Author: Corrupt Authority
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Tennessee Bookkeeper Sentenced to 2 Years for Embezzling Over $238,000 Through Check Fraud Scheme
Kathleen M. Michaelis, a 50-year-old Clarksville, Tennessee, bookkeeper, was sentenced on August 7, 2026, to two years in federal prison for embezzling over $238,000 from her employer using a fraudulent check scheme between May 2017 and May 2024. She was also ordered to pay $291,470 in restitution. Michaelis worked as a bookkeeper for a business…
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Three Men Arrested in Coordinated Mail Fraud Scheme Targeting Elderly Victims in Florida
Yongbo Li, 36, Huashan Lu, 62, and Yuxiang Zhao, 60, were arrested pursuant to a criminal complaint charging them with conspiracy to commit mail fraud, with a maximum penalty of 30 years in federal prison if convicted. The arrests were announced August 4, 2026, by United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe in Orlando, Florida. According…
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Federal Watchdogs Demand Probe Into FCC Commissioners’ $12,000+ Gifts From Paramount During Merger Reviews
Two government watchdog groups have filed ethics complaints demanding investigations into whether Federal Communications Commission Chair Brendan Carr and Commissioner Olivia Trusty violated federal gift rules by accepting luxury gala tickets from Paramount while the agency reviewed the company’s $111 billion acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery. The complaints, filed by Democracy Defenders Fund and Citizens…
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Silver Spring Woman Gets 40 Months for COVID Unemployment Fraud Scheme
Elizabeth Maria Ceballos, 50, of Silver Spring, Maryland, was sentenced to 40 months in federal prison today for her role in an unemployment insurance fraud conspiracy. U.S. District Judge Matthew J. Maddox imposed the sentence in Baltimore federal court. Ceballos was convicted of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and aggravated identity theft in connection with…
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Los Angeles Man Faces 20-Year Maximum for Role in Gold-Bullion Scam Targeting Seniors
Ajay Kumar, 24, of Los Angeles, California, pleaded guilty on July 28 to Conspiracy to Commit Money Laundering in connection with a scheme that defrauded elderly victims across the United States. In December 2024, Kumar attempted to pick up approximately $500,000 in gold bullion from a victim in Arizona as part of the conspiracy. Sentencing…
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Florida Woman Sentenced to Two Years in Prison for Student Loan Forgiveness Fraud
Nydira Adams, a Florida woman also known as “Nadira Adams” and “Nadira Adams-McMillan,” was sentenced to two years in prison for orchestrating a scheme in which she charged federal student loan borrowers to submit fraudulent documents to the U.S. Department of Education, according to an announcement from the Southern District of New York. Adams operated…
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CEO of Scalpa, Inc. pleads guilty to selling unapproved injectable drugs and devices
Bryce Cleveland, 42, the president and CEO of Scalpa, Inc., pleaded guilty on July 31, 2026, to three federal charges related to marketing and selling unapproved skincare products, including injectable devices and a botulinum toxin product. Cleveland, of Scottsdale, Arizona, admitted to mail fraud, introduction of an adulterated device into interstate commerce, and introduction of…
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Federal prosecutors seize $47,000 in cryptocurrency tied to tech support scam targeting Massachusetts residents
The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts filed a civil forfeiture action on July 31, 2026, to recover 47,461.73111 USDT (Tether) worth approximately $47,000, alleged proceeds from an online fraud scheme in which scammers deceived victims into depositing funds into cryptocurrency ATMs. Law enforcement traced some of the funds to a cryptocurrency…
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Arkansas Man Sentenced to 15 Years for Selling Property He Didn’t Own
Steven James Smith, 41, of Northwest Arkansas has been sentenced to 180 months in federal prison for a scheme to sell real estate he had no legal right to transfer and for using a fraudulent driver’s license bearing another person’s identity. The Honorable Chief Judge Timothy L. Brooks handed down the sentence on August 6,…
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Las Vegas Tax Preparer Sentenced to 30 Months for $5 Million Refund Fraud
Iris Hondermann, owner of Silver State Tax & Multiservices LLC in Las Vegas, was sentenced Wednesday to 30 months in prison for conspiring to defraud the United States by filing false tax returns with the IRS and diverting fraudulent refunds to herself and a codefendant. Between 2017 and 2021, Hondermann and her codefendant prepared tax…
About Corrupt Authority
Corrupt Authority is an independent news site tracking corruption at every level of American government — federal, state, and local. We report on fraud, bribery, embezzlement, and abuse of power, sourced daily from court filings, official records, and investigative reporting. No political spin, just the facts.
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