U.S. Department
of Justice
United States v. Levy et al.
PENDING CRIMINAL DIVISION CASES
United States v. Levy et al.
Court Docket Numbers: 3:14-cr-00143 (W.D. North Carolina); 3:22-cr-00025 (W.D. North Carolina); 3:22-cr-000148 (W.D. North Carolina)
Court Assigned: This case is assigned to Judge Frank D. Whitney, United States Courthouse, 401 W. Trade Street, Charlotte, NC 28202.
Latest Update – A sentencing hearing for defendant Maurice Norman Levy has been set for December 15, 2022 at 09:45 AM in Courtroom #5B, 401 W Trade St, Charlotte, NC 28202 before District Judge Frank D. Whitney.
A docket call as to defendant Maurice Norman Levy is set for January 9, 2023 at 9:00 AM in Courtroom #5B, 401 W Trade St, Charlotte, NC 28202 before District Judge Frank D. Whitney.
At this time, the Department is in the process of gathering Victim Impact Statements to be submitted to the Court prior to sentencing. If you believe you are a victim in this matter, you may complete the Victim Impact Statement provided below. Please have any claims submitted no later than September 26, 2022.
On June 29, 2022, defendant Maurice Levy entered a guilty plea to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud as part of a superseding information filed in case number 3:22-cr-00148-FDW-DSC. Maurice Levy is currently awaiting sentencing as part of that guilty plea, which has not yet been scheduled by the court.
On January 25, 2022, defendant Derrick Levy entered a guilty plea to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud as part of a superseding information filed in case number 3:22-cr-00025-FDW-DCK.
Criminal Charges: On August 5, 2014, Maurice N. Levy, Derrick A. Levy and Matthew Corrales were indicted for their roles in a telemarketing sweepstakes fraud that swindled hundreds of U.S. residents out of millions of dollars.
According to the indictment, beginning in or about 2008, the defendants owned, managed, and/or worked as a telemarketer in one or more call centers in Costa Rica that were engaged in a sweepstakes scheme directed at individuals residing in the United States.
The defendants fraudulently induced victims to pay thousands of dollars by falsely representing that the victims had won valuable prizes. Once the defendants induced victims to make an initial payment, the defendants would continue to call those victims and insist that they make additional payments for new fabricated fees and costs until the victims either ran out of money or discovered the fraudulent nature of the scheme.
Defendants Maurice Levy and Derrick Levy were extradited from Costa Rica and were arraigned on April 27, 2021, at which time both defendants pled not guilty.
For more information about the charges, please see below:
Victim Impact Statement: If you would like to submit a Victim Impact Statement you may do so by mailing the attached Victim Impact Statement to: Victim Witness Unit, U.S. Department of Justice, Criminal Division, Fraud Section, 10th & Constitution Avenue, NW, Bond Building, Room 4416, Washington, DC 20530. You also may submit the Victim Impact Statement via email at Victimassistance.fraud@usdoj.gov or by fax at: (202) 514-3708.
The information on this website will be updated as new developments arise in the case. If you have any questions, please contact the Victim Assistance Unit by calling toll-free at (888) 549-3945 or by emailing us at victimassistance.fraud@usdoj.gov.
Presumption of Innocence: It is important to keep in mind that defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty and that presumption requires both the court and our office to take certain steps to ensure that justice is served.
Crime Victims’ Rights Act and Right to Retain Counsel: The Crime Victims’ Rights Act (18 U.S.C. § 3771) applies only to victims of the counts charged in federal court, and thus individuals may not be able to exercise all of these rights if the crime of which the individual is a victim was not charged. Section 377I(c)(2) of this Act requires that we advise you that you have the right to retain counsel. Although the statute specifically sets forth your right to seek advice of an attorney with regard to your rights under the statute, there is no requirement that you retain counsel. The Government may not recommend any specific counsel, nor can the Government (or the Court) pay for counsel to represent you. Government attorneys represent the United States.
If you elect to obtain counsel to represent your interests, please have your attorney notify this office in writing at: U.S. Department of Justice, Criminal Division, Fraud Section, 10th & Constitution Avenue, NW, Bond Building, 4th Floor, Washington, DC 20530, Attention: Victim Witness Unit; fax: (202) 514-3708; or email: victimassistance.fraud@usdoj.gov. If you elect not to retain counsel to represent your interests, you do not need to do anything.
Plea Agreements: Please be aware that many criminal cases are resolved by plea agreement between the Department of Justice and the defendant. You should also know that it is not unusual for a defendant to seek to negotiate a plea agreement shortly before trial is scheduled to begin. Plea agreements can be made at any time and as late as the morning of trial, leaving little or no opportunity to provide notice to you of the date and time of the plea hearing. If the court schedules a plea hearing in this case, we will use our best efforts to notify you of available information as soon as practicable. If you want to inform the prosecutor of your views regarding potential plea agreements, or any other aspect of the case, please call the Victim Assistance Line toll-free at (888) 549-3945 or email us at victimassistance.fraud@usdoj.gov, and we will put you in touch with the prosecutor.