A Virginia man, Terrylle Blackstone, 36, from Woodbridge, has entered a guilty plea for operating an elaborate fraud scheme, targeting distressed homeowners in the U.S., and swindling them out of a whopping $15 million. The guilty plea was confirmed by the U.S. Attorney's Office, with the sentencing date set for October 3, 2024.
Blackstone faced a judge in the U.S. District Court and admitted to the count of conspiracy to commit mail fraud and wire fraud, alongside co-defendants, including two attorneys from New Jersey and Florida. According to the U.S. Attorney's Office, they fashioned a bogus "national law firm" that promised legal aid for avoiding foreclosures but failed to deliver any actual services.
The ruse was elaborate: Synergy Law, it was called, with Maresca and Marinelli's names leading the fictional cavalry. Promises of comprehensive legal reviews, local attorney assistance, and mortgage resolutions permeated their advertising. Meanwhile, homeowners, baited by these pledges on TV, over the phone, and through the internet, were drained of their money with no sight of the touted assistance. Blackstone pocketed no less than $163,199.30, the courts noted.
In 2019, Marinelli hit the inside of a Pennsylvania prison cell, yet this did not halt the deceitful operation of Synergy or the influx of payments from beleaguered homeowners relying on empty promises of support. Themis Law surfaced next, with the same falsities repacked, different only in name. And when foreclosure loomed over these clients, Themis’ advice was bankruptcy—another layer of the scheme—with Babbs Law Firm as the beneficiary of additional fees.
The investigation leading to this confession of guilt was the work of the FBI's Washington Field Office and the IRS-CI's Washington, D.C. Field Office. Assistant United States Attorney John Borchert was charged with the prosecution duties. Federal guidelines, along with other factors, will dictate Blackstone's sentence, and the government is also seeking forfeiture in excess of his ill-gained profits.
