Boston Criminal Lawyer Blog
Karen M. Tucker, a woman accused of running a bridal show scam in Boston, has agreed to plead guilty to federal wire fraud and identity theft charges. Tucker is accused of running a company called Boston 411 in an attempt to defraud exhibitors and commercial advertisers. As part of her plea bargain, prosecutors will ask a federal court judge to sentence her to 36 to 57 months in prison.
Tucker is accused of telling exhibitors and advertisers that thousands of would-be grooms and brides and paid in advance to attend a bridal expo at the Hynes Veterans Memorial Convention Center. The event was supposed to take place in March 2010. According to the United States Attorney’s Office District of Massachusetts, Tucker deceived the agency that books events at the Boston convention center into thinking that Boston 411 was actually holding a bridal convention there. Tucker reportedly never completed the reservation she’d made at the center, and instead, “strung along” the booking agency, which in turn continued to assure exhibitors that the event was scheduled to happen. Prosecutors contend that the Boston fraud was part of a larger scam involving similar schemes in other US cities.
Some 100 to 200 wedding industry vendors paid Tucker $350 to $4,000 to run booths at the show. Exhibitors also gave her fees, which she used to cover personal expenses.
Tucker was charged with identity theft because she allegedly stole someone’s credit card number and used that person’s name to pay for a Boston 411 Web site. She is accused of using another person’s name to register a Paypal account.
The plea agreement will be presented in federal court in Boston in the next couple of weeks. If Tucker had been convicted by a jury, she could have faced up to 22 years in prison, 3 years of supervised release, a minimum $250,000 fine, forfeiture of assets, and restitution.
Pittsburgh Woman in Bridal Convention Scam Agrees to Plead Guilty, Justice.gov, September 28, 2010
Woman behind bridal scam to plead guilty to wire fraud, ID theft, Boston.com, September 29, 2010
Related Web Resources:
Identity Theft and Identity Fraud, US Department of Justice
Fraud by wire, radio, or television, Cornell University Law School
In some Boston criminal cases, pleading guilty to a criminal charge may be the best way to secure the best outcome possible. An experienced Boston white collar crime lawyer will know how to best help you.
