Posted on: January 09, 2024 02:00 PM

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Four indicted for defrauding dozens of victims of more than 7 5 million

An indictment was unsealed earlier today in federal court in Brooklyn charging Daniel Vernon, Yveler Marcellus, Felix Marcial and Tatiana Williams with conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud, and conspiracy to commit money laundering.  Defendants Vernon and Marcial were arrested earlier today in the Eastern District of New York and their initial appearances were held this afternoon before United States Magistrate Judge Joseph A. Marutollo. 

Defendant Marcellus is scheduled to be arraigned on January 10, 2024 before Judge Marutollo.  Defendant Williams was arrested earlier this morning in Florida, and her initial appearance is scheduled for this afternoon in Miami before United States Magistrate Judge Lisette M. Reid.

Breon Peace, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York and Daniel B. Brubaker, New York Division Inspector-in-Charge, United States Postal Inspection Service, announced the arrests and charges.

“As alleged, while the defendants called unsuspecting individuals with promises of safeguarding their money and refinancing their mortgages, they lied and actually stole more than $7.5 million from over 50 victims,” stated United States Attorney Peace. “We will continue to aggressively prosecute those who commit financial fraud and work to recover and return victims’ stolen money. We urge the public to be extremely wary of sending money to people they don’t know, as they may be trying to swindle you.”

“Postal Inspectors will relentlessly pursue anyone who misuses the U.S. mail to commit fraud and take advantage of the American public. The defendants, through their fraudulent tech and mortgage refinancing schemes, allegedly victimized over 50 individuals and stole well over $7 Million.  Inspectors and our law enforcement partners at the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Eastern District of New York, work diligently to ensure these individuals are brought to justice and held accountable. Today’s arrests are proof of that fact. The U.S. Postal Inspection Service is continuously working to protect and educate consumers regarding various fraudulent schemes that in this case claimed millions of dollars from innocent victims,” said United States Postal Inspection Service Inspector-In-Charge Brubaker.

As alleged in the indictment, between January 2022 and May 2023, the defendants conducted fraudulent “tech” and “mortgage refinancing” schemes, through which they targeted victims by phone and convinced them to send cash, checks, or money orders to the defendants at various addresses in the Eastern District of New York. 

Through the tech scheme, the defendants and their co-conspirators falsely represented to individual victims that victim bank accounts were compromised, that individuals were attempting to access the victim’s computer to gain access to the victim’s funds, that individuals at the victim’s financial institution were involved in the scheme to steal the victim’s money and that the victim’s money would be kept safe if the victim sent the funds to the individual on the telephone.  Each victim was then directed to send a check, money order or cash to an address provided by the conspirators, under the guise that the victim’s funds would be kept safe with that person. 

Under the mortgage refinancing scheme, the defendants and their co-conspirators falsely represented to victims that the victims could refinance their mortgages at a beneficial interest rate by diverting their mortgage payments to an address provided by the defendants and their co-conspirators.  Each victim was then directed to send a check, money order or cash to an address provided by person on the phone, under the guise that the payment was being made toward the victim’s refinanced mortgage. 

After the victims sent their checks, cash, or money order to the address provided to them by the individual they spoke with over the phone, the defendants and their co-conspirators retrieved the mailings from the address it was sent to and deposited it in their own bank accounts.  In total, the defendants stole more than $7.5 million dollars from more than 50 victims.

The charges in the indictment are allegations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.  If convicted, the defendants each face a maximum sentence of twenty years’ imprisonment on each of the two counts.  The government’s investigation is ongoing. 

The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s General Crimes Section.  The government’s case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Elias Laris.

The Defendants:

DANIEL G. VERNON (also known as “Daquan Mitchell,” “Daniel George,” and “Cory Fortune”)
Age: 28
Ozone Park, New York

YVELER MARCELLUS
Age: 30
Brooklyn, New York

FELIX MARCIAL
Age: 31
Brooklyn, New York

TATIANA WILLIAMS
Age: 26
Miami, Florida