United States v. Dino Nastasi et al.

Pending Criminal Division Cases

United States v. Dino Nastasi et al.
Court Docket Numbers: 3:15-cr-00213 (W.D. North Carolina)

United States v. Jonathan Fernandez et al.
Court Docket Numbers: 3:15-cr-00212 (W.D. North Carolina)

Court Assigned: This case is assigned to Judge Max Cogburn, United States Courthouse, 401 W. Trade Street, Charlotte, NC 28202.

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UPDATE – On April 18, 2022 defendant Donald Dodt was sentenced to 78 months imprisonment, 1 year of supervised release and $ 7,000,000 in restitution. 

Criminal Charges: On September 16, 2015, 19 defendants were indicted for their roles in a telemarketing sweepstakes fraud that swindled thousands of U.S. residents out of millions of dollars. The defendants are:

1) Dino Nastasi
2) David Fairchild
3) Sabrina Mommers
4) Kristian Sierp
5) Robert Jesus Valdes Fernandez
6) Stephen Finck
7) Thomas Sniffen
8) Barry Harmelin
9) Carlin Woods
10) Patricio Del-Hoyo
11) Michael Saxon
12) Gavin Jordan
13) Donald Dodt
14) Chris Jerilee Artavia-Masis
15) Jonathan Fernandez
16) Brigitte Ferrat
17) Carlos Ferrat-Gutierrez
18) Yampier Duarte Laitano
19) Steven Blanco Vargas

According to the indictment, beginning in or about 2010, 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. Defendant Dodt installed and maintained the Voice Over Internet Protocol phone lines used to call victims in one or more call centers.

For more information about the charges, please see below:
Indictment - 3:15-cr-00213
Indictment – 3:15-cr-00212

Victim Impact Statement: If you would like to submit a Victim Impact Statement (or a letter addressed to Chief District Court Judge Whitney) you may do so by mailing the attached Victim Impact Statement (or a letter to Chief District Court Judge Whitney) no later than December 1, 2017 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.

Victim Impact Statement (PDF)
Victim Impact Statement (Fillable PDF)

Related Case:
U.S. v. Elliot Phillip Rosenberg, Court Docket Number: 3:14-cr-00121-MOC-DCK

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.