Columbia, South Carolina ---- United States Attorney Beth Drake stated today that E'Shellah Calhoun, age 52, of Rock Hill, South Carolina, has entered a guilty plea in federal court in Columbia, to conspiracy, a violation of 18 U.S.C. § 371. United States District Judge Terry L. Wooten, of Columbia, accepted the guilty plea and will impose sentence after he has reviewed the presentence report which will be prepared by the U.S. Probation Office.
Evidence presented at the change of plea hearing established that the defendant and others agreed to defraud people across the country. The victims were contacted by members of the conspiracy who purported to be officials with the Internal Revenue Service - it appears from the investigation that these co-conspirators were operating out of India. The co-conspirators would threaten criminal prosecution if the victim did not pay a certain amount of money. The victims would be instructed to wire certain sums of money to a bank account in order to satisfy the debt. The investigation found that money was being sent to a South Carolina account operated by the defendant. Bank documents and bank surveillance, show that the defendant and associates would go to various banks and ATMs the day that money was deposited by the victims. The three would withdraw the full amount. The total amount that they received is approximately 50k. Additionally, the co-conspirators other times would demand gift cards; there is surveillance of the defendant redeeming thousands of dollars in gift cards within an hour of the victims transferring the funds.
Ms. Drake stated the maximum penalty for conspiracy is imprisonment for 5 years and/or a fine of $250,000.
The case was investigated by agents of the Office of the Inspector General of the Department of the Treasury. Assistant United States Attorney Jim May of the Columbia office is prosecuting the case. ##
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
