Texas Man Sentenced for Filing False FEC Report for his Super PAC and for Credit Card Fraud

            WASHINGTON – Christopher Richardson, 37, formerly of San Antonio, Texas, was sentenced today to 18 months in prison for filing a false report with the Federal Election Commission and for credit card fraud.

            The sentence was announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, Assistant Director in Charge David Sundberg of the FBI Washington Field Office, and Special Agent in Charge Scott Moffit of the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration’s (TIGTA) Cybercrime Investigations Division.

            Richardson, who has a prior federal conviction for bank fraud, pleaded guilty to one count of making a false entry in a record and one count of access device fraud on February 29, 2024.  In addition to the 18-month prison term, U.S. District Court Judge Trevor N. McFadden ordered Richardson to serve three years of supervised release.

            According to court documents, in March 2020 Richardson created an independent, expenditure-only Super PAC named Americans for Progressive Action USA (AFPA) that used fictitious names for AFPA’s treasurer and designated agent. Richardson then filed a falsified quarterly report with the FEC claiming that AFPA had raised $4.8 million from several fictitious individuals. Several weeks later, he filed a report of expenditures that falsely claimed that the Super PAC spent over $1.5 million to purchase advertisements and media production opposing certain candidates for the U.S. Senate. Richardson filed another FEC report that falsely stated that AFPA refunded the non-existent $4.8 million in donations. Richardson also used the alias of one of the fictitious donors to AFPA to obtain a credit card, and then used that card to conduct approximately 200 transactions.

            This case was investigated by the FBI Washington Field Office and TIGTA Cybercrime Investigations Division. It was prosecuted by Trial Attorney Ryan R. Crosswell of the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Joshua Gold for the District of Columbia with assistance from Assistant U.S. Attorney Ahmed Baset.