Scam Artist

In 2008, accused scam artist Donald Anthony Young had three homes, a personal chef, a horse farm, and access to his own private plane. But when he was arraigned in U.S. District Court here Friday on charges of stealing more than $25 million in a Ponzi scheme, Young was without the trappings of wealth. He was represented by a public defender, who said Young is living in a rental apartment and subsisting on family charity. Dressed in a gray-striped suit, Young listened without reaction when Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul L. Gray said, "Mr. Young's eventual incarceration is just about inevitable.

A West Philadelphia woman was convicted yesterday of impersonating people in public life - including former Mayor W. Wilson Goode's wife - in order to get donations in a phony charity scam. Brenda Dean, 37, was sentenced to 3 1/2 to 11 1/2 months in jail after being convicted of seven counts of theft by deception by Municipal Judge Louis J. Presenza in a nonjury trial. Two local ministers and three businessmen testified that Dean telephoned them between April and June, and identified herself either as the former mayor's wife, Velma, as the mayor's press secretary, Karen Warrington, or as State Rep. Louise Williams Bishop.

Accused scam artist Donald Anthony Young admitted in federal district court yesterday that he bilked investors of more than $20 million between 1999 and 2009 while running a financial firm that authorities said was really a Ponzi scheme. Young, 39, pleaded guilty to one count each of mail fraud and money laundering. U.S. District Judge Juan San-chez set sentencing for Oct. 28. Young, who has been living in Palm Beach, Fla., remains free on $200,000 secured bond. Young has also been sued in federal court by the Securities & Exchange Commission, and a federal judge has appointed a receiver to dispose of Young's assets and pay back investors.

Steven G. Schwartz brokered car leases for a living and did fairly well for a long time - well enough to afford a $350,000 house in Holland, Bucks County. But then Schwartz branched out into the equipment-leasing business, things went downhill. Despite large investments from his father, a certified public accountant, and from Steve Rosner, an old family friend and local businessman, as well as from Rosner's mother and the Rosner family trust, he lost money. When Schwartz couldn't repay these investments, he defrauded four banks of $1.4 million between late May and mid-July 1995 by getting financing for 29 automobile leases on cars that he'd never leased to clients of his now-bankrupt business, Liberty Leasing Corp.

A man suspected of being the scam artist who would tell elderly people that he was collecting for Inquirer subscriptions and then pocket the money was arrested yesterday in an Olney bank while trying to cash a woman's check. The $9 personal check had been altered to read $900, police said. Leonard Moore, 37, who said he lived in the 2000 block of East Tulpehocken Street, is believed to have scammed at least 21 victims, many of whom live in the Juniata Park area, said Capt. Jack Downs of the East Detective Division.

A Woodbury financial adviser has been barred by the state from working in the securities industry in New Jersey after defrauding small investors out of $500,000. State officials announced yesterday that Gary Tunnicliffe cannot work for any investment firm, sell securities, or work as an adviser again. Tunnicliffe, 47, was sentenced in U.S. District Court in Camden in January to more than three years in jail after pleading guilty to the scheme. He also was required to pay $541,047 in restitution to his victims, some of whom had trusted him with their life savings.

A New York City man who claimed to be a high-end interior decorator and said he was of royal descent gained the confidence of a dozen clients, police said. But when he failed to deliver the goods, his clients in four states and the District of Columbia went to police. Yesterday, Anthony Gerard Cazzari, 40, also known as Antoine G.B. de Bourbon-Parme, was arrested on charges of theft by deception and accused of stealing an estimated $300,000 from 12 victims. A Lower Makefield couple, whom police declined to identify, were among his victims and lost an estimated $70,000, police said.

Up to 200 Pennsylvania and New Jersey residents may have been defrauded by a career scam artist once dubbed the "Con Man Casanova" for previous crimes - and he is still looking for more customers, authorities warned yesterday. James J. Masiello, 56, is alleged to have stolen between $150,000 and $200,000 - and reams of personal financial information - by posing as a mortgage broker and soliciting "processing" fees from families interested in refinancing their homes, Montgomery County Assistant District Attorney Laurel Grass said.

A pair of eagle-eyed detectives stopped a veteran scam artist from victimizing an elderly couple in Northeast Philadelphia yesterday, police said. Detectives James Arentzem and Margarita Moreno-Nix had been sent to Rhawnhurst because of a recent spate of "gypsy crimes," which are cons committed by nomadic hustlers who pose as public employees, said Major Crimes Sgt. Joseph Cella. "Transient criminals don't hang around much," Cella said. "By the time most of these crimes are reported, we're a day late and a dollar short.

He wasn't much to look at, but, boy, was he smooth. How else to explain how Paul S. Krueger, a pudgy, bald 50-year-old homeless man, managed to bilk 13 women out of $102,000 by posing as a record producer-turned-investor on MillionaireMatch.com. "He was very down-to-earth, nice to everybody. Just a nice guy," recalled Noelle Stehling, 38, one of his victims. Yesterday, Krueger, who blew the women's money gambling at Atlantic City casinos, pleaded guilty to theft in Montgomery County Court and was sentenced to five to seven years in prison.

