Baltimore, Maryland - U.S. District Judge George L. Russell III sentenced John Tadros, age 45, of Baltimore, today to 58 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release for wire fraud conspiracy and money laundering. Judge Russell also entered an order requiring Tadros to pay restitution of $400,000.
The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Rod J. Rosenstein and Special Agent in Charge Brian Murphy of the United States Secret Service - Baltimore Field Office.
Tadros owned Busy Bees Convenience Mart located at 335 South Monroe Street, and J&J’s Bar and Liquor located at 1801 Ramsay Street, both in Baltimore. According to his plea agreement, from January 2009 to February 2013, Tadros directed Melissa Perry, Deanna Lynch, Mohamed Al-Omeri, Mark Brunelle, Steven Riley and others, known as boosters, to steal merchandise from large retail stores throughout Baltimore, Anne Arundel, Prince George’s, Howard and Harford Counties in Maryland, as well as Virginia, Pennsylvania and Delaware. The boosters then returned the stolen items in exchange for store gift cards. They used modified Maryland driver’s licenses that contained the personal identifier information of actual persons, without those persons’ knowledge, when returning the stolen items without a receipt.
Tadros bought the fraudulently obtained gift cards from the boosters for 50% of the card’s value. Tadros told the boosters to target specific stores at specific locations, and advised them of the best days to steal merchandise and the manner by which they modified their Maryland driver’s licenses. Tadros also collected the welfare benefit debit cards of the boosters which he held as collateral if he deemed that the boosters owed him money, and returned the benefit cards to the boosters for 50% of the card’s value. Tadros used the gift cards to purchase personal home goods, and supplies for his businesses and rental properties.
On Feb. 27, 2013, the U.S. Secret Service executed a search warrant and seized 32 fraudulently obtained gift cards from his home. Agents also seized 329 retail store receipts from Busy Bee, for purchases made with fraudulently obtained gift cards.
The actual loss to retailers in Maryland caused by the scheme is at least $401,326.12.
Melissa Perry, age 34; Deanna Lynch, age 44; Mohamed Al-Omeri, age 39; Steven Riley, age 50; and Mark Brunelle, age 47, previously pleaded guilty to their participation in the scheme. Brunelle was sentenced to 51 months in prison and ordered to pay over $210,000 in restitution. Perry and Lynch were sentenced to 30 months and 18 months in prison, respectively, and were ordered to pay restitution of $401,326.12. Al-Omeri was sentence to one year of probation and ordered to pay restitution of $35,000. Steven Riley is scheduled to be sentenced on Aug. 15, 2014.
United States Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein praised the U.S. Secret Service - Baltimore Field Office for its work in the investigation, and commended the Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation, Washington, D.C. Field Office for its assistance. Mr. Rosenstein thanked Assistant United States Attorney Mark W. Crooks, who prosecuted the case.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
