, and other co-conspirators known and unknown to the United States Attorney, with knowledge that the money they received was obtained through false and fraudulent pretenses, did knowingly and intentionally transfer the stolen money to one of Bowyer’s bank accounts in Jamaica.

If convicted, SAUNDERS faces a maximum term of five years imprisonment, a fine of not more than $250,000, supervised release of three years, and a special assessment of $100.

The case was investigated by the United States Secret Service, the United States Postal Inspection Service, and the United States Department of Homeland Security Investigations.

U.S. Attorney Evans reiterated that the Bill of Information is merely a charge and that the guilt of the defendant must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U. S. Attorney Sharan E. Lieberman.