Information for Victims in Large Cases
United States vs James Zachkey
The charges in this case relate to a wire fraud scheme from in or about late 2020 to at least in or about November 2022. The defendant and co-conspirators obtained United States Postal Service (USPS) keys capable of opening blue USPS collection boxes. These keys are known as "arrow keys." The defendant used stolen arrow keys to open blue USPS collection boxes, stole the mail inside, and then searched that mail for checks and money orders. Once the defendant obtained checks and money orders from the mailstream, he altered the payee name on those checks and money orders to be payable to himself and co-conspirators, and then either cashed those forged checks and money orders or deposited those forged checks and money orders into accounts controlled by himself and co-conspirators. A sentencing hearing is scheduled before Judge R. Barclay Surrick on October 1, 2024 at 1:00pm at U.S. Courthouse, 601 Market Street, Philadelphia, PA for the case which involves defendant Zachkey James.
United States vs Ari Tietolman, et al. and United States v. Marc Roy Ferry
From 2005 to 2014, Ari Tietolman, 50, directed a fraud scheme from Montréal, Canada. In this scheme, Tietolman’s network of telemarketers sold worthless or non-existent services, including bogus prescription drug rebate programs, fraudulent identity theft protection services, and bogus legal service plans. Tietolman’s associates then debited the victims’ bank accounts without their informed consent. Through this scheme, Tietolman and his co-schemers, including co-defendants Marc Roy Ferry and Adam Harper, took millions of dollars from thousands of senior citizens in the United States. Tietolman, Ferry, and Harper entered guilty pleas before United States District Judge Gerald A. McHugh to wire fraud and money laundering counts, all arising from their operation of this scheme that targeted senior citizens with deceptive telemarketing calls. Sentencing hearings for Tietolman and Ferry are scheduled for August 12-13, 2024, at the United States Courthouse, 601 Market Street, Philadelphia, PA 19106. Sentencing for defendant Harper is yet to be scheduled.