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Tag: Willoughby Farr

  • Prisoner Who Ran Scam From Florida Jail Sentenced To 21 Years In Federal Prison; Willoughby Farr of West Palm Beach Operated ‘Cramming’ Scheme

    Willoughby Farr

    A Florida man who operated a long-distance billing scam from the West Palm Beach County Jail has been sentenced to 262 months in federal prison.

    Willoughby Farr, 46, used three Palm Beach companies to pull off the “cramming” scam in which consumers were billed for calls they did not make, prosecutors said. He also faces a $34.5 million judgment in a successful civil lawsuit filed by the FTC, which referred the case to the Justice Department. The U.S. Postal Inspection Service then conducted a criminal investigation that led to the prosecution of Farr on mail-fraud charges.

    “When the unscrupulous and the dishonest line their pockets with consumers’ hard-earned money, we will hold them accountable,” said Tony West, assistant attorney general for the Civil Division of the U.S. Department of Justice. “As this sentence demonstrates, the Justice Department has put a priority on protecting the public from fraudulent schemes. This case should also remind consumers to carefully review their telephone bills for unauthorized charges.”

    A top postal inspector said consumers need to be aware that fraudsters want their money.

    “Crammers like Farr are eager to post bogus charges to consumers’ accounts,” said Henry Gutierrez, inspector in charge. “The Postal Inspection Service will work tirelessly with its law enforcement partners to deter fraudulent use of the mails and to protect the American consumer.”

    Wifredo A. Ferrer, South Florida’s top federal prosecutor, said postal inspectors did a “superb job” of reverse-engineering the scheme.

    “[This] case demonstrates the effectiveness of cooperative law enforcement efforts, which can put an end to fraudulent schemes, and then bring wrongdoers to justice,” Ferrer said, giving a nod to both postal inspectors and the FTC.

  • FEDS: Florida Man Operated Telephone ‘Cramming’ Scheme From Prison; Willoughby Farr Indicted; Already Faces $34.5 Million Civil Judgment

    Willoughby Farr: Source: Florida Department of Corrections

    An inmate operated a collect-call “cramming” scheme from a Florida state prison by hiding his ownership of three firms, federal prosecutors said.

    Willoughby Farr, 46, of West Palm Beach, has been indicted on six counts of mail fraud and two counts of wire fraud. He faces a maximum prison sentence of 160 years, if convicted on all counts.

    Farr already faces a $34.5 million judgment in a civil case filed by the FTC. Customers were billed for calls they never placed, and many callers paid the charges because information about the calls was buried on the last page of their telephone bills.

    “This type of scheme steals from hundreds of thousands of

    Assistant Attorney General Tony West

    consumers who inadvertently pay toll charges that appear on their phone bills without authorization,” said Assistant Attorney General Tony West. “We will not hesitate to prosecute financial crimes of this nature, but this case stresses the need for consumers to carefully review their telephone bills to make sure fraudulent charges are not included.”

    It has been a busy day for West. Earlier today, he participated in an FTC news conference announcing a crackdown on employment and work-at-home fraud.

    The indictment in the cramming case against Farr was unsealed today.

    Prosecutors said he used three West Palm Beach firms — Nationwide Connections Inc., Access One Communications Inc. and Connect One Communications — to fleece customers.

    In the 2006 FTC case, investigators said Farr billed for calls that never occurred, including “phony collect calls” and calls to telephone lines dedicated to modems and fax machines, and to homes and businesses where no one was present.”

    The calls typically cost unknowing customers “between five and eight dollars each,” the FTC said.