Inorganic materials and more

Inorganic materials

Minnesota farmer James Clayton Wolf has been indicted on three counts of wire fraud for allegedly orchestrating a six-year scheme in which he sold non-organic grains worth $46 million to buyers who thought they were getting the real deal.

According to the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), between 2014 and 2020, Wolf, who’s a certified organic farmer, bought non-organic corn and soybeans and resold them as “organic” to unsuspecting buyers. He allegedly showed buyers his National Organics Program certification but didn’t tell them they were buying non-organic products.

Wolf was also allegedly violating organic farming standards by growing crops with chemical fertilizers and pesticides, the DOJ reports. (See “Cottonwood County Farmer Charged with $46 Million Organic Grain Fraud Scheme,” DOJ, press release, July 11, 2022.)

Too soon, scammers

As the European Union (EU) voted in June to endorse Ukraine as a candidate to join its ranks, law enforcement ensnared cybercriminals who allegedly used the promise of EU payments to scam Ukrainians seeking help amid the throes of the ongoing war with Russia.

Ukrainian authorities arrested nine suspected members of a gang operating websites disguised as resources to claim social security payments from the EU — but first victims had to supply their bank account information. More than 5,000 Ukrainians lost nearly $3.4 million to the scheme.

According to Bank Info Security, as the Russian invasion of Ukraine continues, there’s an increased risk of phishing attacks and other schemes from fraudsters seeking to take advantage of a humanitarian crisis. (See “Ukrainian Cops Arrest Phishing Gang That Stole $3.4 Million,” by Prajeet Nair, Bank Info Security, June 30, 2022, and “European leaders formally accept Ukraine as candidate to join EU,” by Silvia Amaro, CNBC, June 23, 2022.)

The real celebrities of federal fraud

Federal courts were D-list-celebrity affairs this summer as rapper Nuke Bizzle and reality show star Jen Shah pleaded guilty to separate fraud schemes.

Bizzle, aka Fontrell Antonio Baines, pleaded guilty to mail fraud on July 6 for allegedly scamming $1.2 million from the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance provision of the CARES Act. He gained notoriety for rapping about his alleged deeds in his YouTube music video, “EDD,” a reference to the California Employment Development Department. Baines faces up to 20 years in prison.

Shah pleaded guilty to wire fraud on July 11 for an alleged telemarketing scheme that defrauded hundreds of elderly people. Bravo’s “Real Housewives of Salt Lake City” documented Shah’s “crying, screaming, throwing drinks and continuous denials” about the situation, according to Variety. Shah faces up to 14 years in prison. (See “L.A. rapper who sang about scamming COVID jobless benefits to plead guilty,” by Richard Winton, Los Angeles Times, July 6, 2022, and “‘Real Housewives’ Star Jen Shah Pleads Guilty in Criminal Fraud Case,” by Elizabeth Wagmeister, Variety, U.S. edition, July 11, 2022.)