ANCHORAGE—Acting U.S. Attorney Kevin
Feldis announced today that Samantha Delay-Wilson of Anchorage was sentenced in
federal court in Anchorage to 84 months in prison on her conviction of
defrauding investors and lenders of over $5 million during the course of her
more than decade-long Ponzi scheme. The 84-month sentence is to be served in
addition to the more than five years Delay-Wilson was sentenced to serve on her
separate state fraud convictions.
On June 15, 2012, Samantha Dorothy
Delay-Wilson, 65, of Anchorage was sentenced by United States District Court
Judge Russell Holland.
According to Assistant U.S. Attorney
Aunnie Steward, who prosecuted the case, the following facts provided the basis
for Delay-Wilson’s guilty plea:
Delay-Wilson carried out a Ponzi scheme
for over a decade, defrauding 14 individuals by making false representations
and promises and by providing false documents to victims regarding investments
she would make on their behalf and regarding her assets and credentials.
Delay-Wilson guaranteed investors a high-rate of return and made false claims
regarding how she was going to invest the victims’ money, making different
claims to different victims. She told victims she would invest their money in a
global investment fund, European sub-prime loans, and an investment banking
service company, when, in fact, she used the victims’ money for her personal
expenses, to fund her lavish lifestyle, and to pay out earlier investors.
Acting U.S. Attorney Kevin Feldis
stated, “The Department of Justice takes fraudulent investment schemes very
seriously and works to deter this type of conduct through prosecution. Today’s
prison sentence demonstrates that those who prey on the trust of others and
defrauds investors will be caught and punished.” Investment schemes happen,
even in Alaska, and we all need to be alert to such fraud.”
Mary Rook, Special Agent in Charge of
the FBI in Alaska, stated, “Part of the FBI’s mission is to identify, deter,
and disrupt significant financial crime targeting individuals, businesses, and
industries within the United States. Financial crimes often leave the victims
in financial ruin from which it may take years to recover.”
“It can be devastating when the
financial well-being of an individual falls into the wrong hands through
trickery and deceit,” said Kenneth J. Hines, the IRS Special Agent in Charge of
Alaska. “Victims of financial fraud schemes like this suffer emotional pain as
well as a devastating financial loss.”
Judge Holland commented that the scheme
lasted “an amazing length of time” because of Delay-Wilson’s ability to
manipulate people. Judge Holland also noted that the offense was aggravated by
the fact that the money defrauded from several of the victims was their
retirement money.
Mr. Feldis commended the Internal
Revenue Service Criminal Investigations, the Federal Bureau of Investigation,
and the Anchorage Police Department for the investigation that led to the
successful prosecution of Delay-Wilson.
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