UNITEDSTATESDISTRICTCOURTDISTRICTOFCONNECTICUTN-ll-l
l"""~n
-D·
,-;'};._:"~:
~j
c,.....
1.
v.UNITEDSTATESOFAMERICADONNABELLO,18U.S.C.Section371(ConspiracytoDefraudtheInternalRevenueService)ILLPLATTandBETTEJANEHOPKINS26U.S.C.Section7206(FalseTaxReturn)18U.S.C.Section1343(WireFraud)18U.S.C.Section2(AidingandAbetting)18U.S.C.Section1349(ConspiracytoCommitWireFraud)INDICTMENTTheGrandJurycharges:COUNTONE(ConspiracytoDefraudtheInternalRevenueService)TheDefendantsAtallrelevanttimestothisIndictment:1.ThedefendantDONNABELLO("BELLO")
was
aresidentofGuilford,Connecticut.2.ThedefendantJILLPLAIT("PLAIT")wasaresidentofGuilford,Connecticut.3.ThedefendantBETTEJANEHOPKINS("HOPKINS")wasaresidentofEssex,Connecticut.
TheGiftingTablePyramidScheme4.BELLO,PLATTandHOPKINSwereleadersinagiftingtablespyramidscheme("GiftingTables").AGiftingTableisconfiguredasafour-levelpyramid,witheightparticipantsassignedtothebottomrow,fourparticipantsassignedtothethirdrow,twoparticipantsassignedtothesecondrow,andoneparticipantassignedtothetoprow.5.Participantsrefertotheparticipantonthetoprowasthe"Dessert",thetwoparticipantsonthesecondrowas"Entrees",thefourparticipantsonthethirdrowas"SoupandSalads",andtheeightparticipantsonthebottomrowas"Appetizers".6.TojoinGiftingTables,newparticipantsmustpay$5,000,typicallycash,totheDessert,thatis,theparticipantoccupyingthetoppositiononthepyramid.The$5,000payment,whichischaracterizedasagift,securesthenewparticipantapositionasanAppetizeronthebottomrow.7.ParticipantsmovefromthebottomrowofthepyramidandprogressthroughGiftingTablesbyrecruitingadditionalwomentojoin.8.WheneightnewparticipantshavejoinedGiftingTables,eachhavingmadea$5,000"gift"tothewomanoccupyingtheDessertpositionatthetopofthepyramid,theDessertleavestheGiftingTableandkeepsthe$40,000paidbytheeightnewparticipants.AparticularGiftingTableisthensplit,withthetwoparticipantsoccupyingtheEntreepositiononthesecondrowmovingtothetoppositionofthetwo,newpyramids.TheotherincumbentmembersoftheGiftingTablemoveuparowononeofthetwonewlyformedpyramids,andthesearchforsixteennewparticipantsbegins.
2
9.ThesuccessoftheGiftingTablesdependsonnewparticipantsjoiningandmakingthe$5,000"gift".TheConspiracy10.Fromapproximately2008toapproximately2011,theexactdatesbeingunknowntotheGrandJury,intheDistrictofConnecticutandelsewhere,BELLO,PLATTandHOPKINSdidunlawfully,willfullyandknowinglyconspire,combine,confederateandagreewitheachotherandwithpersonsknownandunknowntotheGrandJurytodefraudtheUnitedStatesbyimpairing,impeding,obstructing,anddefeating,throughdeceitfulanddishonestmeans,thelawfulgovernmentfunctionsoftheInternalRevenueService("IRS")intheascertainment,computation,assessmentandcollectionoftherevenue,thatis,federalincometaxes.PurposesandObjectsoftheConspiracy11.ThepurposesandobjectsoftheconspiracywereforBELLO,PLATTandHOPKINS,andtheirco-conspirators,toenrichthemselvesbyobtainingorcausingtobeobtainedmoniesreceivedfromwomenrecruitedtojoinGiftingTablesthroughtheuseofmateriallyfalsestatementsandrepresentationsregardingthetruenatureofGiftingTables;toimpair,impede,obstruct,ordefeatthepaymentofincometaxes;toconcealtheincomereceivedfromparticipationinGiftingTablesandpreventtheUnitedStates,inparticulartheIRS,fromdiscoveringandidentifyingsuchincome'received;topreventtheascertainment,computation,assessmentandcollectionbytheIRSoffederalincometaxduefromparticipatinginGiftingTables;andtoconcealtheconspiracyfromothers.MannerandMeansoftheConspiracyThemannerandmeansbywhichBELLO,PLATTandHOPKlNS,andtheirco-conspirators,soughttoaccomplishthepurposesandobjectsoftheconspiracyincludedthefollowing:
Search History:
Result 00 of 00
00 results for result for
p.
Recommended
More From This User
Notes
Load more
