Media Consultant Indicted

BATON ROUGE, LA – Acting United States Attorney Walt Green announced today that a Federal Grand Jury returned an indictment charging RAYMOND CHRISTOPHER REGGIE, 51, of Mandeville, Louisiana with five counts of wire fraud and six counts of money laundering, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 1343 and 1957.

According to the indictment, REGGIE was the owner and operator of an advertising firm that purchased and managed advertising for various car dealerships in southeast Louisiana. During the period January 2009 through July 2012, REGGIE executed a scheme to defraud the car dealerships for which he worked by submitting fictitious advertising expenses for payment by the dealerships. REGGIE falsely represented to the accounts payable administrators of the car dealerships that the advertising expenses were for services actually furnished. Once the dealerships issued payments for the bogus expenses, REGGIE diverted the payments to his personal use and enjoyment. As a result of REGGIE’S submission of fictitious advertising expenses for payment, the car dealerships issued 129 checks totaling approximately $1,144,767 for advertising services which had not been received by the dealerships. REGGIE diverted all of the fraudulently obtained funds to a bank account which he controlled. Once the funds were wired into Reggie’s bank account, he conducted multiple monetary transactions with the proceeds of his fraudulent activities.

If convicted, REGGIE faces up to 30 years imprisonment for each of the five counts of bank fraud and up to ten years imprisonment for each of the six counts of money laundering. REGGIE also faces fines of up to $2,750,000 and a term of five years of supervised release.

The Indictment also notifies REGGIE that should he be convicted, he must forfeit property, real or personal, which constitutes, or is derived from proceeds traceable to his wire fraud including, but not limited to at least $1,144,767, as well as all property, real or personal, involved in the money laundering offenses, or any property traceable to such property, including but not limited to at least $230,615.67, said amount being the value of the property involved in the money laundering offenses.

Acting United States Attorney Green stated, “Anyone who steals from their clients just to enrich themselves will be aggressively investigated and prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office.”

IRS Special Agent-in-Charge Gabriel Grchan stated, “This indictment is an example of the complex, white-collar cases our agency has a reputation for investigating. IRS-Criminal Investigations will continue to investigate individuals who engage in illegal schemes to steal money from others. Activities that involve money laundering will not be tolerated by anyone.”

NOTE: An indictment is a determination by a grand jury that probable cause exists to believe that offenses have been committed by a defendant. The defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty at trial.