BOISE - Mark Anthony Brown, 53, an inmate at the Idaho Correctional Center in Orofino, was arraigned in United States District Court today on 12 counts of mail fraud, U.S. Attorney Wendy J. Olson announced. Brown was indicted by a federal grand jury on March 12, 2013. A trial is set for June 3, 2013, before Chief U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill at the federal courthouse in Boise.
The indictment alleges that from September 2007 to Feb. 28, 2013, Brown devised a scheme to defraud by submitting claim forms in which he falsely represented that he was a claimant, or member, of various class action lawsuits, bankruptcy settlements and other large-scale lawsuits. The indictment alleges that Brown mailed the claim forms to administrators of the settlements in order to receive settlement proceeds. Brown allegedly deposited the proceeds he received into his Idaho Department of Correction trust account and into several different investment accounts, through the use of the mail. The government is seeking forfeiture of approximately $64,000 in currency, or substitute assets, which Brown is alleged to have received from the scheme to defraud.
Each count of mail fraud is punishable by up to 20 years in federal prison, a maximum fine of $250,000, and up to three years of supervised release.
The case is being investigated by the United States Postal Inspection Service with the cooperation of the Idaho Department of Correction.
An indictment is only an allegation of criminal conduct and is not evidence of guilt. A person is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
