4 convicted for international fraud, money laundering scheme involving sale of gold
TAMPA, Fla. – Four individuals were found guilty Wednesday by a federal jury of conspiracy, money laundering conspiracy and mail fraud. The case was investigated by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the U.S. Secret Service. Law enforcement partners in the United Kingdom, Spain and Cyprus; the U.S. Department of Interior’s Bureau of Land Management; and the Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs provided assistance.
Naadir Cassim, 40, of Barcelona, Spain, and Orlando; Jon Craig Nelson, 69, of Houston, Texas; Michael Skillern, 49, of Houston, Texas; and Adriana Maria Camargo, a/k/a Adriana Palomino, 37, of Barcelona, Spain; each face a maximum penalty of five years in federal prison on the conspiracy count, 20 years’ imprisonment on the money laundering conspiracy count and 20 years in prison for each mail fraud count. Cassim, Nelson, and Skillern were also convicted of wire fraud charges, and face up to 20 years in federal prison for each charge. Additionally, the jury found Cassim guilty of an illegal monetary transaction charge that carries a maximum penalty of 10 years’ imprisonment. The sentencing hearing has been set for May 24.
“The defendants defrauded more than 400 victims and collected more than $7 million through an elaborate scheme to sell nonexistent gold ore and gold doré,” said Susan L. McCormick, special agent in charge of HSI Tampa. “Entrusted with a unique international authority and assisted by the efforts of our foreign law enforcement partners, HSI dismantled this transnational criminal organization.”
According to evidence presented at trial, from August 2011 through February 2014, Cassim, Nelson, Skillern, and Camargo, along with others, engaged in a fraud scheme where they directed and caused the sale of purported, but nonexistent, gold ore or gold doré from mines owned or controlled by them, through a company called Own Gold LLC. The conspirators’ victims were located both inside and outside of the United States, including the United Kingdom. To facilitate the scheme, the conspirators paid telemarketers to place unsolicited calls to potential and existing victims outside the United States. The conspirators used the victims' funds to perpetuate the scheme and for their own personal enrichment. During the course of the fraud scheme, approximately 440 victims wired more than $7.3 million to the conspirators.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sara C. Sweeney and Rachelle DesVaux Bedke, from the office of U.S. Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III, Middle District Florida.
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