Florida Man Who Admitted Defrauding Multiple Factoring Businesses For Over $800,000 Gets More Than Four Years In Prison

NEWARK, N.J. - A Seminole, Florida, man was sentenced today to 51 months in prison for using phony invoices to defraud multiple factoring businesses, including one based in Bergen County, New Jersey, U.S. Attorney Paul Fishman announced.

Karl Stehlin, a/k/a “Mark Sawyer,” 61, previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge William J. Martini to Count One of an indictment charging him with wire fraud. Judge Martini imposed the sentence today in Newark federal court. 

According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:

Stehlin admitted that from June 2014 through September 2014, he defrauded a Bergen County factoring business that purchased accounts receivable in return for short term financing. Stehlin created a bogus Idaho-based company, Sawyer Express Transportation Inc., and emailed accounts receivable invoices to the factoring company for transportation services that were never provided. As a result, Stehlin was able to defraud the factoring company out of $220,000 in advance payment on those invoices. 

During his plea hearing, Stehlin also admitted using the same methods to defraud a Glendale, California, factoring business out of $127, 953.34 and a Las Vegas factoring business out of $524,025.28.

In addition to the prison term, Judge Martini ordered Stehlin to serve three years of supervised release and pay restitution of $837,618.29. 

U.S. Attorney Fishman credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Timothy Gallagher in Newark, with the investigation leading to today’s sentencing. He also thanked special agents of the FBI Tampa Division, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Paul Wysopal, for their assistance. 

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lakshmi Srinivasan Herman and Andrew Kogan of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Economic Crimes Unit and Acting Chief Barbara Ward of the Asset Forfeiture and Money Laundering Unit in Newark.

Defense counsel: Michael Koribanics Esq., Clifton, New Jersey