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WHEELING, WEST VIRGINIA - A Wheeling, West Virginia businessman is facing federal charges that he defrauded the customers of his mortgage brokerage business, United States Attorney William J. Ihlenfeld, II announced today.
Mark C. Busack, 51, was charged this morning in U.S. District Court in Wheeling with four counts of “Use of an Unauthorized Access Device" and one count of “Filing a False S Corporation Income Tax Return." Busack is alleged to have made hundreds of thousands of dollars in unauthorized charges to the credit and debit accounts of the customers of his mortgage company, Major Savings, Inc., also known as ‘A Plus Family Home Mortgage.’ He is also alleged to have understated his gross income in 2012 by more than $300,000.00.
The investigation began in 2013 when customers of Busack voiced concerns about his financial practices. Various federal and local law enforcement agencies then investigated the matter, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Ohio County Sheriff’s Department, the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation Section, and the Wheeling Police Department. Authorities discovered that Busack had engaged in a practice of repeatedly making unauthorized charges to the credit card accounts of his mortgage customers, and that he failed to report his true income to the IRS.
“Busack was not satisfied with the credit card fraud he committed, deciding to also defraud the American taxpayer by submitting a false corporate tax return. Our tax system is based on each taxpayer paying his or her fair share and Busack intentionally chose not to do so," said Thomas J. Kelly, Special Agent in Charge, IRS Criminal Investigation, Washington D.C. Field Office. “Today’s charges reinforce the commitment by law enforcement and the United States Attorney’s Office to hold individuals who commit these types of crimes accountable."
The West Virginia Attorney General’s Office also became involved in the investigation after being contacted by customers of Busack. The Attorney General’s Office took its own, separate action this week by filing a lawsuit in the Circuit Court of Ohio County, West Virginia.
“As part of our ongoing efforts to protect West Virginia consumers against scammers, our Office has worked closely and collaboratively with law enforcement, including the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Today’s announcement is a reflection of that partnership and our shared goal of protecting West Virginia citizens from anyone who may wish to take advantage of them," said West Virginia Attorney General Patrick Morrisey. “In addition to the Information filed today, our Office has filed a civil action against Busack and his businesses."
Busack was charged by Information and faces up to ten years in prison and fine of up to $250,000.00 on each of the four access device counts and up to three years in prison and fine of up to $100,000.00 on the tax charge. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed will be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
United States Attorney Ihlenfeld and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jarod J. Douglas are prosecuting the criminal case on behalf of the federal government.
An Information is merely an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
