Former El Dorado Hills Man Charged with Fraud

SACRAMENTO—A federal grand jury indicted Daniel Chartraw, 39, formerly of El Dorado Hills, today, charging him with 18 counts of wire fraud for a series of schemes to defraud numerous individuals, United States Attorney Benjamin B. Wagner announced.

According to court documents, between January 1, 2007 and November 31, 2011, Chartraw engaged in a scheme to defraud numerous individuals by making false statements and promises in order to obtain money from them in the form of loans, investments, and various commodity purchases. During this time, Chartraw collected approximately $2.4 million from investors.

According to the indictment, at times, Chartraw claimed he owned mines and minerals or had a $100 million certificate of deposit that could be used to generate revenue. In one instance in March 2009, he obtained $25,000 each from two victims by claiming he could help them become oil brokers. He promised to set up bank accounts in their names and would deposit $100 million into the accounts. Chartraw promised to secure the victims’ $50,000 in a separate bank account, but instead, he used it for his own personal expenses. In all cases, Chartraw had neither the intention, ability, expertise, or financial means to repay the loans or to perform on the promises that he made to prospective investors.

According to court documents, Chartraw became a fugitive in 2011 while out on bond on Monterey County Superior Court charges of grand theft and embezzlement and corporal injury on a spouse. He was arrested in Mexico and deported to the United States, where he was arrested by FBI agents on April 20, 2012.

This case is the product of an extensive investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Michael D. Anderson is prosecuting the case.

Chartraw is scheduled to be arraigned on May 23, 2012 at 2:00 p.m. before U.S. Magistrate Judge Edmund F. Brennan. If convicted, Chartraw faces a maximum statutory penalty of 20 years in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine for each count. The actual sentence, if convicted, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory sentencing factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.

The charges are only allegations and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.