A Spring Hill man has admitted he helped move nearly $9 million that federal prosecutors say was stolen from victims of online scams, many involving romance schemes. John J. Intoci, 65, pleaded guilty yesterday and acknowledged that he joined a network of sham business accounts that took in checks, cash and money orders from people targeted in romance and other internet scams. According to prosecutors, the money was then routed through additional bank accounts and converted into cryptocurrency.
In a press release, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Connecticut said Intoci pleaded guilty to conspiracy to operate an unlicensed money transmitting business, a charge that carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison. He was arrested on Jan. 16, 2025, released on a $50,000 bond and is scheduled to be sentenced on May 29, according to the office.
The same release notes that co-defendant Richard Fasanella pleaded guilty last Tuesday to conspiracy to commit money laundering and illegal monetary transactions. He faces up to 20 years in prison and is set to be sentenced on May 26.
How the scheme worked
Prosecutors say Fasanella opened bank accounts in his own name and in the names of sham companies, then recruited associates, including Intoci, to open additional accounts using those same business names. Victims were told to mail checks, cash and money orders to those accounts, and the defendants kept a cut before moving the remaining funds into other bank accounts and then into cryptocurrency wallets, according to WFSB.
Authorities say the operation ran from about 2018 through 2024 and continued even after banks flagged suspicious accounts and law enforcement seized some of the money.
Local notice and the federal probe
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida highlighted the Spring Hill connection in a post on X, noting the local defendant’s guilty plea in the Connecticut case. Connecticut-based reporting and local outlets say the investigation included the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the IRS Criminal Investigation Global Illicit Financial Team and the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration, with assistance from U.S. Marshals and Colombian authorities, the New Haven Register reported. The Florida office’s social media post can be found on X.
Spring Hill, FL man admits to role in scheme involving millions of dollars stolen from victims of online scams in @USAO_CT case. https://t.co/DT0vdnjzbP
— USAO Middle Florida (@USAO_MDFL) March 10, 2026
Scam trends and resources
Federal data show that scams cost Americans billions of dollars every year and that older adults are frequent targets, according to the Federal Trade Commission. In its press release, the Connecticut U.S. Attorney’s Office directs potential victims and witnesses to the National Elder Fraud Hotline at 833‑FRAUD‑11 (833‑372‑8311) for help and to report suspected scams.
Authorities also encourage victims to file complaints with the FTC and with the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center, and say that keeping bank records and any mailed correspondence can make it easier for investigators to trace the money trail.