Patrick Giblin had a habit of disappearing on his "girlfriends. " But he's been a recurring nightmare since the federal Bureau of Prisons began to notify Giblin's victims that the convicted swindler escaped Friday from custody in Northeast Philadelphia. The former Atlantic City resident targeted divorcées, widows, and single mothers, court records show. For Marilyn Tanner, who lives near Albany, N.Y., the first call from the agency came about 3:30 a.m. Saturday. A recorded message advised her that Giblin, 48, had escaped.

Accused scam artist Donald Anthony Young admitted in federal district court yesterday that he bilked investors of more than $20 million between 1999 and 2009 while running a financial firm that authorities said was really a Ponzi scheme. Young, 39, pleaded guilty to one count each of mail fraud and money laundering. U.S. District Judge Juan San-chez set sentencing for Oct. 28. Young, who has been living in Palm Beach, Fla., remains free on $200,000 secured bond. Young has also been sued in federal court by the Securities & Exchange Commission, and a federal judge has appointed a receiver to dispose of Young's assets and pay back investors.

In 2008, accused scam artist Donald Anthony Young had three homes, a personal chef, a horse farm, and access to his own private plane. But when he was arraigned in U.S. District Court here Friday on charges of stealing more than $25 million in a Ponzi scheme, Young was without the trappings of wealth. He was represented by a public defender, who said Young is living in a rental apartment and subsisting on family charity. Dressed in a gray-striped suit, Young listened without reaction when Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul L. Gray said, "Mr. Young's eventual incarceration is just about inevitable.

A pair of eagle-eyed detectives stopped a veteran scam artist from victimizing an elderly couple in Northeast Philadelphia yesterday, police said. Detectives James Arentzem and Margarita Moreno-Nix had been sent to Rhawnhurst because of a recent spate of "gypsy crimes," which are cons committed by nomadic hustlers who pose as public employees, said Major Crimes Sgt. Joseph Cella. "Transient criminals don't hang around much," Cella said. "By the time most of these crimes are reported, we're a day late and a dollar short.

He wasn't much to look at, but, boy, was he smooth. How else to explain how Paul S. Krueger, a pudgy, bald 50-year-old homeless man, managed to bilk 13 women out of $102,000 by posing as a record producer-turned-investor on MillionaireMatch.com. "He was very down-to-earth, nice to everybody. Just a nice guy," recalled Noelle Stehling, 38, one of his victims. Yesterday, Krueger, who blew the women's money gambling at Atlantic City casinos, pleaded guilty to theft in Montgomery County Court and was sentenced to five to seven years in prison.

They're 12 anxious men and women, this group gathered like a political jury in a New Hampshire conference room on Wednesday night, after a day that saw the stock market take another precipitous drop. That unease comes to the fore as soon as pollster Peter Hart, who's conducting this focus group for the Annenberg Public Policy Center at the University of Pennsylvania, asks for a word or phrase describing how things are going in the country. "Worrisome," says Kathy Eddings, 60, a Democrat from Derry.

Lower Merion police have dropped charges against a woman who had been suspected of scamming an elderly Philadelphia victim out of $30,000. Angela Devona Belle, 32, was the subject of a Stu Bykofsky column Feb. 1. After the column - which was based on a criminal complaint filed by Lower Merion police - was published, Belle called the police to proclaim her innocence. Numerous calls placed by the newspaper last week to Lower Merion police were not returned. But yesterday, Montgomery County D.A. Risa Vetri Ferman verified that police had withdrawn the criminal complaint.

IAPPLAUD Mayor-elect Nutter for getting a new police commissioner, who has an excellent track record, appointed as quickly as he did. I'm sure Mr. Nutter and Commissioner-to-be Ramsey will do all they can to rid the city of all the violence. I worked for Family Court for just under 42 years before retiring in 2004. Criminals today seem to be get a lot of pleasure committing crimes against senior citizens. In July 2006, right before I turned 64, I was the victim of two serious crimes.

The speaker had nice blue eyes and a winning smile. "We'll need everyone who attended to fill out this form with their name and address and Social Security number," Joe Malone told 40 elderly people who gathered yesterday at the Upper Merion Senior Service Center. Thirty-five didn't, but five did - which was Malone's point. An investigator for the Pennsylvania Securities Commission, Malone used the demonstration to show how a scam artist gains the trust of victims, only to exploit them later.

Steven A. Schwartz, a self-styled investment adviser with two convictions for bank fraud and check kiting, was convicted a third time yesterday - for bilking investors of an estimated $1 million. Schwartz, 48, of Plymouth Meeting, who represented himself in a three-week trial in U.S. District Court, was convicted by a jury of conspiracy and 16 counts of wire fraud, mail fraud and bank fraud. The jury acquitted him on two other charges. Schwartz was led from the courtroom in handcuffs, ordered by Judge Stewart Dalzell to be held until he is sentenced.