Indianapolis Man Charged with Conspiring to Commit Mail Fraud

An Information was filed today against Brian A. Bunnell, age 43, of Indianapolis, Indiana, charging one count of conspiracy to commit mail fraud, said Steven M. Dettelbach, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio.

The Information alleges that Bunnell conspired to commit mail fraud. The object of the conspiracy was to devise a scheme and artifice to defraud various individuals who would be enticed to become members of a consumer buying business known as Midwest Direct in Canton, Ohio, which falsely promised that Midwest Direct could obtain merchandise directly from manufacturers allowing the individuals to save substantial sums of money by purchasing merchandise at greatly discounted prices.

It was a part of the scheme and artifice to defraud that Midwest Direct used the United States mails to send postcards and letters advising they had a package or gift or offering a chance on winning a prize. Persons who visited the premises of Midwest Direct were subjected to a high pressure sales pitch promoting the benefits of membership in Midwest Direct at a yearly membership cost ranging from $899 to $2,499.

Midwest Direct falsely represented to prospective members that Midwest Direct had agreements with manufacturers and suppliers which allowed Midwest Direct to purchase merchandise at much lower prices not generally available to the public; whereas, Midwest Direct had few such agreements with manufacturers and suppliers and any savings to be obtained were greatly exaggerated.

If convicted, the defendant’s sentence will be determined by the court after review of factors unique to this case, including the defendants’ prior criminal records, if any, the defendants’ roles in the offense and the characteristics of the violation. In all cases, the sentence will not exceed the statutory maximum and, in most cases it will be less than the maximum.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney James C. Lynch, following an investigation by the United States Postal Inspection Service, Cleveland, Ohio, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Mansfield, Ohio.

An information is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. A defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.