March 28, 2017

A former U.S. Congressman and one of his associates were indicted for their roles in orchestrating a scheme to steal hundreds of thousands of dollars from charitable foundations and the individuals who ran those foundations. Some of the funds were allegedly used to illegally finance the politician’s campaigns for public office and to pay for his personal expenses and those of his associates. Former U.S. Representative Stephen E. Stockman, 60, of Clear Lake, Texas, and the former director of special projects in Stockman’s congressional office, Jason Posey, 46, formerly of the Houston, Texas, area, were charged in a 28-count superseding indictment with mail and wire fraud, conspiracy, making false statements to the Federal Election Commission (FEC), making excessive campaign contributions and money laundering. Stockman is also charged with filing a false tax return that concealed his receipt and personal use of the fraudulent proceeds, while Posey is charged with falsifying an affidavit in order to obstruct an FEC investigation. According to the superseding indictment, from May 2010 to October 2014, Stockman solicited approximately $1,250,000 in donations based on false pretenses. Specifically, the indictment alleges that in 2010, Stockman diverted a significant portion of $285,000 donated to charitable causes to pay for his and Dodd’s own personal expenses and to further Stockman’s own interests. The indictment further alleges that in 2011 and 2012, Stockman and Dodd received an additional $165,000 in charitable donations, much of which Stockman used to finance his 2012 congressional campaign. DOJ

Tagged in: Tax Fraud,