A Canadian man entered a guilty plea in federal court in Las Vegas yesterday, admitting to charges of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and money laundering as part of a scheme that siphoned millions of dollars from the bank accounts of unsuspecting victims across the United States. As detailed in the court documents, 52-year-old Poupak Jannissar of Quebec, Canada was the ringleader behind a series of sham companies, which used fabricated checks and other fraudulent means to access victims' funds.

These companies, bearing names like Computer Run and Your E-Library, claimed to provide internet-based consumer services, such as cloud storage and online book sales. However, as laid out by the U.S. Justice Department, none of these entities actually delivered any legitimate products or services. The operation functioned by acquiring personal information illicitly and convincing banks that victims had authorized debits from their bank accounts. Jannissar and his accomplices then transferred the stolen funds to accounts in Canada.

In front of U.S. District Judge Andrew P. Gordon, Jannissar pleaded guilty to one count each of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and money laundering. He was initially arrested on January 22nd at Fort Lauderdale–Hollywood International Airport on a warrant issued by U.S. Magistrate Judge Brenda Weksler of the District of Nevada, as per the U.S. Justice Department's announcement. These charges, which he pled guilty to yesterday, followed an indictment on the same.

"Through various sham entities, the defendant and his accomplices stole consumers' hard-earned money directly from their bank accounts," said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. In a statement obtained by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Nevada, Boynton emphasized the commitment of the Justice Department to "apprehend and prosecute criminals, whether located inside or outside the United States, who steal from Americans." Accomplices of Jannissar continue to be at large, and investigations by the USPIS-CI and FDIC OIG are ongoing with the assistance of U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

A maximum sentence of 20 years in prison per charge is on the table for Jannissar, awaiting determination after the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors are considered. Consumers have been urged to report any fraudulent activities to the FTC at www.reportfraud.ftc.gov/ or by calling 877-FTC-HELP. Meanwhile, resources for victims of fraud can be found at the Justice Department's Office for Victims of Crime at www.ovc.gov, as the case nears its conclusion with sentencing yet to be scheduled.