Rochester Schools Employee Sentenced For Being “Money Mule”

CONTACT:      Barbara Burns
PHONE:         (716) 843-5817
FAX:            (716) 551-3051
 
ROCHESTER, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney William J. Hochul Jr. announced today that Ricky Miller, Jr., 58, of Rochester, NY, who was convicted of conspiracy to commit mail fraud, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge David G. Larimer to 20 months in prison. The defendant was also ordered to pay restitution of approximately $105,000 to the victims of the fraud scheme.

Assistant U.S. Attorney John J. Field, who is handling the case, stated that Miller and co-defendant Charles Hanks served as “money mules” for a Jamaican group that operated a fraudulent sweepstakes telemarketing scheme. The scheme targeted elderly individuals who received telephone calls claiming that they had won a sweepstakes prize or lottery. Victims were asked to pay an upfront fee in order to release the purported winnings. Miller, who was and is a custodian with the Rochester City School District, and Hanks acted as points of contact in the United States to receive the money from the victims which they then sent to Jamaica after taking a substantial cut. 

Charles Hanks was convicted and sentenced to 12 months in prison.

Sentencing is the culmination of an investigation by the United States Postal Inspection Service, under the direction of Inspector in Charge Shelly Binkowski, Boston Division.