A Florida man, Robert W. Lederhilger III, who swindled thousands of small businesses through a mail fraud scheme, has been convicted, officials announced. The scheme, which operated for over seven years, involved mailing deceptive bills for nonexistent webhosting services to businesses, resulting in nearly $3 million in fraudulent earnings for Lederhilger. According to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York, the conviction followed a one-week jury trial before U.S. District Judge Andrew L. Carter.
"Robert W. Lederhilger III defrauded tens of thousands of small businesses over the course of more than seven years," U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton stated in a press release. The fraudulent operation led by Lederhilger involved sending out over three million mailers that appeared to be legitimate invoices for webhosting. Small businesses, many of which already had webhosting services, were duped into believing they owed Lederhilger payment. After businesses paid the fake bills, what they received was simply another "renewal" bill the following year, perpetuating the scam.
The conviction carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, although the final decision will rest with the presiding judge. The collective work of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the prosecutors from the Office's General Crimes Unit, including Assistant U.S. Attorneys Camille L. Fletcher, Getzel Berger, Kevin Grossinger, and Daniel G. Nessim, was crucial in bringing the case to a successful end. The team was also supported by Paralegal Specialists Christopher Harris and Alexandra LeBaron. Lederhilger, 44, from Bradenton, Florida, now awaits sentencing.
