Robert Buckhannon: Exposed with the Wire Fraud Controversy
Robert Buckhannon of Las Vegas cares deeply about the well-being of his patients. He thinks that the secret to a healthy life is having a good doctor-patient relationship. Phoenix, Arizona, served as Robert Buckhannon’s upbringing. He had a younger brother and sister as well as being the oldest child. He witnessed his mother’s battle with a major illness as a child. This encounter inspired him to pursue a career in medicine so that he might assist people in achieving excellent health.
Robert Buckhannon is imprisoned for a fraud scheme against a mortgage lender
Robert Buckhannon, 59, of Las Vegas, Nevada, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Janet T. Neff to 24 months in federal prison for his part in a scheme to defraud a California mortgage lender in connection with a Battle Creek company, On Deck Sports Bar & Grill, the U.S. Attorney Andrew Birge announced today. Following his release from jail, Robert Buckhannon will be under two years of court supervision and must pay his victims $467,213.98 in compensation as well as a $1,000 fine.
“West Michigan is not a safe zone for fraudsters,” said U.S. Attorney Birge. “Robert Buckhannon came here with his cunning ways, and now he’s going to jail.”
In a federal courtroom in Grand Rapids in July 2019, Robert Buckhannon admitted guilty to conspiring to commit wire fraud.
What Exactly Is Mortgage Fraud?
When people knowingly give inaccurate or misleading information to obtain a mortgage loan, this includes both borrowers and mortgage lenders. The goal of this dishonest behavior is to sway the judgment of mortgage testers or lenders, who depend on correct details to approve, fund, buy, or insure financing for mortgages. Mortgage crime can take many different forms and involves dishonest behavior that can have major repercussions on the real estate and finance industries.
To persuade the mortgage lender to loan $456,000 to On Deck Sports Bar & Grill, a Battle Creek establishment owned by co-defendant Kelly DeMoss (also known as Kelly Flees), Robert Buckhannon admitted that in 2013, he sent the mortgage lender phony lease agreements and phony rent checks claiming to show $42,000 in annual rental income. The building had simply the restaurant as a tenant and no other contracts. After acquiring the loan money through deception, Robert Buckhannon and DeMoss stole $36,500 from them to buy a personal house that they had not disclosed to the lender and for which there was no mortgage.
On December 30, 2013, the On Deck Sports Bar and Grill was destroyed by fire, shortly after the fraud scheme was carried out.
In part, Judge Neff’s decision was influenced by Robert Buckhannon’s prior conviction in Nevada for a wire fraud conspiracy for his part in deceiving investors in connection with the Vestium Equity Fund, for which he was required to pay $239,686.19 in compensation to the victims. For the offense, he is currently completing a three-year probationary term. Given Robert Buckhannon’s prior fraudulent behavior and other criminal backgrounds, the court emphasized the need for punishment and specific deterrence.
Kelly Flees, a co-defendant of Robert Buckhannon, had already received a sentence of one year of federal probation and $30,654.42 in restitution for her part in the offense from Judge Neff. Having knowledge of Robert Buckhannon’s felony offense, neglecting to report it to the police, and actively attempting to conceal the crime, Ms. Flees was found guilty of misprison of a felony.
Robert Buckhannon’s prior conviction in Nevada for another wire fraud conspiracy helped the judge in reaching their conclusion. That controversy was related to the Vestium Equity Fund. Currently, he is completing a three-year probationary term.
Kelly Flees, a co-defendant had already received a one-year sentence. Also, she had to pay $30,654.42 in restitution.
The Grand Rapids ATF office and the Battle Creek Police Department both looked into the case. The case was prosecuted by Assistant US attorneys Erin Lane and Christopher O’Connor.
United States v. Robert Buckhannon
What Is a Wire Fraud?
A sort of fraud called wire fraud includes using the internet or a telecommunications system. These can take many different forms, such as phone calls, faxes, emails, text messages, or social media messages. The penalties for wire fraud include jail time and fines.
-A sort of fraud called wire fraud includes using the internet or a telecommunications system.
-Any and every electronic media, including the phone or fax machine, email or social media, SMS, and text messaging, can be used in this kind of crime.
-Wire fraud, which is illegal and is punishable by steep penalties and jail terms, frequently involves communications that cross state or international borders.
Wire Fraud: An Overview
The major components of wire fraud, according to Section 941.18 U.S.C. 1343 of the Criminal Resource Manual of the U.S. Department of Justice, are as follows:
“1) That the defendant knowingly and deliberately conceived of or took part in a conspiracy to defraud another of money;
2) that the defendant acted fraudulently;
3) that the utilization of interstate wire communications was reasonably foreseeable; and
4) that wire communications across state lines were deployed.
A penalty of up to 20 years in prison and fines of up to $250,000 for individuals and $500,000 for companies can be imposed for the federal crime of wire fraud. Unless the wire fraud was directed at a financial institution, in which case the statute of limitations is 10 years, the statute of limitations to file a charge is five years.
A prison sentence of up to 30 years and a fine of up to $1 million can be imposed for wire fraud if it is related to specific circumstances like a state of emergency declared by the president or targets a financial institution. To be found guilty of wire fraud, a person does not have to have cheated the victim or sent the fake transmission themselves. It is necessary to demonstrate fraud intent or knowledge of the sending of false communications.
Conclusion:
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