Buffalo Man Sentenced For Wire Fraud

CONTACT:      Barbara Burns
PHONE:         (716) 843-5817
FAX:            (716) 551-3051

BUFFALO, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney William J. Hochul Jr. announced today that John Northrup, 37, of Buffalo, NY, who was convicted of wire fraud, was sentenced to 18 months in prison by U.S. Senior District Judge William M. Skretny.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Scott S. Allen, Jr., who handled the case, stated that between March 2010 and June 2011, the defendant posted classified advertisements on Craigslist and Backpage.com, offering, among other things, fraudulent employment opportunities in the adult pornography industry.

Specifically, Northrup, referring to himself as the “Porn King,” posted fraudulent advertisements soliciting drivers willing to transport women working in the adult film industry in a fictitious, company-owned Cadillac Escalade. Interested readers were instructed to wire a one-time deposit to the defendant. In total, over 250 people from across the United States and Canada wired over $65,000 to Northrup over 14 months.   

The sentencing is the result of an investigation by the United States Secret Service, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge C. Todd Laster.