Pieter Roor and Heintina Roor-Potman

UPCOMING EVENTS re PIETER ROOR: Evidentiary Hearing set for 5/24/2018 at 1:30 p.m. and Sentencing Hearing reset to 6/21/2018 at 10 a.m., both in the Benton Courthouse before Judge Gilbert.

RECENT EVENTS: Heintina Roor-Potman was sentenced on September 30, 2015, to 60 months in federal prison, ordered to pay restitution, and to forfeit $3,200,000.

RECENT EVENTS FOR HELEEN ROOR-POTMAN:  On July 19, 2015 Heleen Roor-Potman entered a guilty plea to count one, conspiracy to commit wire fraud, and counts two and three wire fraud, as alleged in the indictment. On October 15, 2015, Heleen Roor-Potman was sentenced to serve 55 months incarceration and ordered to pay restitution. Ms. Roor-Potman was remanded to the custody of the Bureau of Prisons.

Background Information

The United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, announced that on October 20, 2010, PIETER ROOR, also known as PEDRO DISPENZA, of The Netherlands, and HEINTINA ROOR-POTMAN, also known as HELEEN ROOR-POTMAN, also of The Netherlands, were indicted in a three count indictment charging them with one count of Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1349, two counts of Wire Fraud, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1343, and Criminal Forfeiture, in violation of Title 18 United States Code, Section 981(a)(1)( C) and Title 28, United States Code, Section 2461( c).  The violations took place between 1998 and September, 2010 in the Southern District of Illinois and elsewhere.

On June 9, 2015, HELEEN ROOR-POTMAN made her Initial Appearance and was arraigned on all charges.  She entered a plea of not guilty.  HELEEN ROOR-POTMAN is scheduled for a Final Pretrial Conference on July 29, 2015 before the Honorable Judge J. Phil Gilbert.  Jury trial is set for August 10, 2015 before the Honorable Judge J. Phil Gilbert.

PIETER ROOR and HEINTINA ROOR-POTMAN have been indicted for causing wire transfers to be made from the Southern District of Illinois and elsewhere.  Victims were told that Roor and Roor-Potman were investing victims’ money in a variety of on-line investment programs such as Oxford Savings Club, AceInvest, MiAmigo Services, AceXchange, We Let Your Money Grow, Dollar Dazzler, Petheldia, X-Wire, and the Happy Society.  If you believe you have been a victim of these on-line investment scams, a database has been created to assist victims.  Please contact  FraudInvestigationPedroDispenza@uspis.gov for further information.

If convicted, PIETER ROOR and HEINTINA ROOR-POTMAN face not more than  20 years’ imprisonment, $250,000 fine, or both; and not more than 3 years Supervised Release for each of the three counts.  The Criminal Forfeiture count seeks forfeiture in the amount of $3,200,000.00.

Information for the indictment was obtained in an investigation conducted by United States Postal Inspection Service as a part of the United States Attorney’s Violent Crime Initiative.  The case is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer Hudson.

To any victim who plans on attending any Court proceeding:
Victims have the right to attend public Court proceedings, subject to some limitations as determined by the Court. For many reasons Court proceedings may be cancelled or rescheduled on short notice. If you are planning to attend a scheduled hearing, please check this web site for any updates before coming to Court.

Victim Rights

Title 18, United States Code, Section 3771(a) provides:

A crime victim has the following rights:

(1) The right to be reasonably protected from the accused.

(2) The right to reasonable, accurate, and timely notice of any public Court proceeding, or any parole proceeding, involving the crime or of any release or escape of the accused.

(3) The right not to be excluded from any such public Court proceeding, unless the Court, after receiving clear and convincing evidence, determines that testimony by the victim would be materially altered if the victim heard other testimony at that proceeding.

(4) The right to be reasonably heard at any public proceeding in the district Court involving release, plea, sentencing, or any parole proceeding.

(5) The reasonable right to confer with the attorney for the Government in the case.

(6) The right to full and timely restitution as provided in law.

(7) The right to proceedings free from unreasonable delay.

(8) The right to be treated with fairness and with respect for the victim's dignity and privacy.

United States Attorney’s Office
Southern District of Illinois
9 Executive Drive
Fairview Heights, Il 62208
(618) 628-3700