October 13, 2017
A Florida federal judge hit a Texas woman with a 40-year sentence and $13.1 million judgment Friday over alleged schemes in which she and a lawyer swindled money from dating-site users through "catfishing" and conned law firms into writing checks for bogus settlements.
July 31, 2017
A Florida federal judge on Friday held that three conspirators convicted for orchestrating a multimillion-dollar fraud scheme must collectively forfeit about $9.3 million to cover the proceeds they secured by tricking law firms into paying them proceeds of fake settlements.
May 22, 2017
A Texas woman is seeking dismissal of her conviction for running a multimillion-dollar fraud scheme that involved tricking law firms into paying her and several co-conspirators proceeds of fake settlements, arguing Friday that a Florida federal court failed to comply with the Speedy Trial Act and violated her constitutional rights.
May 08, 2017
A lawyer, a businesswoman and her daughter, who were convicted of running a fraud scheme that involved tricking law firms into paying them proceeds of fake settlements, each owe more than $15 million in restitution, federal prosecutors told a Florida federal court Friday.
February 07, 2017
A woman awaiting sentencing for aiding an $8.8 million scheme that tricked law firms into paying the proceeds of fake settlements asked a Florida federal court Tuesday if she could fly to Nevada to receive a manager of the year award.
November 14, 2016
Federal prosecutors have urged a Florida federal judge to reject requests for new trials from a lawyer and a businesswoman convicted last month for their roles in an $8.8 million fraud scheme, saying they have failed to argue adequate grounds to overturn the jury's verdict.
October 24, 2016
A federal jury in Florida has convicted a lawyer, a businesswoman and her daughter of wire fraud, mail fraud and money laundering for their roles in an alleged $8.8 million scheme that involved tricking law firms into paying them the proceeds of fake settlements.
October 12, 2016
The U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday denied the appeal of jailed Texas businesswoman Priscilla Ann Ellis, who was challenging her pretrial detention and is on trial in Florida federal court for an alleged $8.8 million scheme to rip off law firms along with two others.
September 12, 2016
The Eleventh Circuit on Friday told jailed Texas businesswoman Priscilla Ann Ellis, accused of defrauding firms out of $8.8 million, that she can't appeal a judge's refusal to dismiss her case, while in separate but related proceedings in Florida federal court, the government also on Friday opposed Ellis’ bid to release $350,000 from her frozen assets to appoint new counsel.
August 30, 2016
Counsel for a Texas attorney indicted for allegedly tricking law firms into paying $8.8 million in fake settlements asked to withdraw from the case in a Florida federal court brief Tuesday, saying the relationship with his client has deteriorated over irreconcilable differences.